05/23/2026
Today's recap brought to you by Mrs. 40c:
Before I even talk about racing, I need to talk about something that mattered so much more than where we finished on the track last night.
To every driver, team, and person who donated to Hudsonās Alzheimerās Association fundraiser, thank you. Truly. Watching people rally behind our son and support something he cares so deeply about has been emotional in ways I canāt even explain.
Hudson is on a mission to raise $5,000 for the Alzheimerās Association, and if you know him, you know once he sets his heart on something, he gives it everything he has. Heās constantly brainstorming new ways to raise money and awareness. Last night, he walked through the pits carrying NASCAR trading cards, offering them for donations with the biggest smile on his face. And somehow, through the kindness of this racing community, he raised $230 in one night.
He was so proud. Not proud for himself but proud that he was helping people. Proud that people believed in what he was trying to do. As a mom, watching your child care so deeply about others is one of those moments that hits you right in the heart. Weāll have the full collection of cards with us at Silver Bullet on Saturday, so stop by the trailer and see him.
As for the racing side of the nightā¦ it wasnāt the night Chad hoped for on paper. We qualified 12th, started and finished last in the heat race, and finished 12th in the feature.
But sometimes race nights are about so much more than results.
There was a season that stole something from Chad. It stole confidence. It stole excitement. And if Iām being honest, losing his dad changed racing for all of us. The track used to feel different. There are pieces of him missing everywhere we look: in the pits, walking the track, sitting on the trailer, standing beside the car giving advice. There are moments that still feel painfully empty.
And what Chad probably doesnāt fully realize is how hard it can be to stand there and watch the person you love most strap into a race car when you know the risksā¦ while also knowing theyāre battling fear and anxiety every time they pull onto the track.
But last night something changed.
I saw glimpses of him coming back.
Every single time he pulled onto the track, there was a little more confidence. A little more comfort. A little more excitement. And for the first time in a while, I saw flashes of the passion that made him fall in love with this sport in the first place.
People see race cars and results. What they donāt always see is the healing that sometimes happens underneath the helmet. The courage it takes to keep showing up after your confidence has been broken. The strength it takes to continue doing something you love after grief changes the way it feels.
Racing has given our family some of the hardest momentsā¦ but it has also given us some of the most meaningful people and memories we could ever ask for. The friendships. The support. The feeling of belonging. It all matters more than I could ever put into words.
Chad Colley I will stand beside you through every bad night, every setback, every tear, every win, and every lesson because seeing you smile when you climb out of that car and pull off your helmet makes every difficult moment worth it.
And last nightā¦ that smile meant everything.
