TOOELE, Utah -- In two weeks, 16-year-old race car driver Bruno Caneiro of Riverton, will head to China to represent Utah in the Chinese Formula 4 Championship.
"We decided to send Bruno, Bruno Carneiro, to go and race in China in two weeks time," said Alan Wilson, President of Utah Motorsports Campus.
Wilson represents the Chinese group set to purchase Miller Motorsports Park from Tooele County. He calls sending Carneiro the first in several steps to bring American style racing to China.
"Everybody says like, ‘oh, my mom will never let me do that.’ Somehow my mom is totally OK with it,” Bruno said.
The effort to support his racing passion has been a family affair for years.
Bruno started racing go-karts at 4 years old. He won 23 of 24 races his first year. Success has grown, along with expenses.
At least four nights a week, he goes door-to-door selling Rodizio Grill gift cards to pay for his passion.
"That's how I've been paying for everything, tires, fuel, gas," said Bruno of the gift card sales.
"He comes home from school, he does his homework until about 6:00 gets dressed, they head out from 6:00 to 9:00," said his mom, Lisa Carneiro.
Years of being trackside have eased her nerves, knowing her 16 year old is going 130 mph.
"He's such a natural and he's always been such a natural, you actually lose the nervousness and really just enjoy watching him," Bruno’s mother said.
His first year driving his new car, Bruno won the NASA Pro Racing Utah Region open-wheel class Championship, making him a rising star in the local racing world, and sending him all the way to China.
He’ll race on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at China’s Zhuhai International Circuit near Hong Kong.
You can follow Bruno’s progress through Twitter: @brunoracing21 Facebook: BrunoCarneiroMotorsports or Instagram: @brunocarneiro21
