Pato O'Ward has a lot riding on him this weekend at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

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.

"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!

"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.