- Only thing I wanted to dowas race and I wanted to win.

That's who we was.

We was racers and we wanted to win.

- [Narrator] Growing upin Swainsboro, Georgia,

Brad McKenzie couldn't waitto race on the dirt track.

It was in his blood.

- It was just a family of racers.

We grew up in the back of atruck out here at the racetrack,

me and my brother.

Just growing up all aroundit, that's all we knew.

And, you know, it was kindof an expectation almost,

like, you know, you're gonna race.

And no one said that to us.

It's kinda like, well, you'rearound it every weekend,

it's your life.

- [Narrator] Watching hisdad and other relatives

take their share of checkeredflags over the years,

Brad hoped that when his time came,

he'd live up to the family name.

- I wanted to be good enough.

Again, being raised in a family

where the bar or theexpectation was winning.

Number one, not two, notthree, not ten, but one.

That was the expectation for us.

And living up to be number one,

to be good enough.

- [Narrator] Then, enteringhis first race at 21,

Brad finally got thechance to prove himself.

And I got in that racecar the first night,

I can remember thinking,"I need to win." (chuckles)

(engine buzzes)

I led the whole race and won that race.

And I can remember getting out of the car

and seeing my dad smile, andI just, I could see the pride

'cause I've always wantedto make my dad proud,

and I felt like, "Youknow what, I done right."

(engine zooms)

- [Narrator] In the manyraces that followed, however,

the victory laps were few and far between.

In Brad's mind, he was a failure.

- The competition's just, it was so tough.

It wasn't easy for me.

- [Narrator] That didn't stop him

from hitting the track mostweekends throughout college

and after he startedworking as a surveyor.

Still, his trips tovictory lane were elusive,

as were his hopes ofever being good enough.

- Well, I went home somenights crying, I did.

Now, my dad didn't set that on me,

and my mom and my family,they never would have said,

"Oh, you gotta win," you know,

but there was a certainexpectation from people

that "Hey, you oughta be winning.

What's the deal?"

- [Narrator] Then came the heavy drinking.

Brad, who had been a social drinker,

started drinking every day,

sometimes to the point of passing out.

Then in 2008, at age 25, Bradgot into a drunken brawl,

earning himself a night in jail.

- And I sat there all night long

and I was begging somebody tolet me out, but they didn't.

And you know what, it got my attention

and I realized I had a problem.

- [Narrator] Even then, Bradcontinued to drink heavily,

unable to quit on his own.

Then one night about six months later,

while watching television,he came across Pat Robertson

on "The 700 Club."

- Jesus, at this moment- And he was

saying these things about Jesus

and praying these prayersabout being saved.

I don't know, it just stuck to me.

- [Narrator] Now watchingthe show every night,

Brad knew he needed Jesus.

Yet, something was holding him back.

- Maybe I just didn't think that,

maybe I didn't think I was good enough.

I don't know what it was.

Maybe I didn't think God could save me.

I don't know what I was thinking.

- [Narrator] Littlemore than a month later,

he and his fiancée, Jessica,were at a church service

when the preacher invitedpeople to come forward

and accept Jesus as their savior.

Brad was still reluctant.

- I just wouldn't come. Pride, you know.

It was just I, I wouldn't go.

And at the very end of theservice, the preacher prayed

and he said, "Lord,there's one in the room

who knows he's not right with you.

He's already told me he wasn't right.

He won't come.

So, God, would you,

tonight, will you deal with him

and would you not lethim get a wink of sleep

until he gets right?"

- [Narrator] Later that night.

- I remember setting my alarm

and thinking, "I ain't gonna sleep."

And I doze right off.

I had no problem. I went right to sleep.

And then my alarm goes off, so I jump up

and realize it's not even, itwas a little after midnight.

I'm thinking, "Well,wait a minute, this is,

I know I set my clock."

- [Narrator] Brad reset thealarm and went back to sleep.

But the alarm went off again,not once but twice that night,

a mystery Brad couldn't explain.

- That blew my mind, and Isaid, "You know what, God?

I know this is you calling me.

I know it is."

And I prayed a prayer, "Lord, save me,

I know I'm a sinner" prayer.

I didn't know what I was saying.

I said, "Lord, I accept Jesus.

And I remember thatman on that '700 Club,'

and I said, "You know what?

I prayed as close as Icould remember him praying."

- [Narrator] Brad says after that night,

his life was never the same.

For starters, he no longerneeded alcohol to ease his mind.

- I had peace,

a peace that I didn't know I needed.

God had been dealing with me

over the last coupleof weeks, at that time,

and I needed peace to knowthat I was right with God.

- [Narrator] And along withpeace came a realization.

- I was enough.

I was good enough.

That's what I think I needed to know.

I can't be good enough without Jesus.

With Him, the Biblesays I get the victory.

- [Narrator] A few monthslater, Brad and Jessica married,

and today, they have two children.

Brad eventually stopped racing

and has since gone into ministry.

In 2019, he founded JesusSaves Church in his hometown.

You can still find him atthe racetrack these days

cheering on his brotherand sharing the good news

of Jesus Christ to the racing community.

- The Bible says that"God so loved the world."

It didn't say, "He lovedthose who were the best

at what they done."

God loves everybody.

I already know I've got the victory.

I'm good enough because He's good enough.