J. Pauley Toyota
Dealer Races Nearly 3,000 Miles in the Fight against Autism
May/June 2016
Go the Distance
Ron Pawley (left) and Brandon Shown raced a 2016 Scion FR-S Release Series 2.0 in the 3,000-mile One Lap of America race.
Ron Pawley (left) and Brandon Shown raced a 2016 Scion FR-S Release Series 2.0 in the 3,000-mile One Lap of America race.
Ron Pawley loves the car business, racing and his grandson. All three of those passions came together when the owner of J. Pauley Toyota competed in the 34th running of the One Lap of America race in May.
With the support of Brandon Shown, a master diagnostic technician at the Fort Smith, Ark., dealership, Pawley piloted a 2016 Scion FR-S Release Series 2.0 nearly 3,000 miles over eight days. Along the way, the duo went head-to-head against other stock entries in time trials at seven race tracks from Wisconsin to Massachusetts and several states in between. One Lap of America is an iconic competition that, in its original form, was the inspiration for the movie “The Cannonball Run.”
Pawley has extensive experience behind the wheel of various race cars. His personal highlight: taking the checkered flag in a prototype vehicle in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1985. But this time around, rather than put the pedal to the metal, the 70-year-old grandfather said his objective was to go the distance.
“The main reason I did this was to raise money for the charity Autism Speaks,” says Pawley, who started selling cars in 1972 and became the owner of J. Pauley Toyota in 1991. “Gabriel, my 10-year-old grandson, is autistic. So, for the race, I pledged 50 cents per mile of my own money. I’m looking to tap into the Toyota Dealer Match funds to increase that to $1 per mile.”
But that’s not all. Pawley has also challenged customers and friends on the dealership’s Facebook page to contribute a penny per mile. So thanks to social media, the final tally could be significantly higher.
Pawley also saw the competition as a fitting tribute to Scion. He was there at the experimental brand’s launch in 2003, purchasing one of the first xBs while competing in a race in California. And he’ll be there at the end with his limited-edition FR-S.
“People were impressed with how well this car handled,” says Pawley who finished third in the SS GT-2 class. “After the competition, it went straight into my garage and that’s where it’ll stay, except when I take it out on a Sunday drive. I’ll never sell it.”
Got it Handled
Pawley and Shown finished third in the SS GT-2 class of the One Lap of America race in May.
With the support of Brandon Shown, a master diagnostic technician at the Fort Smith, Ark., dealership, Pawley piloted a 2016 Scion FR-S Release Series 2.0 nearly 3,000 miles over eight days. Along the way, the duo went head-to-head against other stock entries in time trials at seven race tracks from Wisconsin to Massachusetts and several states in between. One Lap of America is an iconic competition that, in its original form, was the inspiration for the movie “The Cannonball Run.”
Pawley has extensive experience behind the wheel of various race cars. His personal highlight: taking the checkered flag in a prototype vehicle in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1985. But this time around, rather than put the pedal to the metal, the 70-year-old grandfather said his objective was to go the distance.
“The main reason I did this was to raise money for the charity Autism Speaks,” says Pawley, who started selling cars in 1972 and became the owner of J. Pauley Toyota in 1991. “Gabriel, my 10-year-old grandson, is autistic. So, for the race, I pledged 50 cents per mile of my own money. I’m looking to tap into the Toyota Dealer Match funds to increase that to $1 per mile.”
But that’s not all. Pawley has also challenged customers and friends on the dealership’s Facebook page to contribute a penny per mile. So thanks to social media, the final tally could be significantly higher.
Pawley also saw the competition as a fitting tribute to Scion. He was there at the experimental brand’s launch in 2003, purchasing one of the first xBs while competing in a race in California. And he’ll be there at the end with his limited-edition FR-S.
“People were impressed with how well this car handled,” says Pawley who finished third in the SS GT-2 class. “After the competition, it went straight into my garage and that’s where it’ll stay, except when I take it out on a Sunday drive. I’ll never sell it.”
Inspiration
“The main reason I did this was to raise money for the charity Autism Speaks,” says Pawley, whose 10-year-old grandson is autistic.
