For just about as long as he can remember, Colton “The Bolt” Bettis has been racing toward a dream.
He wants to be a Nascar driver.
This is not some fleeting fancy.
He’s been working for years to make it happen.
Colton has raced go-karts, super mini late models, sprint cars wing and non-wing, super late models and USAC midgets, and has traveled all over Florida and to Indiana, South Carolina and Georgia for competitions.
He was named the 2023 BG Southern Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year, making him the youngest recipient of the award.
He already has two big wins under his belt, one at Auburndale Speedway on Jan. 27 and another at Showtime Speedway on Feb. 2.
Oh, and he’s just 14.
When he’s not racing sprint cars, he’s an eighth-grader at Maniscalco K-8, in Lutz — playing every sport offered by the school. He also enjoys fishing and sharing his knowledge of racing in talks given during Great American Teach-In events.
Racing, though, is his true love.
He said it’s hard to put into words how he feels, when he’s competing.
“Before I go on the racetrack, I get butterflies in my stomach. And then once the motor fires up, it’s just straight adrenaline. It’s time to go. It’s time to work,” Colton said.
His mom, Amber, said it’s natural to worry about the possibility of a crash.
But she added: “We don’t think negative like that. He knows the risks. He’s aware of the risk.”
She went on: “I feel you’re never too young to chase your dreams. He has a talent, that I feel, is one in a million,” Amber said.
You might say that racing runs in Colton’s family.
Colton began racing go-karts when he was just 4, learning on a dirt track on the family’s property, under the tutelage of his grandfather, Tony Carreno, who was an accomplished driver in his day.
Amber, too, has spent much of her life around races, first, accompanying her dad, and now, cheering on Colton.
Colton’s nickname, “The Bolt,” dates back to when he was a little kid — because whenever he was in the back of a race, he would bolt to the front.
He wears No. 61 because that was his grandfather’s number, and he wants to honor the man who has played such an instrumental role in his racing life.
He may be young, but Colton’s an experienced driver.
“He started racing when he was 4 and he’s never missed a weekend since,” Amber said.
And, at the racetrack, skill and experience are more important than age.
“I race against grown men, from their 20s and 30s, to 50s and 60s,” said Colton, whose success is evident in the massive collection of awards and trophies he’s acquired through the years.
If there’s anything that people can learn from Colton’s story, Amber said, it’s to encourage people to pursue their dreams, regardless of their age.
“If you continue to pursue (them) and let your talent speak for itself … doors can open for you,” Amber said.
Besides racing, Colton enjoys sharing his knowledge with others — which is why he especially enjoys giving talks at the Great American Teach-In.
Kids want to know how fast the cars go and how much it costs to be involved in racing.
He tells them on normal tracks, cars typically run at around 100 mph, while on bigger tracks, the speeds generally range from 140 mph to 150 mph.
Also, it typically costs about $3,000 to $5,000 a race — so even if he wins prize money, it may not be enough to cover the costs, he said.
That’s where sponsors come in, and in his case, he said his sponsor is his grandfather.
Besides being grateful for his grandfather’s generosity — financially and otherwise — Colton appreciates his race crew.
“They do it out of the kindness of their hearts,” Colton said. “They’ve done it since go-karts.”
Published February 14, 2024