Donna Tolton: Perseverance, Teamwork, and Heart Define Her 2025 Season

For Donna Tolton, the 2025 racing season was one filled with determination, teamwork, and heart. Despite facing her share of bad luck — going through three cars over the course of the year — Donna and her small but mighty team pushed through every challenge and proudly earned a 10th-place finish in points.

“My season was good, but my luck was bad,” Donna said with a smile. “We all did our best to start every race, and the work done behind the scenes was above and beyond. I’d give our team a B+ — not because we didn’t try hard enough, but because there’s always room to grow.”

With her demanding schedule as a Personal Support Worker, Donna relied on the help of several dedicated backup drivers — Lyle Lorenz, Bobby Tolton, and Paul Tolton — who stepped in when she couldn’t be at the track. Together, they kept the team’s car on track and competitive every week.

Beyond the results, Donna’s biggest highlight came off the track. She proudly supported the North Wellington Bravehearts Special Olympics Team, raising $2,500, donating five brand-new bikes to local kids, and collecting over 100 pounds of food for the Durham Food Bank. The effort, made possible with help from the Christmas in July event and even a visit from Santa, reflected the heart of Donna’s program — giving back to her community.

Donna shared heartfelt gratitude for the people who kept her going through every high and low:

“A huge thank you to Bobby, David, Nathan Dettwhiler, Payton and Alana Lewis, and Lyle Lorenz — they’re the ones who stood beside my car every week helping me strap in and calm down when my claustrophobia kicked in. Tim and Bobby made sure I had safe equipment, and my fill-in drivers — Bobby, Paul, and Lyle — made sure the car was always on the track. To the fans who come out every week and to Donald Way, who taught me it’s okay not to be perfect — thank you all.”

Donna also took a moment to reflect on what the recognition means to her personally:

“I’m usually not in the spotlight, and that’s okay,” she said. “But as a 56-year-old mother of two, Oma of six, a wife of 34 years, and a PSW — it’s nice to be noticed once in a while. Thank you, Jonathan, for giving me that little moment.”

Looking ahead, Donna and her team are already planning for a strong return in 2026. The offseason will be spent repairing equipment, finding new partners, and preparing to bring back their OSS car for a full season. The team also hopes to provide opportunities for new drivers to experience racing in their team cars.

“We’re coming back stronger,” Donna said. “And hopefully next season, I can finally finish those long races I’ve been chasing!”