Local high school student chasing dreams and checkered flags

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (WBTV) - Many thought it would never happen but the NASCAR All-Star Race is just days away from the green flag at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Before that big race on Sunday, there are other races at the track, including one tonight. And for one local driver, being in the race meant missing his last day in high school.

Cameron Bolin made his first trip to Victory Lane when he was only four months old. At that time, he was with his race-winning grandfather. He’s also had on track success of his own.

“We’re a family-owned team on a small budget and were out here in the biggest names in auto racing,” Bolin said.

He was the 2020 track champion at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, and won a Summer Shoot Out Legends championship at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord.

Tonight he’ll be turning laps on the same track where Petty, Earnhardt, and Gordon all raced, and he has high hopes.

“We’re going to try to see if we can’t walk away from this deal with a couple trophies and be a little happy,” Bolin said.

Bolin is a student at York Comprehensive High School in South Carolina, or, he was…

“I’m a senior this year actually, missed my last day of school yesterday to come up here and race,” Bolin said.

A racer since he was five years old, racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway is a dream come true, that was almost dashed. As part of the CARS Tour he failed to qualify for this event, but several provisional spots were offered and Cameron got the call.

“I almost cried when (they) called me because we didn’t qualify and I felt like I had let everybody down and it was my mistake that cost us a chance to get in the show but when they called me and told me we had been offered a provisional I couldn’t wait. A lot of sleepless nights to get ready, but to be here it was all worth it.”

And he’s part of a history making weekend that brings NASCAR’s top drivers back to this track for the first time in 27 years.

“It’s awesome to go hang out at a nostalgic track like North Wilkesboro,” Austin Dillon said. “All-Star Race weekend, a lot more relaxed than a normal points race, and we’re going for a million dollars.”

Dillon grew up in racing with his father and grandfather, and that applies to Cameron Bolin too, so if you ask Cameron who is biggest racing her is, the answer is obvious.

“My grandpa does everything for us. He drives the hauler, he sets the car up, you know, if I had to pick one it would be my grandpa.”

A full slate of late model action on Wednesday includes practice, qualifying and three feature races with the ECMD 150 (ASA STARS National Tour), Crossroads Harley-Davidson 75 (CARS Pro Late Models) and the Window World 125 (CARS Late Model Stocks).

Along with Cameron Bolin, NASCAR superstars Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick are among the competitors.

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