Zeb Walker probably couldn't have thought of a better 21st birthday present but being named the Motor Trade Association 2012 Apprentice of the Year might well have been right up there.
Mr Walker had not long completed his motor mechanic's apprenticeship but he beat three contenders for the New Zealand title at the finals in Wellington on September 8.
He collected a raft of prizes for his win but none would be as important as the phone call he got from Kiwi V8 Supercar driver Greg Murphy.
Not only did "Murph" tell Mr Walker he was the winner but he also told him that meant he would be part of the Greg Murphy Racing (GRM) pit-crew in the V8 Development Series at the Sydney Telstra 500 at the end of November.
The 21-year-old admits to being a bit of a petrolhead and being involved in motorsport had long been an ambition.
"I've always wanted to do something like this, so I'm really excited," he told the Chronicle.
Company principal David Jones, who nominated Mr Walker for the award, described his young mechanic as "diligent, and a hard worker who is approachable, friendly and intelligent".
"Zeb has the enthusiasm for our industry coupled with the right attitude and skills to allow him to take his career in any direction, and he will always have our backing," Mr Jones said.
The day-long final was a tough and testing one with all four mechanics carrying out four practical tasks and a panel interview, with only 45 minutes allowed for each task.
Mr Walker said while the practical side was challenging they were all things that he encountered during his apprenticeship.
But he acknowledged the 45-minute panel interview was the toughest.