VIRGINIA BEACH (WAVY) — Did you know Hampton Roads has a national champion in our midst? Well, we do and his name is Hunter Yeany. He is a 15-year-old from Virginia Beach who is making some big moves on the race track.
Hunter says he actually got into racing later than others.
“Most kids start at four or five and I started at eight or nine,” says Hunter.
However, age and talent don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Over the years, Hunter trained hard. He moved his schooling online, does strength training, and practices racing. In early October, it all paid off.
“When I went across the line I was like, ‘Whoa. I just won the F4 Championship.'”
That’s right. The 15-year-old is the United States Formula 4 National Champion.
So far, Hunter has only raced in the United States, but his sights are set on racing overseas, where he has already spent some time polishing his skills.
“I have been overseas to do a couple of tests with other Formula car teams like with Carlin, they’re a pretty good team over there. I went to Portugal, Spain and France to do testing with them.”
This champion encourages kids to get involved in racing, but he says they have to do it right.
“You have to be dedicated. You have to make a couple of sacrifices you might not want to sacrifice and you have to practice a lot.”
Hunter hopes his practice pays off to help him reach his dream.
“I really hope to make it to Formula 1 and win a couple of championships. That would be really nice because then I could represent America.”
Hunter gets up to speeds of 170 miles per hour, so WAVY.com asked him how his parents feel about him getting his license. He told me his mom isn’t very excited about that moment, but he laughed saying he is actually a very cautious and attentive driver, so he thinks he will do just fine.
Hunter is the only 15 year old to ever win an FIA sanctioned F4 Championship in the world. He was also named rookie of the year in late October.