When Reid Holzworth moved his company from Glendale to downtown Milwaukee earlier this year, he did so to be closer to the action.
And he wanted to find a space large enough for his race cars.
Holzworth, founder and chief executive officer of TechCanary, a fast-growing technology firm located at 1322 N. Eighth St., competes in at least three road races a year.
The longest and most storied is the Baja 1000, a 1,100-mile off-road race that takes place in Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas.
In 2017, the Baja 1000 celebrated 50 years and it’s not for the faint of heart. The winners of the race typically finish in about 27-and-a-half hours.
With TechCanary co-founder Chris Phillips riding in the passenger seat to navigate the turns, Holzworth drives the entire way.
“I’ve been wrenching on cars since I was a kid and this has always been a passion of mine,” he said. “I love cars and I love fast things.”
During the race, several other TechCanary employees head down to Mexico with Phillips and Holzworth to watch the race and help out with the car if needed.
Phillips said the two are friends because they both love adrenaline.
Phillips and Holzworth will climb Mount Kilimanjaro together in September. Last year, they tackled Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains in Peru.
Holzworth drives a 1964 Chevelle Malibu that he built about 15 years ago during his races.
He recently purchased a second car, a 2018 GT 350 Shelby, which he says is amazing, but won’t replace his beloved Chevelle.
“My new car is super, super fast,” Holzworth said. “But my old car is beautiful. There is nothing like this. It’s a piece of art.”
