Despite his outstanding accomplishments, Nunez still follows the advice that he received from Bell, a 5-time LeMans winner.

 

"He said, 'Don't ever think that you're better that anyone else out there. Always think that there's someone better than you out there,' " Nunez said.

 

Because he is one of the youngest people at the track, Nunez said he is underestimated.  "Slowly I'm getting to show who I am as more results come in. Slowly but surely, I'm going to be able to get more respect out there," he said, laughing.

 

Nunez' self-made distracted driving message, "Dnt txt n drV," is something he is passionate about.

 

"Because I'm a race car driver, I can prove to teens that driving on the road isn't as easy as you think it could be. It takes 100% focus to drive on the street or on a race track," Nunez said.

 

Dnt txt n drV began because of a personal experience Nunez had with his mom. His mom was texting and driving while he was in the passenger seat. "We almost got into a car crash because of it. From that moment on, I wanted to do everything I could to try to prevent that," Nunez said.

 

Nunez hopes his status as the youngest sports car champion will inspire other teens. "[I have used my status to] prove that if you set your mind on something, anything is possible. To win that championship and to have that big of a status with that message [Dnt txt n drV] across the car is a huge privilege for me. Hopefully all of my peers see that and learn from that," Nunez said.

 

Nunez' dream is to compete in the 24-hour Le Mans, a race that takes place in France and consists of teams of four drivers who alternate. "The endurance that you need to have to race at 2 in the morning, or in pitch black. ... If you win that, you're at the top of your level."

 

As for his plans, everything is still up in the air. Nunez is sure of one thing, though. "I just want to be a professional race car driver in the future, whatever that might be," he said.

 

And since he isn’t like most other guys his age, being named a face in the crowd by Sports Illustrated suits him just fine.