Fueling Our Second Scholarship Recipient’s Future Toward NASCAR
A young woman. Eyes set on the track. Heart racing faster than any engine she dreams of working on. She’s not just in class. She’s staying late, helping others, and pushing herself toward a future in NASCAR.
That’s who we do this for.
Last night, at our last cruise of the season, we got to do something unforgettable. Under the lights, with the rumble of engines around us and our community gathered strong, we surprised our newest scholarship recipient: Annaka Blakeslee.
She had no idea it was coming.
Her dad, Nathan, helped us set up a Zoom call, and she thought she was just staying after class to help another family with questions about her program. Dedication, plain and simple—that’s Annaka. But when we told her the real reason we wanted to talk? The look on her face said everything. Pure shock. Pure joy. Pure passion.
Fuel for the Journey, Tools for the Dream
We handed her a $5,000 scholarship to fuel her future at Universal Technical Institute in North Carolina, where she’s diving headfirst into fabrication training with her eyes on NASCAR. And that’s not all. Thanks to our friend and supporter, Doug Toney, our go-to Mac Tools supplier. Annaka will also be outfitted with the tools she needs to succeed. Because it’s not just about paying for education. It’s about putting the right equipment in their hands and saying, You’ve got this. We believe in you.
In her own words, Annaka shared her vision for the future:
“I chose NASCAR Technical Institute to aid my skill as well as get me connected to local race teams and people involved in NASCAR. I will gain further education in fabrication training, and in turn, it will help me get launched into a master fabrication position on a team. I am aiming for a lifestyle where I can travel and work for the best sport in the United States. I am driven to get there and find every possible volunteer opportunity to be in the stock car racing environment to further my knowledge of racing. My hope is to look back in my life and acclaim for all the hard work and dedication I had put for myself and my passion.”
That’s what this is all about. Kids who don’t just dream—but do.
This season alone, Cruiz’n Cole has awarded $10,000 in scholarships and $2,200 in tools to the next generation of gear heads. That’s not just numbers—it’s impact. Real lives, real futures, made brighter because this community shows up again and again.
If you’ve cruised with us, donated, volunteered, or sponsored, you’re part of this moment. You’re part of Annaka’s journey. You’re part of shaping the future of the automotive industry.
So thank you. Thank you for believing in these kids, for fueling their dreams, and for making nights like this possible.
Because when we invest in them, we invest in the road ahead.
And for Annaka, that road just got a whole lot closer to NASCAR.
If this story moved you, as it has so many of us, here’s how you can be part of the next one:
