TANNER HOLWERDA

Who is Tanner?: A High School student and amateur race car driver
Chassis: D1 (Driven)
Engine: Suzuki GSXR 600 utilizing 600cc Performance Electronic Fuel Injection
Team: Xcelerated Motorsports

Birthdate: December 21, 2004
Hometown: Westfield, IN
Hobbies: Mastering his compound bow, Grand Theft Auto & Call of Duty, hanging with friends, learning to water ski
Accomplishments outside of racing
- A/B Honor Roll
- 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do
  - Member of the Leadership Team
  - Member of the Demo Team

IT TAKES A DREAM AND THE TALENT TO REALIZE THE DREAM. TANNER HOLWERDA HAS BOTH.

I developed my love of racing at a very early age. An avid fan of his father’s favorite driver, Jeff Gordon, I enjoyed spending my time with my dad and his love of racing. Like many kids, I voiced my desire to become a race car driver.

At the age of six , I got to drive my first go kart. It only took a few laps on the track and I was hooked. BIG TIME! I did not want to stop practicing. It was a sweltering summer day in the 90’s but I didn’t want to get out of the kart. In fact, my dad said he had to force me to get out so he could put a cold towel on his face.

After that, each practice was better than the one before and each race proved to be more successful than the last. And so the story begins...

I raced kid karts for 2 years winning 17 races and when I wasn’t winning, I was on the podium. I also placed third in the Kid Kart Nationals restrictor division. Next I moved to the Junior Sportsman class in Karts. While I didn’t have any podium finishes, I learned a lot and got better each time out. During the winter, I was approached about running Quarter Midgets to have seat time. After my first practice, I knew this was the style of racing (oval) I enjoyed. Thus, the left-turn only journey began. During my Quarter Midget career, I accumulated 14 wins including 1 regional series race win and over 70 podiums. I was top 5 in four different classes over a two-year period in the toughest regional racing series, Midwest Thunder. 2020 (I know, we would all like to forget about it but...) was my initial year in Micro Sprints. Similar to my Junior Sportsman year, there were no podium finishes but I did accumulate 2 fourth place finishes. I had a heat race win, a lower main win, and multiple fast times with a highlight of finishing fourth in points in the Fast Friday series at Circus City Speedway.

Now, 10 years later from my first laps around a racetrack, I know racing is what I want to do for a career. I hope you will join me, encourage me, and cheer me on each time I take the track.

My ultimate goal is to race in NASCAR. To get there, I am honing my skills by racing Micro Sprints across the Midwest. I know dirt racing will perfect my car handling skills that I can take to the asphalt. During my time dirt racing, I will be looking for opportunities to test and/or race other forms such as Late Models, Super Late Models, and Whelen Modified.

career highs

· FOURTH in points in Fast Friday series at Circus City Speedway (2020)

· CHAMPION Heavy Honda, Mid-Ohio Racing Series (2019)

· RUNNER - UP Unrestricted Animal and World Formula, Mid-Ohio Series (2019)

· FOURTH in series points, Heavy Honda, Midwest Thunder Series (2019)

· RACE WIN Heavy Honda, Midwest Thunder Series (2019)

· FIFTH in series points, Unrestricted Animal, Midwest Thunder Series (2019)

· FOURTH in series points, Heavy Honda, Midwest Thunder Series (2018)

· FIFTH in series points, Heavy 160, Midwest Thunder Series (2018)

· SECOND in series points, Heavy Honda, Central Indiana Quarter Midget Association Friday Night Lights (2018)

· THIRD in series points, Heavy Honda, Central Indiana Quarter Midget Association (2018)

· THIRD in series points, Heavy 160, Central Indiana Quarter Midget Association (2018)