This week’s Behind the Zoom features 19-year-old Tristan Nunez, who describes the intense emotions of his first race win, and the similar feelings while taking the lead for seven laps at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race a few weekends ago.

The temperature inside the car was rising as I raced around the historic Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit two weeks ago. This was the closest we had been all season to the pace of the leaders. I was passing lapped cars left and right and battling with cars in my class. The team radioed: “Keep pushing!” and I was quicker the next lap by three-tenths of a second. I maintained that pace until a full-course yellow came out. I pulled the No. 70 car right behind the pack, knowing the leaders must pit for fuel. My diesel-powered Mazda had plenty of fuel remaining.

I waited for the call from the team: would they tell me to stay out or pit? The radio was silent for almost a full lap as I entered Turn 10. The leaders barreled into the pit lane and I heard my strategist Marcus Shen say “Stay out, stay out!”

My car was third in line behind two lapped cars that were not in my class. The radio cues in again. “Tristan, you are leading the race.” It was a feeling I can only compare to my first-ever win in a car – it happened at this very track – and the same feelings resonated throughout my body. I had achieved something I had dreamed about…”