(WSYM) — Racing was like love at first sight for 15-year-old Eric Wisniewski. The first ever race he went to was the Detroit Grand Prix where he talked with Raphael Matos, a decorated professional race car driver.
At the race, Matos asked Eric if he would like to get into racing. Eric told him he would but said he wasn't sure how to get into it.
"[Matos] says 'buy a go-cart and tell your mom later,'" Eric said. "After convincing my mom a lot, I was able to get a go-cart."
Eric's dad wanted to see him race but never thought he would take it to this level.
"At first, I thought he might do it a few times, get bored with it and move on to something else. As soon I saw him get into the car, I was like alright he's got a knack for this," Matthew Wisniewski said.
Eric’s success has come rather quickly. In 2021, he started racing Bandolero's, a go-cart type of race car, at Corrigan Speedway in Mason, and he won the national championship. Last year, he was a part of the Formula Development Series winning the national championship once again.
"When I started, I didn't know what to think, but I was hoping that I would, but I didn't really know," Eric said.
He still can't legally drive a car, but now, he is racing Formula 4 vehicles in the U.S. Championship.
"It's been amazing. Being able to go to different tracks and different places around the country to see the different cultures it's been really cool," Eric said.
The challenge now is there are no tracks he can race or practice at in Michigan. His goal is to win another national championship,while getting all A’s in school so he can keep racing.
"It's just changed so rapidly. I still think of him as my little baby, and then, I see him coming down the straightaway at Road America at 150 miles an hour and people are like 'are you nervous, and I'm like not really,'" Matthew said.
Eric's long-term plan? Make it to Formula 1 racing.
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