American Jett Bowling is heading back to New Zealand for a second shot at the country’s premier single seater championship, and he’s aiming big.
The 19-year-old engineering student from Dallas, Texas, is back with Kiwi Motorsport, who ran him in the second half of the 2023 F4 United States Championship and in 2024 in the Formula Regional Americas Championship.
A solid season in New Zealand in the 2024 Castrol Formula Regional Oceania Championship with Kiwi Motorsport set him up for an impressive season in America, where he scored eight podium finishes on his way to third overall in the championship.
He’s also just competed in the Macau Grand Prix for the first time – again with Kiwi Motorsport – finishing in the top 20 in the qualifying race but unfortunately retiring in the Grand Prix itself.
It was all extra time in a Formula Regional car, however, and Bowling is confident ahead of his second NZ campaign, commenting: “I’m very excited to go back to New Zealand for the Toyota Series.
“I have such fond memories from last time around and it’ll be my first time competing in a series for a second time. My goals are set high and I know Kiwi Motorsport will do everything in their power to help me achieve them.”
Like many in junior formula, Bowling took up karting at the age of 15, competing regionally and progressing to podium success in the Texas Sprinting Series before the highly competitive F4 United States Championship caught his eye as a way to make the move into US circuit racing.
Kiwi Motorsport, who recently became a partner of one of the most successful teams in world motorsport Chip Ganassi Racing, are looking forward to running Bowling in NZ and expect him to go well.
Team principal Garry Orton said: “It is fantastic to have Jett continue his journey with Kiwi Motorsport in 2025. Jett’s progress has been remarkable, considering his first motor race was just 18 months ago. We look forward to continued improvement this coming season in NZ.”
The third edition of the New Zealand championship will put Bowling firmly in the international spotlight. No fewer than three drivers currently impressing as the next generation of F1 stars – Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto – competed in the Kiwi championship in 2020. No other feeder series or junior formula matched that statistic.
The championship boasts more than 3,000 km of testing, practice, qualifying and racing mileage with all drivers competing in identical Tatuus-based Toyota FT60 cars. The first round takes place next month at the Taupo International Motorsport Park and the fifth and final round in February will be the 69th NZ Grand Prix at the Highlands Motorsport Park in New Zealand’s South Island.
