SEMINOLE

Dan Zorrilla has always been a self-described "car guy." Growing up, he had subscriptions to car magazines, and could recognize the make, model and engine type of most cars he saw on the road.

So, when Tesla began manufacturing electric cars, Zorrilla became intrigued by them. He was especially taken with Tesla's Model S and bought one used in 2015.

That was the first step on a road that led him and a partner to recently break the electric vehicle record for the Cannonball Run, an unofficial and unsanctioned trek typically made between New York City and the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach, Calif. Though the run typically goes east to west, Zorrilla tackled the race in the opposite direction.

By then he had moved on from the Model S to Tesla's Model 3, which at $35,000 had a much lower price point than the Model S. Plus, Zorrilla knew he wanted "the newest technology."

But it wasn't easy.

In 2016, he put a deposit down on the car. To increase his chances of receiving one sooner, he used a friend's California address on the order. Tesla is based on the West Coast, and customers there received their orders first, he said. Through that maneuver, Zorrilla said he became the first non-employee to have the Model 3 on the East Coast.

After Christmas of last year, he headed west to pick up his car. There he met up with Alex Roy, a car journalist and rally race driver who has broken multiple endurance driving records. Roy heard about Zorrilla's plans to drive the Model 3 and asked him if he'd like to try to break the Cannonball Run record.

The record-setting run was not without its challenges. Zorrilla had to bring a map of charging stations, which are much less common than gas stations.

And it being the end of December, the weather was frigid. To conserve power, the duo decided to make the trip without turning on the heater. That meant fewer recharging stops, but it was tough on Zorrilla.

"I'm a Florida guy," he said. "I'm not used to the cold weather."

Most of the trip was smooth and they thought they had a good chance to beat the record.

Then came Pennsylvania.

It began to snow and they ran out of windshield wiper fluid. While Roy charged the car, Zorrilla set out on foot in search of fluid. They were out of it at the first gas station he found, and with little cash on him, he was forced to hitch a ride with someone getting gas there to another nearby station.

Eventually, he found what he was looking for. But his phone battery was about to die, and Roy was having difficulty finding him because there were several gas stations of the same name a few miles apart.

"I was really worried that we weren't going to make it," Zorrilla said. "I thought that was it for the record."

Finally he borrowed a charger and was able to contact Roy. They hit the road and didn't stop again until they reached New York.

The pair completed the cross-country drive in 50 hours, 16 minutes and 32 seconds.

"It was an amazing experience," Zorrilla said.

Since then, he's sold his Model 3.

"I got an offer I couldn't refuse," he said.

Plus, with young children, it wasn't the most practical car for his family, he said.

Still, he's put his name back on the waiting list to purchase another Model 3.

"It's a great car," he said.

No word yet as to whether he'll try to break his own record.