Ever since I was little, I have said I wanted to race. My dad was a national champion in truck and tractor pulling at the time. I kept asking and asking, and finally when I was 12 years old, my dad quit his dream for mine.

How often do you race?

I try to race something every week from rc cars, go-karts to the big race cars.  My next race is May 23, 2010 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California in my US-F2000 Series car.

Yes, it’s called an IMSA license and while I have a license to drive on a closed circuit, I still don’t have my “drivers license” to drive on the public road.

The biggest advantage of having racing experience in a passenger car to me would be car control and being able to view my surroundings with out really looking. My main concern for kids like me getting ready to get their permits is that they don’t text while they drive.  You never know what can happen when you take you focus off the road for a split second.

What are the best and worst parts of racing?  Have you had any accidents?

I think the best part about racing is getting to meet the fans and other people that love the sport as much as I do. The worst part would definitely have to be the late nights and the early mornings.
Thankfully I haven’t had a major accident, the worst so far would have to be from my Atlantic test in Hallet, Oklahoma. The track was still damp from the rain the night before.  As I started picking up more and more speed I hit a puddle on the track, aqua planed and tore off my front wing in a tire wall.  But as we say in racing, the only way you learn is continuing to push the limits of the race car and sometimes that results in a crash.  That sort of failure is the true secret to success.

How many races have you competed in?

I have competed in 35 different events!  In the previous year and a half, I haven’t been racing due to preparation for the Formula BMW USA series and after that was canceled, we then moved to the Atlantic Championship Series. I had over 22 days in a Formula Atlantic car by January of this year and sadly, two months later we learned that the Atlantic series had ended. A few weeks later, Andretti Autosport, the winningest team in open-wheel racing, contacted us. I am going to be racing in the USF2000 series with them.  They also field cars in the Firestone Indy Lights and the IZOD IndyCar Series/Indianapolis 500.

How many races have you won?

Out of 35 events, I have won 25 of them!

If you win, is it prize money or just recognition?

Winning comes with prize money, but it’s more of a sense of accomplishment to me.

Do you compete with any other kids or is it adults?

My teammate and I are the youngest in the series, the other drivers are between the ages of 17 and 23 years old.

Have you met anyone famous because of racing? Who?

Of course “Michael Andretti” because he’s the owner of my team. I can’t tell how big of an honor that is! I am also great friends with Sarah Fisher and Jay Howard, both IZOD IndyCar Series professional drivers!

How did you get sponsors?

Finding sponsors is always one of the hardest parts in racing.  To obtain and keep a sponsor, I have to be able to bring them value for the money they invest in the partnership. We call it Return on Investment (ROI).  I look at sponsors as partners because I feel that when they invest in my racing, I want to be the best I can to represent their company and to help them to promote their company the best it can be represented.

Describe what it feels like behind the wheel during a race?

It’s indescribable to tell exactly how it feels but there is something that makes you feel like the luckiest kid in the world when you enter a turn at 100mph and a blink of an eye you’re already setting yourself up for the next one!

Do you own your own car or race for someone else?

I drive for Andretti Autosport, they own the car. A great team and crew come with it though!  But I also own a Formula Atlantic car and a Formula BMW car, that  I utilize for private testing to stay fresh.

How do you balance school work and racing?

It’s tough when you’re gone for multiple weeks at a time but my teachers are very understanding about my schedule. I try to get as much done as possible before a race weekend, so I have a clear mind and am able to focus on the track and the task at hand.

Do you have any free time to do other things? If so, what else do you like to do?

Ya, when I am home I like to work on my android on safe driving application. When activated, the application will send a auto reply message to whoever sends a text to the drivers phone,  the driver can create or select from our 10 pre-made determined answers. This is a safe way any driver can drive without distractions. Also recently I have signed a book contract, “99 things you thought you knew before getting your driver’s license” that will be used as ancillary driver education programs!  In addition to all of that, I do kid things too.  Video games, playing with friends and of course my dog!

Do you think you will continue to race when you’re older?

My dream has always been to be an IZOD IndyCar Series driver.  As along as I keep working hard and doing my best, I think it’s possible!  And being an IZOD IndyCar Series driver means I’ll get to attempt to qualify for the WORLD’s largest single-day sporting event, the Indianapolis 500.

Is there anything else you would like to add?