LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Mexican racing driver Pato O'Ward is just days away from accomplishing something no other fellow countryman ever has - becoming an Indy Car series champion!
With two wins on the season, the 22-year-old enters this weekend's Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach second in the overall championship - the season title within reach! He says his love for the sport started at an early age.
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"I remember it like it was yesterday, watching cars go around... I got goosebumps I was like, man I wanna do this, this is cool," said O'Ward. "And I never looked back since."
Recently, O'Ward was in Los Angeles, exchanging jerseys with star LAFC forward Carlos Vela. Both hugely successful Mexican sporting stars... inspiring the next generation!
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"You feel that, you feel like you have a country behind you," said O'Ward. "I feel like I'm not quite there yet. I'm definitely growing but not quite there yet, but I hope that winning and continuously being a contender hopefully gets me there. I can bring them a lot of joy and make them proud."
For O'Ward, to not only be competing but winning at the highest level is a dream come true. And it all comes down to the streets of Long Beach, the final race of the year.