It was a successful debut weekend for 15-year-old Anthony Martella in the FEL Sports Car Championship Canada (SCCC) at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), where he became the youngest driver to compete in an SCCC event and finished on the podium in his first race.
Martella made the jump from karts to cars this season, running full-time in USF Juniors and part-time in the SCCC. That busy schedule was on full display in the week leading up to the Victoria Day SpeedFest, where he tested at CTMP on the Monday, before flying to Ohio for a two-day USF Juniors test and returning to CTMP for Friday practice.
The back-and-forth between a formula car, in an IndyCar support series, to an Audi RS3 LMS TCR machine can be a significant adjustment, but it’s also an advantage for the Woodbridge, ON driver.
“Overall, I think it will make me a better driver, driving different types of race cars,” said Martella. “It’s pretty difficult, not physically for me, but mentally; trying to adapt to the driving styles because they’re two completely different cars. So, adapting my mind to just focus on the USF and its driving style, and the Audi and its other driving style.”
Martella qualified third for the opening SCCC race, but a technical issue sent him to the back of the nine-car TCR grid for the start of the 40-minute timed event. Competing against some experienced drivers, he raced his way towards the front as the laps wound down.
“I passed people cleanly, but aggressive, and slowly chipped away at everyone and came out second,” said Martella. “I was catching the leaders for a little bit, but just ran out of time unfortunately. Still, beat all of our expectations for race one and really happy to come away with a podium finish in my debut.”
The runner-up result came with some sentimental value for Martella. He grew up watching races at CTMP and seeing drivers, including his dad Tony, stand on that podium. Now, he got to share that same stage with a close family friend in race winner Richard Boake, who complimented Martella in a post on social media.
“Richard has been a part of my career ever since I started my first year in karting, he’s been there since the first day,” said Martella. “He’s been there every step of the way, making some decisions with my father. Really special to share a podium with him and hear all the kind words he had to say.”
Martella credits his father and grandfather for sparking his passion for racing. He started karting in 2020, winning the Canadian National Championship for Briggs Junior Lights in 2021 and the Canadian National Championship for Open Shifter in 2023, while also competing abroad in leagues such as the Central Florida Race Series and SKUSA.
Now racing part-time in the SCCC, it’s Martella’s turn to take over driving duties for his family-owned team, in a ride piloted by Marco Cirone last season.
“I get the reins and I get to take over the Martella Motorsports car,” said Anthony. “I’m really, really honoured and happy to showcase what I can do…for this season, it’s just to learn as much as possible and keep climbing the ladder. Maybe get into the top-three or top-two but we’ll see how it goes.”
With those early expectations exceeded in race one, Martella returned the next day for more action at CTMP. Race two featured a multi-car battle for third throughout the running, which saw Martella move into the final podium spot with just two laps remaining. However, he was handed a time penalty for avoidable contact, ultimately relegating him to a fifth-place result.
“It was a good battle; they made their cars really wide,” said Martella. “Just trying to maneuver and make a pass when I could. It was good learning for me…showing that our pace was up front, we could run up front consistently throughout the weekend, it was a really good weekend.”
In USF Juniors, Martella opened the season with a pair of top-12 finishes in three races at NOLA Motorsports Park, followed by a 15th-place in the opener at Barber Motorsports Park, where he missed the second race of the weekend.
“We started off pretty strong, coming out of the gate with good pace,” said Martella. “We got a bit unlucky with some issues in the races, but overall, I think the speed’s there and we should have some good results for the rest of the season.”
Martella’s future goal is to race in IndyCar or IMSA; with a busy summer schedule, he’ll have the opportunity to continue gaining valuable formula and sports car experience. Next up for USF Juniors is Virginia International Raceway on June 14-16. He’ll return to the SCCC for the Labour Day finale at CTMP, though he could potentially run more events in the series.
