With one round left in the 2025 SEAOIL Radical Challenge Philippines, Mikey Jordan of Jordan Racing stands on the brink of something special. He leads the SR3 Challenge Cup by 43.5 points, has won 5 of 7 races so far, and is poised to take the championship back-to-back. From the outside, it looks like pure dominance. In reality, it’s a full team effort — and the product of years spent sharpening his craft across karting, touring cars, and everything in between.
Comparing the Radical SR3 to the different machinery he has raced, Mikey says “the Radical sits right in between.”
“It has the directness of a kart, but also the geometry and mechanical suspension of a touring car. You need both worlds to drive it properly,” he explained.
“I need to link the entry to the exit of the corner, steering with my feet more than my hands. I’m trail-braking into the corner, rotating it, and then using the throttle to steer the car out. That’s what the chassis likes.”
At the same time, he adds, the driver needs a strong understanding of mechanical grip and weight transfer — much like a touring car racer. Layered on top of all that is aerodynamic downforce, which makes the Radical unlike anything else he has driven.
And that, Mikey says, is the beauty and brutality of the car.
“You take the last turn at almost 180 to 190 km/h. It humbles you. One mistake and it makes you pay for it. That’s why I love it.”
While it’s easy to get the Radical into the low two-minute range, finding the last few tenths and hundredths is where the real work begins. Most drivers on the grid would lap Clark International Speedway (CIS) at around 1 min 56 secs on a good day. But Mikey dug deep and stopped the clock at 1:52.772 during Round 3 Qualifying — breaking the previous record set by Angie King in a Radical SR8 with twice the displacement.
It wasn’t luck. It was the product of relentless preparation — from setup work, to data study, to the countless hours the team spent perfecting every detail.
However, the 2025 season wasn’t a smooth run of victories. After resolving a differential issue in Round 1, the problem came back to haunt them during the next event at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC). This time, though, there were no spare parts left, forcing Mikey to sit out Race 1 on Friday.
“In my head, the whole championship was over,” Mikey admits. “I already told everyone on the grid I wasn’t racing.”
And then, a miracle. A Radical SR3 suddenly went up for sale, and after a few urgent calls, the spare chassis was on a trailer headed to the track that same evening. The team worked through the night to get it race-ready, allowing Mikey to return to the grid on Saturday.
It was “twenty hours of pure stress,” he recalls. But stress quickly turned into relief — and then triumph — when he delivered two dominant race wins in the spare car.
“That made it one of the most rewarding moments of my career. It showed me how strong the people around me are.”
With one hand already on the 2025 trophy, Mikey is focused on sealing the SR3 Challenge Cup title at the season finale this weekend. But with four races on the schedule and double points on the line in the final race, he can’t afford any mistakes or near-misses if he wants to be crowned champion.
Adding to the challenge, he’ll be doing double duty once again as he also competes in the Philippine GT Championship.
“Switching between the cars makes no sense at all,” he laughs, comparing the nimble, rear-wheel-drive Radical SR3 to a 1,200-kg front-wheel-drive Honda Civic FD on street radials. They couldn’t be more opposite — yet Mikey thrives on the contrast.
“The key is awareness. Reset on the first lap. Feel the car. Understand the balance. Make a game plan. Commit. That’s how I manage both championships.”
