At just 14, Mariano Axel Nocom has done what no Filipino racer has managed before, rising to second place overall in the Champions of the Future Academy (COTFA) — a circuit widely regarded as one of the toughest proving grounds in international karting, where many competitors are the children of professional racing drivers.
His résumé reads unusually broad for a driver his age. Nocom stands as the sole Filipino to have raced across all three major kart categories: 4-stroke, 2-stroke, and the BSR electric karts, the last of which outpace conventional gas-powered machines on the global stage.
That versatility took him to Japan earlier this year, where he became the first driver from the Philippines to compete in an electric kart at the Tokyo EV Championships. He reached the podium there and now sits third in the country’s EV karting standings — the only competitor in the series who is not a Japanese resident.
The teenager’s track record stretches well beyond a single region. His seasons have carried him through European venues including Cremona, Valencia, and Sarno, and across Asian and Middle Eastern circuits such as Suzuka, Motegi, Sepang, Macau, and Bangkok. National honors have followed too: he has worn Philippine colors at the FIA Motorsport Games and claimed gold in karting at the Asia Pacific Motorsport Games held in Sri Lanka.
Some of his earliest results hinted at the trajectory. At 10, he won a BRC time attack event behind the wheel of a Honda Civic, and he has since represented the country in sim racing contests around Asia.
What makes the climb more striking is how it was earned. Financial limits have left Nocom with far fewer hours of practice than the rivals he beats — a gap that points to natural ability rather than accumulated track time.
These days, when he isn’t racing overseas, Nocom turns his attention to the home scene, coaching young Filipino drivers on local circuits and opening his door to newcomers hoping to break into the sport.
