From go-karting to driving professionally in France, sophomore Bryson Lew has been racing since he was 5.

When he was young, Lew frequently attended the Sonoma Raceway with his dad. Lew said his passion for racing has heightened with “the speed adrenaline” and that it has become part of his identity.

Sophomore Cole Jeter, who is familiar with Lew’s career, said, “Racing profession is his passion, he really enjoys cars and he has a need to race, need for speed.” 

Since Lew’s professional debut, he has participated in races around the globe, including in Oregon, Italy, and France.

Lew said that he spends much of his time visualizing. “You just go through the motions in your head, you just think about what happens if [you were] in this position,” he explained.

“I think it’s really cool because I don’t know anyone else who races professionally and it is very rare to see that, and he’s the only one that races at Campo,” said sophomore Abraham Chu.

Some of his favorite racing moments, said Lew, include finishing 3rd in the Formula Car Series championships and traveling to France.

While racing can sometimes be dangerous and crashes are common, Lew has been in only “1 race car crash, where some guy drove on top of the rear wheel.” Lew suffered minor injuries as a result. 

Races vary in length. Typically they are 30-45 minutes, however, some races can be 24 hours.

Unfortunately, there are no local race tracks on which for Lew to practice. “The closest race track is Sonoma Raceway, which is an hour away, so I usually go there at least once a week,” he said.

Lew also practices in a race simulator at home.

Lew’s goal is to race professionally after he graduates from school. “It would be really cool to be in F1 or Indycar,” he said.