Teenage Race Car Driver Named High School Athlete Of The Year
DACONO, Colo. (CBS4) - A teenage race car driver has won a national award for sports and community service.
The high school sports tracker MaxPreps has named Brett Yackey, 18, as the Semper Fidelis High School Athlete of the Year.
He's a top performing athlete and student. But it's his service to the community that has him racing ahead of the pack and coming together for Colorado.
Saturday, CBS4's Melissa Garcia had the chance to catch up with the third generation racer on the track at Colorado National Speedway.
The Greeley native is living in the fast lane, and he doesn't have to look very far for a racing role model.
"Racing is huge for me. I've watched my dad growing up, all my life," Brett said. Racing champion Bruce Yackey is his dad.
"It's really cool to race with my son. Just because I see him in the shop working so hard on these cars and how hard he works in the community and at his school," Bruce said. "Plus, he's a good racer."
Putting the pedal to the metal is a family affair. Brett said he has his support system to thank for his latest accolade.
"This is a true testament to my parents, my coaches, my teammates, everyone around me, just to how well they've held me accountable and made me do the right thing," Brett added.
Awards are nothing new for him. A star football player, Brett also shoots hoops on the court and hits runs on the field.
"He stays busy from the time he gets up at six in the morning until he goes to bed at 11 or midnight," said Linda Bailey, Brett's grandmother. "He's also a 3.7 (GPA) student."
Bailey may be most proud of the seven to eight times a month her grandson volunteers in the community and raises money for childhood cancer research.
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"I just like doing it," Brett said. "The smile it puts on some people's faces is priceless. They're not as fortunate. Some people struggle. And it's good to help those people that need it in the times they need it the most."
Brett is moving forward at full speed. He will head off to college at the University of Northern Colorado in the fall. He plans to major in mechanical engineering.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.