Jackson Culver has set a new benchmark in national motorsport competition after he became the youngest driver ever to win a Formula First race and take the coveted rookie of the year title for the season.
The 12-year-old from Loburn in North Canterbury won Formula First’s season swan-song race at Manfeild last weekend with a faultless performance in the one-hour endurance race, the youngest to do so in the 56 years of the category.
Culver’s debut race win came one weekend after he convincingly secured rookie of the year in the New Zealand Formula First Championship, 212 points clear of his nearest rival. He finished sixth overall in the eight-round championship, which attracted up to 16 cars at best.
At the start of the championship season in November last year, the diminutive pre-teen had set his sights on getting a top ten race finish.
Eights rounds later, Culver has 22 top ten finishes over the 25 races, eight times in the top six. Four times, he finished in fifth place.
“From what I wanted to achieve at the start of the season to what I’ve achieved, I’m happy. It’s just that I think it could have been a top four [series overall] and I could have got a podium,” said Culver.
The non-championship Manfeild endurance race win makes Culver younger than others, the likes of Scott Dixon, Nick Cassidy, and Liam Lawson to take a victory in a Formula First single-seater racing car, all achieved their wins at age thirteen. Culver benefited from gaining his national motor racing licence more recently since the age limit was lowered to 12, and won at 12 years and 225 days.
Apart from a mistake-free sixty minutes of racing, Culver gained a winning advantage from not having the fastest race car but the fastest pit crew.
“I came into the pits after finishing the race and I didn’t know whether I’d won it or not,” said Culver. “I asked a few people and they said I’d won, and then it took a couple of minutes for me to actually realise I’d won this race.”
During the race, drivers are required to stop in the pits twice for fuel. Dennis Martin’s Sabre Motorsport team, which ran Culver in the national series, has perfected the quickest refuelling system, and Jackson was able to pick up a lot of lost track time from the quickest pit stops.
Reflecting on his rookie car racing season, Culver highlights his standout drive in very wet conditions at the premiere Super Sprint round at Hampton Downs in February.
“The race where I went from last to sixth in the rain was probably the highlight for me,” said Culver.
“And winning the one hour was a special moment.”
