Chasing after big dreams on and off the track, 18-year-old Cameron Bolin is competing in his ninth season of the Cook Out Summer Shootout at America's Home for Racing. With two wins already this season, the three-time national champion is chasing his first Boston Reid & Co Pro division championship this summer. But on the weekend, he trades his driving gloves for work gloves and carries on his family’s farming legacy.
Following in the footsteps of his grandfathers – one who raced dirt tracks for 30 years and the other who worked an 800-acre farm in York, South Carolina – Bolin is actively pursuing both careers.
Bolin, who began racing at 5-years-old, shares the garage with his paternal grandfather each night.
“When we say ‘Bolin Family Racing,’ it is a family operation,” he said. “My dad and uncle help a lot, but with them working a 9-to-5, it's just me and Grandpa. The time we have to bond and the time we have to do things together means a lot.”
His grandfather on his mother's side passed away in June, just days before his first Cook Out Summer Shootout win of the season. After racing during the week, weekends are dedicated to the family farm and continuing his maternal grandfather's love for farming, raising cattle and hay at the sprawling homestead.
“I'm doing both (racing and farming), dreams do come true, you just have to keep working hard and pushing forward every day,” Bolin said.
On the track, Bolin is no stranger to checkered flags and continues to work hard as he races for rookie of the year honors on the CARS Tour late model stock series and Cook Out Summer Shootout Boston Reid & Co Pro division championship.
Racing at the famed Charlotte Motor Speedway has meant a lot to the Bolin family over the years, providing quality family time and countless memories on and off the track.
“It still gives us chill bumps when we pull into this place,” he said. “We think about 2017, when we won the Outlaw championship; we think about 2021, when they helped push me through to win the Semi-Pro championship… This place is the backbone of my racing career. If I can establish myself as one of the bigger names of the Summer Shootout, I’m pretty happy.”
The event has also provided the young racer a platform to inspire future generations of racers. His advice to those coming up through the ranks is, “Don't quit, you're gonna be heartbroken racing a whole lot more than you are gonna be happy, but it's that heartbreak and that determination that keeps you coming back for more each and every time.”
NEXT UP: Cook Out Summer Shootout Round 8 is back live next week at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday, July 17 for Night of Games presented by Automotive Service Excellence. Fans should put away their family feuds, use every lifeline and ‘come on down’ for compelling racing and thrilling prizes. The 100th guest through the gates will receive a grand prize!
TICKETS: Adult tickets are just $10; kids 12 and under get in FREE. For tickets, schedules and more details about all the happenings at Charlotte Motor Speedway, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets.
KEEP TRACK: Follow all the thrilling Cook Out Summer Shootout action using the hashtag #CookOutSSO. Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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