It all started with a car.

“My dad bought me a Dodge Stealth, and I bought another one that we rebuilt,” junior Blake Wirth said.

Originally intended as a pace car, the Dodge Stealth is acceptable for use in the driving sport, Autocross.

“Autocross is basically a cone and obstacle course that you have to drive through as fast and accurately as you can,” Wirth said.

“There was a local chapter [of Autocross], and it seemed interesting,” Wirth continued.

After joining and learning all about the sport, Wirth decided to travel to Indianapolis with his dad to compete in a big race.

“I kind of just dragged [my dad] along with me,” he said.

At the race, “There were about were about 50 cars at O’Riley Race Park,” Wirth continued.

As Wirth explained, each contestant competes only against contestants with the same make and model of car.

“There were about 8 other cars in my class,” he said.

At his first race of his career, Wirth took 3rd place among drivers who have much more experience.

On whether he will continue racing, Wirth said, “Definitely, because I have added more modifications to the car and I have more experience.”

All and all, Autocross has proven to be a worthwhile sport.

“It’s pretty fun,” Wirth said. “It helps your driving when you’re driving normally. You really learn to pay attention to whats going on in the road.”