You'd never know it in the Northridge Middle school parking lot that the 7th grader in the passenger seat, Bradley Blackburn, is the same kid in the driver's seat of the number 47 car at M-40 Speedway.
"It's music to my ears. It's the best sound in the world." Blackburn said.
Like most race car drivers the sound of that engine revving is the sweetest tune. But Blackburn is not like most racecar drivers. At only 13 he's still three years shy of being able to get a driver's licence.
"When I come home, I do my homework. Then go work on the car."
He got his start last year, a 12 year old, who's hands have been marked with engine grease since he could walk and talk. His entire life was spent at the speedway.
"I just was always on the edge of my seat when I was watching. And it's kind of the same feeling racing except, you're there. You're not in the stands watching. You're there."
It's easy for Blackburn to look back now, since like he said, he's there. But before last year he hadn't raced anything, until finally he got a shot from the M-40 owner that he couldn't pass up.
"They always promised me that I could race one of their cars cause they got I think 8 cars. And I came up here one day and we got the seat in and got it positioned. And I went out there and they told me just to go out there and if I could shift gears, cause it's a manual, if I could shift gears, I could run it. I think I came back about 40 laps later."
He's got some more experience under his belt this year and it's showing on both tracks he races. At M-40 he's ranked 8th and at Motville, Blackburn is first in points. And that thrill of victory is better than any aced math test. As long as he stays on the track, Blackburn hopes there are plenty more checkered flags in his future.
"Follow your heart and if you want to do something, don't give up. It's probably the realest thing I've had, in my life."
