COLUMBIA, S.C. – Late model and ARCA Menards Series competitor Cole Glasson has made the decision to step away from racing, effective immediately.
Glasson, a 19-year-old sophomore at Liberty University pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, made the decision to step away from racing to focus on his education.
“When I was very young in my racing career, I knew why I wanted to become a professional race car driver. Just like many other drivers out there, I wanted to be successful. I wanted to experience the glory of being an accomplished racer. This was the reason I raced. Little did I know that this was not the reason God had me racing,” Glasson said in a letter to his fans. “I had been a believer since a very young age, but it wasn’t until my early teenage years that I really started taking seriously my relationship with Christ. As I became more mature in my faith, I began to integrate it into all parts of my life, including racing.
“As I grew closer to God, he began revealing to me things I had not realized before, one of those things being the reason I raced. In my own eyes, I realized that I was good at racing and could use it to make a living. However, in God’s eyes, he blessed me with the gift of being a good race car driver and wanted me to use that gift to bring glory to His name. My outlook on racing began to change. I no longer wanted to race for personal success, but I began to use the platform God had given me to impact those around me in the racing community.
“You may be wondering, if God has blessed me with the gift of driving race cars in circles really fast, then why am I writing this to you? Why am I stepping away from racing? This has been the hardest decision I have ever had to make in my life, but I feel that this is the path that God is leading me down.”
Glasson has spent the last few years racing late models, mainly at Hickory Motor Speedway and the surrounding area. He also made his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2018, earning a 10th-place finish at Kansas Speedway. He returned to ARCA competition earlier this year, finishing ninth at Pocono Raceway.
The Texas native said that despite having the skills necessary to compete at a high level in a race car, he lacked the passion he felt was necessary to race at that level. It is for that reason he has chosen to step away from racing.
“On the surface and at the race track, it may have seemed that this passion to race was there, but I just did a good job at making it seem that way,” Glasson said. “Honestly, I felt like every single time I stepped on the race track, I would put on a mask that would tell everyone I had the passion to do this. But I didn’t. I felt that I was racing because everyone thought I wanted to race. Of course, I still wanted to live out my faith at the race track and have everyone see Christ in me by the way I carried myself, but I just couldn’t find the passion for racing that every professional race car driver possesses.
“It is the lack of passion that I feel is the main driving factor behind me deciding to step away from the sport. I feel that if I were to continue racing, I would just be wasting the time, resources, and energy of those who support me because I would not be giving them my 100 percent.”
Glasson expressed a great deal of gratitude to everyone that supported him though the years as he pursued a career in racing, including his family and supporters, the race teams and sponsors.
“I want to express my gratitude towards my parents for always being there for me and supporting me every step of the way. I am thankful for their commitment to me not only as a race car driver, but also as a son and a child of God,” Glasson said. “I also want to express my thankfulness to Tonya McCallister. She not only represented me on the race track as my marketing agent, but she has become a lifelong friend of mine. I am thankful for endless work she put into to ensuring that I was given the best opportunity at succeeding in the sport.
“To every single team owner and crew member that has worked with me over the past 14 years, I am extremely thankful for the opportunity,” Glasson continued. “I have raced with Lee Faulk Racing and Development for the past three years now and I have learned from them what it takes to succeed in the sport. I am thankful for every opportunity they gave me to strap on a helmet and represent them at the track and inside the driver’s seat.
“I am also thankful for the opportunity I had to drive an ARCA car for Win-Tron Racing. The experience I got driving these cars at almost 200 mph is something that I will never forget.”
“I also want to highlight those who have believed in me enough to support my racing, including AM Technical Solutions and Sparrow Ranch on the Island, among numerous others. It is because of these people that I was able to compete at the level of racing that I did,” Glasson said. “Lastly, I want to recognize all my fans. I know that this message probably has come as a surprise to you. I hope that I have been a good representative of the racing industry in my time with the sport and I hope that you are understanding with this decision of mine to step away. I am so thankful for every opportunity I was able to spend with you at track before and after the race and for the relationships that I was able to make. I love each and every one of you, and I am thankful for all the support you have shown me over the years.”