New Port Richey driver qualifies for Indy 500

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - From his family's garage in New Port Richey, RC Enerson clocks into his day job as the racing director of the Lucas Oil School of racing. 

"This is kind of the first step to it," Enerson said walking around his school's garage. 

He may be a racing coach by day, but Enerson is a racing driver by trade. 

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"Once I was about 11 or 12 years old, I decided to try out the cars," he recalled. 

Enerson has driven pretty much everything that has wheels, making starts in NASCAR, IndyCar and endurance racing. But, his goal was always qualifying for the Indy 500. 

"It's the biggest race in the world," Enerson said. 

He grew up going to the annual race, sitting in the same exact seats each and every year with his family. 

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"I've been dreaming about being in that race since I first saw it when I was three years old," said Enerson. 

Making five starts in IndyCar since 2016, Enerson attempted to qualify for the 2021 Indy 500, but he was bumped on the final day of qualifying.

"It just wasn't meant to be, I guess," Enerson remembered thinking. 

But this year, he got another shot thanks to Abel Motorsports. And this time around, Enerson didn't even need to take part in "bump day."

His number-50 car was fast enough to qualify as one of just 33 cars to race in the 107th running of the Indy 500. 

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"We just did something that everyone thought was impossible and it was so cool," Enerson said. 

It was a dream that was finally realized 23 years after he saw his first Indy 500.

"I was pinching myself every day," Enerson said. "We're in the greatest spectacle in racing, and we qualified in."

Unfortunately, Enerson's Indy 500 ended early due to engine issues. Still, the 26-year-old driver hopes he impressed enough with his miraculous qualification effort to earn some looks at a permanent IndyCar seat for 2024. 

"Being in IndyCar has been the dream, and it's something that if you quit, you're never going to get there," said Enerson. 

He may have grown up in the grandstands at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but for one afternoon, he had the best seat in the house. 

And with Enerson and his team already preparing for next year's Indy 500, the racer from New Port Richey hopes his experiences in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing is just getting started.