This is the 29th year that racer Steve Stollings has helped organize Save-A-Lot Raceday. It takes place on April 6 at Perry County Central High School in Hazard, Kentucky. The festival looks to do more than celebrate the sport and offer a good time, but also seeks to help others.
“I’ve been blessed, with being able to work and race,” said Stollings, of Hazard, Kentucky. “I’m fortunate, and it makes you feel good [to give back] at the end of the day.”
The event welcomes a wide variety of vehicles — race cars of all sorts, show cars of all sorts, motorcycles — and charges nothing to enter. Likewise, spectators can come for free, too.
Part of the festivities for the day includes the Race Against Hunger Food Drive, with nonperishable food and supply donations going toward Bluegrass Care Navigators. The mission for BCN is to provide “physical, emotional & spiritual care to thousands of seriously ill patients & families.”
A cookout and benefit auction takes place as well to help Corey Samples and Mike Whitaker.
Samples’ grandfather Mike Cornett used to race the iconic Pac-Man-adorned stock cars in eastern Kentucky. Samples is battling colon cancer. He recently underwent surgery to remove part of his colon and is preparing to undergo chemotherapy. The benefit looks to help him since he is unable to work.
Whitaker worked for years at Tim Short Chevrolet in Hazard. While at work, he passed out and doctors then diagnosed him as having a heart attack — and having brain tumors. Whitaker passed away at 51 years old on February 6. Funds raised will go toward his wife of 27 years, Joyce, and his son, Nick, who’s in college.
In addition, there’s a Raceday Charity Ride for 4x4s and side-by-sides on March 23. Funds raised by this will also go toward the Samples and Whitaker families. It costs $10 to enter and takes place at Mine Made Adventure Park and Campground in Leburn, Kentucky.
In addition to organizing the Save-A-Lot Raceday events, Steve Stollings works as a division manager for Save-A-Lot and races a dirt late model. He competes mostly in the Rick Hendrick City Chevrolet/Chevrolet Performance AAS Weekly Series Presented by PPM Racing Products. Tracks he frequents includes AAS-sanctioned tracks in Kentucky such as Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, Mountain Motor Complex in Whitesburg, and Rockcastle Speedway in Mount Vernon.
Stollings hopes to see many of his fellow racers come out to Save-A-Lot Raceday in April.
“You meet so many people in racing and they become like family,” Stollings said. “And they always show up and support. When we had the floods in eastern Kentucky, people still came out and supported the event.”
Outside Groove Note of Transparency: Outside Groove is a sponsor of the American All-Star Series. The American All-Star Series paid for the production of this article. The content is not subject to the approval of the American All-Star Series.
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
