TRURO, N.S. – A Brookside racecar driver is taking a step out from behind the wheel after purchasing a well-known auto repair shop in Truro.
Dylan Blenkhorn recently took over Maxwell’s Service Centre, at 277 Lower Truro Rd., after owner Jeff Maxwell stepped away from the business due to health issues.
“I found out about the situation through one of the mechanics and figured I could possibly be interested in something like that,” said Blenkhorn, on the purchase.
“I had kind of been searching around for something different, since I’d worked at the family business forever. I’d been around vehicles my whole life and figured if I can make a racecar go around the track pretty good without stuff falling off, why couldn’t I do that for everyday drivers?”
While the business is changing names, being rebranded from Maxwell’s to AutoRite Service Centre, the shop is still providing the same quality service it has become known and trusted for during the last 15 years.
“We’re doing big changes building-wise, but service-wise all the same people are here,” said Blenkhorn.
“The previous owner did a great job getting the clientele it has, so I don’t plan on changing anything that way. Inside you’re going to see a bunch of changes such as new equipment and adding an extra bay, but everything else is going to stay the same.”
Both Thane Henderson and Glen Black continue to work at the shop, but Blenkhorn said as they expand, they’ll be looking to add another mechanic to the team.
Blenkhorn hopes to be involved with the day-to-day operations of the shop as much as he can, but with a busy racing season coming up, including a new deal placing him in the driver’s seat of the Dulux Paints Sportsman car for part of the season, it may become more difficult as summer rolls in.
“I’m acting as the service manager right now, so it’s obviously a lot of work to keep everything straight,” he said.
“People will see me at the front office, running the business you could say, but as it gets busier, I will have to step away for races and other things. These guys though, they’ve been doing this for so long that I’m not worried, they know what they’re doing.”
With business already picking up at the shop, Blenkhorn hopes his new business venture and racing career will both benefit from each other.
“I think the benefits will go both ways, honestly,” he said.
“A lot of people know me through racing and know I do good work on the racecar, so through that hopefully they’ll come get work done at the shop. When it comes to racing, I’m learning a lot here that I will be able to contribute to the racecar as well.
“And who knows, maybe the guys here will jump on board to work with us at the race track. It always helps to have an extra set of hands.”
