This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Tooele • Bruno Carneiro just returned from a little business trip.

The 17-year-old race car driver from Riverton, Utah, attended the FIA Official Prize Giving Ceremony in Vienna, Austria, after winning the 2016 Chinese Formula 4 championship.

The awards ceremony is the most prestigious in motorsports, according to its organizers. Along with Carneiro and other honorees was Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg.

Carneiro began driving karts at the age of four at Miller Motorsports Park, which is now the Utah Motorsports Campus. He funded his career by going door-to-door and selling gift certificates for his sponsor, Rodizio Grill.

Carneiro graduated from karts to full-sized race cars last year. In addition to his FIA Chinese Formula 4 championship, he won the Mazada Class in the West Coast-based Formula Car Championship presented by Goodyear.

To win the Chinese Formula 4 title, Carneiro competed in 15 races at four tracks throughout the country. He had never driven on any of them until race day.

Driving a Mygale-built open-wheel car powered by Geely four-cylinder engine, Carneiro scored eight victories. He posted the fastest lap seven times and started on the pole once.

"Being able to represent my home track over this racing season has been an honor," said Carneiro. who called Utah Motorsports Campus "my home away from home.

"I'm lucky I've been able to grow up as a racer and a person at a facility where there is so much to love. It's a world-class race track with a loving and caring staff. It's a place where I got to learn so much — on and off the track. I'm extremely happy with the results of the season and cannot adequately express how much gratitude I feel toward the UMC management and staff for their support."

Said race track general manager Willem Geyer, "All of us at UMC are very proud of Bruno. He's an outstanding young man and a great role model for other aspiring drivers. His hard work and dedication have helped propel him up the racing ladder. …

"He's a part of our track family and we have watched him grow up right before our eyes. We could not be more pleased with the professional and polished manner in which Bruno represented UMC this year."

Carneiro is currently finalizing his plans for the 2017 racing season, with details to be announced soon. For information, visit BrunoCarneiroMotorsport.com or UtahMotorsportsCampus.com.

— Steve Luhm —

About Bruno Cairnero

• Bruno Cairnero is a 17-year-old professional race car driver from Riverton.

• He recently won the 2016 Chinese Formula 4 championship - a 15-race series.

• Carneiro just returned from the FIA Official Prize Giving Ceremony in Vienna, Austria.