On Monday morning (NZ time), Liam Lawson will become just the 10th Kiwi driver to compete in Formula One after a shock last-minute call up for the Dutch Grand Prix.
Lawson has been brought in to drive for AlphaTauri after regular starter Daniel Ricciardo broke his finger in a crash in practice on Saturday morning.
Nobody was prouder to hear the news than Lawson's mentor Kenny Smith, who is anticipating his prodigy will make the most of the opportunity.
The NZ motorsport legend acted as Lawson's mentor after meeting him as a 14-year-old at Hampton Downs.
From then on he'd often bunk school just to hang out at Smith's workshop.
"I was always car talking. It was never anything but a car," Smith recalled. "It's not like there were any other interests, he always wanted to be a race car driver and that's what it was."
From go-karting, Formula Ford, Toyota Racing Series all the way to Formula One's feeder categories, Lawson has had no problem rising to the top.
But as a part of Red Bull's programme, finding a vacant seat in F1 hadn't been looking likely. Lawson's spent this year racing in Japan.
Now he's got his break.
Involved with McLaren for more than two decades, Bob McMurray is now a trustee for the Kiwi Driver Fund, which has helped Lawson along the way.
"This has just pushed the handle down on the door and open it an inch or two just to show what he can do," said McMurray.
"From a New Zealand motorsport point of view, it's the most exciting news since we had Brendon Hartley in Formula One."
There could be more excitement on the cards if Saturday's practice at the Dutch Grand Prix is anything to go by, as Lawson's AlphaTauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda set the fifth fastest time.
As for some last minute works of wisdom from the old mentor, Smith:
"He's got the job and he knows he can do it, so all he has to do is stay out of trouble," said Smith.
"That's all I'd be telling him. Stay out of trouble and don't take any stupid chances."
