http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/04/...anni-bromante/

At just 14 years old, he’s a surprising sight to the middle-aged men who see him get out of his race car.

“I hop out of the car and they think ‘Is that kid driving that car?,'” Bromante told CBS2’s Steve Overmyer. “They just don’t want me up there cause I’m 14 years old, and I shouldn’t be up there, but I am… somehow.”

His family owns a 1965 Impala SS with a McBetts Racing Engine producing 700 horsepower, a perfect car for a racing champion, even if it’s driven by Gionvanni’s mother, Stacey.

“It was a very scary decision,” she said about letting her son race. “I had a child that didn’t want to play with LEGOs or Matchbox cars.”

So Giovanni raced, and in doing so has been winning ever since he was in pre-school.

“Racing has been my life since I was 4 years old,” he said. “I haven’t known anything different.”

Currently a driver for Anthony Campi Racing in the Pro Late Model Series – think of it like the minor leagues of NASCAR – Giovanni hopes to be at NASCAR’s highest level by the age of 20. While most “cup drivers” are from Southern states, last year’s champion, Martin Truex Jr., is from New Jersey.

Last year, Giovanni started the season dead last, but he didn’t finish there.

“It’s just really a thrill with all that speed,” he said. “Everything is in your control. The steering wheel, the gas, the brake – everything is in your control.”

He youth also expands his experience by training on track knowledge at home with his own professional grade race simulator.

“It really gives me that edge before going to the track,” Giovanni said. “I got right on the track and it felt like I was driving there forever.”

The rig is the most advanced racing experience possible, with authentic wheel resistance and weighted pedals.

“I can do as many laps as I want and it won’t cost a dime if I crash,” he said, much to the relief of his parents. “That’s all that matters.”

It’s hard work for Giovanni, with training three to four times a week for endurance, traveling to races and spending 30 hours a week in home school. While he’s trying to live life like a normal teenager, a normal 14-year-old usually doesn’t live life on the edge risking his life and avoiding deadly crashes.

“A guy clipped me and I went head-on into the wall at over 130 mph,” Giovanni said.

“It was really scary,” recalled his mom. “I didn’t hear his voice for the first couple minutes. They were asking if he was OK and he didn’t respond. I didn’t know which way to run to see him to find him to hug him.”