Jake Cowden raced into late-summer in impressive fashion and captured the 2023 Emzone Radical Cup Canada title at Mosport on September 3.

Cowden's trajectory as a young stellar athlete was evident in his early success as a go-kart, snowmobile, and car racing champion.

The range of his racing success earned him the attention of the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame, and Cowden was a co-recipient of the 2021 Future Hall of Famer Award.

Two years later, the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame's selection is looking more and more prescient as Cowden reflected on his winning year on the racetrack.

“We've worked super hard all season. This is a huge stepping stone for my professional career, especially as it connects to sedan racing.”

In our phone interview, Cowden expressed his satisfaction at being crowned the 2023 FEL ERCC Champion “after a pair of P2s and a win to close off the season.”

He noted that that his racing season has been “close to perfect for me, after scoring seven wins and five P2s, wrapping up a season with 100 per cent podium finishes.”

In a statement, Cowden acknowledged that his ascendency to 12 podium finishes was due to the strength of his team and he expressed his appreciation for their diligence.

"It really took a team effort to win this championship. I can't thank Richard and the whole Ryspec Racing crew enough for all of their hard work and late nights to keep our cars at a winning standard. I also want to give a huge shout-out to the FEL Motorsports team for organizing such a fantastic series! Of course, I need to thank all of my sponsors for making this possible. I really appreciate your support to help me chase my dream of a career in motorsports! I'm really looking forward to the next steps in my racing career."

We chatted about Cowden's next steps and the Canadian racing champion was excited about some of his on-track recreational opportunities this Fall: “We're going to be testing vehicles in late-October in Bowmanville. I'm looking forward to some end-of-season racing in Ontario and driving test vehicles at Mosport.”

Cowden had just competed at a Drivefest event at the Canadian Tire Sports Park and said he enjoyed “driving half a lap backwards. It was a novelty for thousands of fans and lots of fun for the drivers, too.”

It's evident that this young Canadian champion is maintaining the requisite amount of fun in his life—a terrific recipe for sustained success in professional sports.

By Jim Stewart