Around 10,000 km away halfway around the world, you might be surprised to find a young driver racing the Philippine flag all the way in Ireland. If you do chance upon him on track, that’s Jason Smyth from Kildare who dreams of becoming a professional racing driver some day. And he plans to get there starting by making his mark racing a Formula Ford this 2024.
Jason inherited his passion for motorsport from his dad Neville. The native Irishman raced in Formula Ford himself more than 20 years ago and achieved success to some degree. Jason witnessed his old man win the Irish Formula Ford Championship multiple times and the Leinster Trophy in ’05. Making his last full season count, Neville went on to secure victories at the Formula Ford Festival, Martin Donnelly Trophy, Bert Ray Trophy, and Irish Formula Ford Championship in 2010.
But if truth be told, Neville also inherited his passion for motorsport from his own father (Jason’s granddad) who raced saloon cars in the ’70s and ’80s, thus making Jason a 3rd generation racing driver.
Meanwhile, his Filipino roots come from his mom Maria who moved to Ireland in the early 2000’s to work as a nurse. Jason himself has been to the Philippines on numerous occasions and is proud of his heritage. That’s why his new helmet features a Philippine flag on top.
While this year will technically be his first full season in Formula Ford, in reality Jason got his start in motorsports at a much younger age. He was gifted a cadet kart when he was only 7 years old and entered a handful of races. However, his motorsports career was put on hold as he shifted his focus on playing football and basketball in school competitively. But now that’s finally out of the way.
Jason went back racing last year and it was as if he had never left. “Because I started so late in 2023, I was only able to do 4 out of the 8 rounds in the Northern Ireland Formula Ford Championship,” he recalled. “I finished 4th in the standings, which was pretty good for doing only half the season.”
The 18-year-old also did a few other events along the way including the Martin Donnelly Trophy at Kirkistown and Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch where he was consistently fighting for the lead. His most memorable race to date was the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone where he picked up his first ever win in a Heat.
After his ‘warm up’ in 2023, Jason is preparing himself for bigger things for the upcoming season. He has signed full-time with Team DOLAN from the UK and confirmed his entry season into the Northern Ireland Formula Ford Championship. The Filipino-Irish driver also has plans to gain enter the Martin Donnelly Trophy, Formula Ford Festival, and Walter Hayes Trophy in the hunt for a win and follow in his dad’s footsteps.
“My objective is to win them all. I know that’s a high objective, but I believe that I can do it,” he commented.
