JMF MOTORSPORTS RISING STAR AWARD

 

 

In addition to each year’s class of inductees, the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame (CMHF) presents the JMF Motorsports Rising Star Award to an up-and-coming driver who is marketable, has demonstrated winning talents and has shown a strong desire for a career in motorsport.

 

“The Hall uses its Induction Gala and social media channels to draw public attention to these exceptional young talents by presenting the chosen recipient with an award, on stage, during the annual gala ceremonies,” said CMHF Chair Peter Lockhart. “The hope is that recognition by the CMHF will assist the award recipient in finding the right opportunities to continue their journey in the sport.”

 

The CMHF board selects the winner of the JMF Motorsports Rising Star Award. The award is not necessarily presented each gala year; six drivers have received the honour as of the 2023 ceremony. Click here to view the press release announcing JMF Motorsports’ sponsorship of this award, in January 2024.

 

 

Past Recipients

 

Patrick Woods-Toth (2023)

After an impressive 2023 season, this young Canadian racer has recently completed the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship in New Zealand where he showcased his talent on the global stage. In only his second year racing cars, Woods-Toth joined Kiwi Motorsports for the Oceania Championship which was held over five consecutive weekends in January and February. Competing against some of the best young talent in the world, Patrick not only clinched rookie title, he secured a commendable third place in the overall standings. Through the 15 races of the championship, he earned four podium finishes and amassed a total of 255 points.

During the 2023 season, Woods-Toth’s achievements in the Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda with Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports were nothing short of remarkable. Over the course of 18 races, he captured four wins and secured podium finishes in 14 races.

 

Mac Clark (2022)

Mac Clark received the honour while working his way up the IndyCar support ladder. He won five of 16 races to claim the USF Juniors Championship in 2022, before moving up to USF2000. He finished fifth in the standings in 2023, on the strength of six podiums and wins at Lucas Oil Raceway and Mid-Ohio. For 2024, Clark will be moving up to the USF2000 Pro Series.

 

Marco Signoretti (2021)

Marco Signoretti was named a Rising Star following a dominant year in sports cars. He won all 12 races in the inaugural FEL Sports Car Championship Canada season, driving a Multimatic Ford Mustang to the GT4 championship in 2021. He went on to race in the British GT Championship in 2022, finishing seventh in the GT4 standings.

 

Raphaël Lessard (2019)

Raphaël Lessard was competing full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series when he received the award. He scored his first win and finished 12th in points that season, at NASCAR’s third-highest level. He previously became known through short track events, such as the Snowball Derby, and won his debut race in the NASCAR Canada Series in 2019.

 

Nicholas Latifi (2018)

Nicholas Latifi was an F1 test driver and full-time Formula 2 competitor when he was named a Rising Star in 2018. He won a sprint race and finished ninth in the F2 standings that season, before collecting three feature wins, one sprint win, and a runner-up points finish in 2019. He made his F1 debut with Williams Racing in 2020.

 

Cayden Lapcevich (2017)

Cayden Lapcevich was racing in Canada’s top stock car series when he received the award. He won three races and finished third in the NASCAR Canada Series standings in 2017. He entered the year as the defending series champion, having recorded three wins, nine top-fives and a 3.4 average finish in 12 races, as a rookie, in 2016.

 

Lance Stroll (2016)

Lance Stroll was racing in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship when he was named the inaugural Rising Star Award recipient in 2016. He went on to win the F3 championship that year, on the strength of 14 wins in 30 races. He then moved up to Formula One in 2017, joining Williams Martini Racing; he recorded his first career F1 podium that season, in Azerbaijan.