Axel Nocom wrapped up his 2025 karting campaign with a strong podium finish at the IAME Asia Final, held at the Coloane Kart Track in Macau. Competing as the lone Filipino in the Juniors category against a strong 37-driver field, the event marked Axel’s final race of what has been a demanding but productive learning year on the international stage.
Watched over by mechanic Kyle Moore, representing MN Motorsports, and running under the Theodore PREMA Racing tent, the 13-year-old showed his speed early on in Qualifying, setting the fastest time in his group. His lap was good enough for P2 overall when combined with Group 2’s results, with only Australian karter Jay Kostecki ahead on pole position.
The opening Heats reflected Axel’s front-running pace. He followed Kostecki home in Heat 1 before bouncing back in Heat 2 with a controlled victory, taking the win by a 0.781 secs margin. Heat 3, however, proved far more dramatic. Starting from pole, Axel initially held the lead but soon came under pressure. Zeng Sihan, Nathan Arya, and Axel exchanged positions in a tense three-way battle with Axel leading with to laps to go. But contact with Arya spun him around and dropped him to 6th at the finish.
The Super Heat was another tough test. Starting from the front row, Axel was crossed up at the start and dropped to P6, placing him in the thick of the midfield fight. Despite being pinballed around in the early laps, he fought his way back up to P3 and soaked up the pressure from behind. A small mistake later in the race allowed several karts to slip through, and further contact on the run to the flag forced him off track, leaving him classified 12th.
Still, he would start from P7 in the all-important Finals with 31 karts lining up on the grid. He muscled his way up to P2 on the opening lap and slotted right behind Kostecki. It then evolved into a 5-kart battle with John Han, Andrea Galimberti, and Leonardi Mauri joining in the fray. The fight to the finish saw Galimberti, Mauri, and Axel locked together at the front with Axel and Mauri coming together on the very last lap. Although the incident bent Axel’s steering, he was able to nurse the kart to the chequered flag to secure a hard-fought 2nd place.
With the podium in Macau closing out his year on a high, 2025 will be remembered as a season of steady progression for Axel. From spending last year fighting to break into the Top 10, he finished this year’s campaign fighting for wins. Every stop along the way added a new layer to his development.
That progress was reflected in several standout results, including a gold medal at the Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship in Sri Lanka, his first COTFA UAE victory at Al Forsan, and a Finals win at the same circuit in COTFA—clear milestones in what has been a breakthrough year on the international stage.
Axel Nocom: “A great end to my 2025 season. After 5 days of racing, we finished with a podium—just one step away from the top. It wasn’t an easy year, but every track and every race helped me improve. I’m grateful for the experience and proud to finish the season fighting at the front.”
Axel Nocom is supported by Mercedes Driver Development, Deseño MNL, Recaro Philippines, DENSO Spark Plugs, Ceramic Pro Philippines, Ravenol Philippines, AutoPlus Sports, DRIFT XAUST, DRIFT MOTOR Speedway, Ekartraceway, Kart Republic, New Era Cap Philippines, Skullcandy Philippines, Burlington Socks, Simagic, Cammus Philippines, Apex Racing Philippines, Monza Barcade, Pregame Motorsport Merchandise, and DG Budget Hotel.
Those interested in following in Axel’s footsteps to race competitively overseas can inquire at the Axel Motorsports page on Facebook.
[Photos by Bong Boado & IAME Series Asia]
