Many motoring enthusiasts sitting in the stands at the ITM 400 in Pukekohe at the weekend would have been imagining, "one day that could be me".
The difference between their pipe dreams and Wanganui's Aaron Marr as he sat and watched is that the 17-year-old is already on the path to a professional career.
"I definitely was thinking, 'one day'," he said back home yesterday.
At the start of the month, Marr completed his debut driver season in the Weldwell New Zealand Formula First Championship by being named the Rookie of the Year.
The nine-round season in Taupo, Hampton Downs and Manfeild is for entry level, 1200cc single seater racers.
In total, 22 competitors took part this year with racing once a month over summer, except for three events in March.
This time last year, Marr beat out a dozen other applicants to earn an all-expenses paid drive with the Sabre Motorsport team through the Speed Sport Scholarship.
"I'd only done go-karting around New Zealand and Australia," said Marr, down playing his national successes and third placing in the 2012 South Australian Sprint Kart Championships.
"I want to race open wheels, to start with.
"There was the scholarship - you had to drive one of their cars and you were picked up."
The teenager had an immediate impact on the junior motorsport development class earning third placings twice at the opening round. While there were some "down moments" when he didn't finish well, Marr had a fantastic drive in the first race of the last round at Taupo Motorsport Park on April 7.
Making a determined run from seventh in the eight-lap race, his victory was significantly the first for the Sabre Motorsport team in three years.
It meant he would finish the season in fifth overall, lifting himself above fellow rookie Jacob Smith of Auckland, to claim that title.
"I was very pleased with it, it was a lot of fun too that was the big thing," Marr said.
He had found the driving style which at this level emphasises skill and race-craft rather than big budget horsepower was different as he adjusted to not having grip while also learning the art of drafting. "A lot more thought went into it."
Marr had a pretty clean season, just one wheel-to-wheel collision with another car.
With an appetite well-whet, Marr could have paid to go back into Formula First for the 2013-14 season, but has set his sights higher.
Father Lloyd Marr is looking to invest in a car for the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship and the family are arranging funding and sponsorship to do so.
After his Formula First success, Marr does not need reminding he has taken the first step of a well travelled path Scott Dixon, Shane van Gisbergen and Greg Murphy all made the same start in their youth.
Perhaps "one day" is not that far off.