Local karting driver Jackson Wolny, age sixteen, won a fully funded seat in British Formula 4 for the 2026 season through F.A.T. Karting League’s World Finals Shootout, taking place from Feb. 6-11.
FAT Karting League is a global arrive-and-drive karting championship for drivers aged six through seventeen, meant to make karting more motorsport, an infamously expensive sport, accessible in cost, and to find the next top racing driver. Its various regional championships, such as in the Midwest where Wolny first won, feed into the FAT Karting League World Finals, where the top drivers from each regional championship compete for one of four spots in the Formula 4 shootout, and ultimately one driver will win a fully funded season in British Formula 4, worth roughly five hundred thousand dollars.
Naperville’s very own Jackson Wolny ended up being the inaugural winner of the program.
“When I figured it out, I was screaming,” Wolny said. “I was so excited. My whole life’s pretty much changed. I’ve moved here [to the UK] at this point, I’ve got to drive an F4 car a few times again already, which is insane and so fun. It’s just awesome.”
Wolny is particularly thankful for the opportunity given to him through FAT Karting League because he knows how expensive motorsport can be.
“I have so much respect for Rob [Smedley] & Ferdi [Porsche] for creating FAT Karting League, which is such an amazing opportunity for young drivers to move forward based on talent,” Wolny said. “I’ve been working really hard to get to this level and trusting that God has a plan for me. I truly believed an opportunity would open up at some point and I’m thrilled it’s with FAT Racing. I can’t wait to see what we can do together and where this journey takes us.”
Rob Smedley, the co-founder of FAT Karting League, holds Wolny in equally high regards.
“Jackson has earned his place as our 2026 Formula 4 driver through a process that was rigorous, objective and uncompromising,” Smedley said. “This wasn’t a commercial decision, and it wasn’t influenced by background or budget; it was decided on outright performance.”
Now that Wolny has moved to the UK, he will be focused on preparing for his upcoming British Formula 4 debut. Wolny has already started pre-season testing with Xcel Motorsport, and his first race will be at the British Formula 4 season opener on April 18-19 at the Donington Park circuit.
The British Formula 4 season is made up of ten rounds or race weekends, consisting of three races each. To catch him racing soon, watch for the British Formula 4 races being broadcast live on the official British Formula 4 Youtube channel.