Tristan Van Wieringen began his racing career at the age of 4, but it wasn’t on a tricycle — he was already mastering the art of motocross competition.
Tristan Van Wieringen began his racing career at the age of 4, but it wasn’t on a tricycle — he was already mastering the art of motocross competition.
Van Wieringen, a student from LaSalle, Ontario, is a junior in the international business program. In a racing accident when he was 7 years old, Van Wieringen received injuries to his legs and throat that took two years and nine major surgeries to heal, but he was not about to end his time on the track—real or virtual.
This year, he began competing as an amateur NASCAR driver—and as an eSports coach for the Saints. Competition is a family affair. His sister, Dominque, competes in the same NASCAR series. His father, Murray Van Wieringen, raced Super Bikes before he was sidelined by a shoulder injury.
Racing cars is a thrilling experience, Van Wieringen says. “It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time, going so fast and driving so close at times to other people,” he says. “It definitely pushes me out of my comfort zone.”
But it also has pushed him beyond his financial comfort zone, so he has shifted his attention to eSports. “NASCAR requires a lot of money,” Van Wieringen says. “ESports isn’t super money-driven.”
Van Wieringen says he was recruited to coach the Saints’ Overwatch eSports team. He compares the job to putting together a football squad, where each person has a specific role to play.
“Everyone has to be willing to work well together, especially with such a small team,” he says. “You need people with a positive attitude who are willing to work toward the same goal.”
His Overwatch team is considered one of the best collegiate contenders in the nation.
“This team won’t have a prob lem winning the title,” he predicts. Racing and coaching require a lot of time, but Van Wieringen says balancing competitive pursuits with academics is easy: “School comes first.”