[Si] TV

Juan Pitta is addicted to speed. The Galt, CA native fell for it when he was 15, and hasn't slowed up since. Pitta, 25, works as a tire mechanic for the Oak Grove School District during the day and works on his budding racing career at nights and weekends. With a national ranking, he's quickly approaching his ultimate goal of becoming a certified NASCAR driver. SiTV.com caught up with the speed demon to talk about being a Latino in a white-dominated sport.

SiTV.com: How did you get into racecar driving?
Juan Pitta: When I was 15, my parents bought me a shifter cart and I started off racing carts at a local racetrack. I made my way through the carting ranks for about seven years. I wanted to further my career and get to that next level in auto racing so two years ago I purchased a [racecar] and I'm currently racing at All American Speedway [in Roseville, CA]. I'm fourth in points, ranked eighth in California and 38^th in the nation. So far we've done 13 races and I've achieved six top fives and 13 top 10s so I haven't finished out of the top 10 this year.

SiTV.com: Has being a Latino in a white-dominated sport been a challenge?
JP: It hasn't been an obstacle, if anything, it's been an advantage. NASCAR is dominated by Caucasian males so being a Latino sets me aside from everybody and it's made me unique. I've tried to use it to my advantage. 

SiTV.com: We hear you're having a fundraiser this weekend.
JP: I rented out a banquet hall of the [Towe] Auto Museum and I sold about 300 tickets to friends and family. I got music, drinks, food and a raffle. It's a basic way for me to raise money. We usually come out with about $9,000 and it's going to help me get through the year financially.

SiTV.com: What's the difference between maintaining a racecar and a regular car?
JP: A racecar you got so many different adjustments. People just think you get in the car and you drive. It's not like that. You got different spring assortments you can put in the car, the front end geometry and weight placement changes the handling on the car. The geometry on the back to get the car to come around and rotate through the corner better that's what makes it so difficult to compete with the teams; they have the experience. When the air temperture changes 10 degrees they know what adjustment to make on the car to make it handle that much better.

SiTV.com: Where do you want to take you career?
JP: I race in the NASCAR Whelen series and that's said to be more of a grassroots beginning level type of racing in NASCAR. Once I graduate from there I go into the Grand National series which is more of a theatre series. The [final] step would be the Sprint Cup series. My ultimate goal is to get in that series and be successful.

Pitta's fundraiser at the Towe Auto Museum is in Sacramento, CA takes place on July 19. For more info go here.