The desire to showcase your racing abilities and go full throttle against the best is a dream that starts at a young age. That dream holds true for Ontario race car driver, Joey McColm who started his journey into racing at the age of 14. 

It was then when his father bought him his first go kart and after a few years of having fun – the competition of racing took over. Joey worked up the ladder by working on his own car, eventually leading him into the CASCAR Super Series in 2006, Canada’s former stock car championship which was to become the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. 

However, Joey quickly found out the world of racing that begins with dreams and high hopes can turn quickly into the reality of shrewd business and advertising budgets. Joey knows all too well about this game within the game of racing and has bounced between teams and sponsors for the past seven years with only one-full season of action back in 2010. 

As good as a driver is – they need stability, time to develop the car and work with the team. Just ask Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay, who toiled in IndyCar for years working on different rides and jumping to different teams. Andretti Autosport took a chance with him and after a few years and many race wins – Ryan took home the IndyCar driver’s championship in 2012.  

One of the better attributes that Joey has is marketing himself and helping advertisers get their money’s worth. He has a love for the business side, something you need in this sport and showcased the opportunities to business man, Bud Morris, who’s the President of Canada’s Best Store Fixtures. 

Bud was no stranger to sports marketing, but not the racing world. After a little convincing, Joey partnered with Bud on a sponsorship deal for one race to see how sponsoring Joey could be good for the promotion of his custom store fixture shop.

The Barrie Speedway would be the venue, as it was closest race to the Woodbridge store and was received with great success. Clients were provided a fun VIP weekend with a chance to mingle, network and see some great racing action. The opportunity for Bud to thank his clients was too overwhelming to pass up, so he decided to increase his involvement in racing with the creation of his own team with Joey as his new full-time driver.

“After spending some time at the track and with Joey, we saw tremendous opportunity to do something different in the sport and created Canada's Best Racing Team Inc.,” said Bud. “We have invested heavily in assets this year and are well positioned to do very well for our corporate partners this season.”

The goals of both Joey McColm and Canada’s Best Racing Team are the same – to win some races and hopefully the Canadian Tire Series championship.

“We want top-five and top-three finishes,” said Joey. “We would like to be on that podium, which we feel is a realistic goal.”

But Joey and Bud both understand that it’s going to take some funding and resources to stand a fighting chance and they’ve done so by acquiring new equipment and a new car ahead of the season. They all play their part with Joey is in charge of the car, as well as the marketing side and the activation of sponsors. However, he’s happy to say that this year he’s spending more attention in the garage where he can put his engineering background to good use and get the race car to winner’s circle.

Bud and Joey have a plan that goes well beyond winning at the track. 

“Our experience doesn't end at the track,” explains Bud. “With the effective use of social media, digital and our tireless efforts to be brand ambassadors for our partners with ongoing site engagements and autograph sessions, we look to leverage the motorsports experience to enrich all of the lives that we touch”.

It takes a lot of commitment and resources to own your own race team and Bud Morris has stepped up to the plate to assist Joey McColm with his dreams, while hoping to support his own dreams of bettering his brand. It could just be a match-made in heaven, as both driver and owner are clearly on the same page, which is usually the backdrop for success in a sport that rarely sees stability. 

The first win is always the hardest, but we will see if Joey and Bud can pull it off in their new No. 25 car for Canada’s Best Racing Team. The 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series starts up on the Victoria Day long weekend on May 18th at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport) in Bowmanville, ON.