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Hope Wood is a British kart racer who built an impressive record in DMAX competition at Daytona Sandown Park before claiming the 2025 Jamie Chadwick Series DMAX Lights championship — a title that earned her recognition as one of grassroots motorsport’s standout performers.

EARLY YEARS

The racing instinct in Hope Wood’s household was present long before she ever strapped into a kart. Growing up, she played on a large four-lane Scalextric circuit at home, and her father — who served as Chief Instructor at the Hendon Police Driving School for five years — was a consistent source of encouragement. As she put it: “I guess it’s in my blood.” [1]

The move from miniature circuits to the real thing came during a holiday, when she climbed into a kart for the first time. The experience was immediate and decisive. “From a young age I was playing on our huge four lane family Scalextric circuit,” she recalled. “When I was older I got in a kart for the first time on holiday and fell in love immediately and I’ve never looked back since.” [1] The source does not specify her age at the time, the location, or the details of that first session, but the trajectory it set was clear enough.

EARLY SUCCESS

Wood began competing regularly at Daytona Sandown Park in June 2021, and the results accumulated quickly. By March 2023, Daytona reported that she had contested more than 100 events at the venue, recording 22 wins and 67 podium finishes in DMAX competition there. [1] The breakdown between overall and class results was not specified in Daytona’s reporting, but the sheer volume of podiums across that many events tells its own story.

Her step up to the Jamie Chadwick Series — a structured competition run by Daytona — brought her into a more formalized competitive environment. In 2024, she finished third in the DMAX championship. [2] That result was strong enough to confirm she belonged at that level; what came next confirmed she could lead it.

In 2025, Wood entered the Jamie Chadwick Series in the DMAX Lights class and delivered a dominant season. Daytona reported a podium at every round, five wins, and three rounds in which she won every race. [3] She took the DMAX Lights class championship at the 2025 series finale. [4]

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2021: Began competing at Daytona Sandown Park in DMAX events, eventually surpassing 100 events raced at the venue. [1]
• 2023: 22 wins and 67 podium finishes recorded in DMAX competition at Daytona Sandown Park by March of that year. [1]
• 2024: Finished third in the DMAX championship in the Jamie Chadwick Series. [2]
• 2025: Won the DMAX Lights championship in the Jamie Chadwick Series, recording a podium at every round and five wins, including three rounds in which she won every race. [3] [4]
• 2026: Named Zach Anderton Grassroots Racer of the Year at the Clapham North Motorsport Awards, recognizing her 2025 Jamie Chadwick Series season. [5]

INSPIRATIONS

Wood’s motorsport heroes reflect both the history of the sport and its human drama. She named Lella Lombardi — still the only woman to score a World Championship point in Formula 1 — as her motorsport hero, alongside Ayrton Senna, Jenson Button, and Niki Lauda. [1] The combination is telling: Lombardi for what she represented, and three drivers who, between them, embodied precision, personality, and sheer force of will.

On the question of women in the sport, Wood has been direct. She described conversations with female karters who found no structured pathway, no guidance, and no clear route from karts into cars, and said that kind of support would make a real difference. [1] She has also argued that motorsport should not be viewed as exclusively a boys’ sport, suggesting that girls’ sessions and competitions could help women share experiences and encourage one another — while also pushing experienced female drivers to compete alongside the boys. [1] Her advice to girls considering karting: don’t be put off by aggressive driving or behavior. Try it anyway. [1]

REPUTATION

Following her 2025 Jamie Chadwick Series title, Wood was named the 2026 Zach Anderton Grassroots Racer of the Year at the Clapham North Motorsport Awards. [5] The award, recognized within the Daytona ecosystem, acknowledged the kind of consistent, competitive season she had put together in DMAX Lights — not a single breakthrough result, but a full campaign of podiums, multiple wins, and class dominance across every round.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

In a profile published on International Women’s Day in March 2023, Wood stated her ambition plainly: “to get as far as I can towards being a Formula 1 driver.” [1] In May 2026, following her championship season, Daytona noted that she was progressing to the “next level of competitive motorsport.” [5] No specific series or team had been announced at that point.

References:

[1] International Women’s Day: Introducing Hope Wood – Daytona
[2] 2024 Jamie Chadwick Series Grand Finale – Daytona
[3] Jamie Chadwick Series: The Story of the Season – Daytona
[4] Jamie Chadwick Series 2025: The Finale – Daytona
[5] Daytona Take P1 at the Clapham North Motorsport Awards 2026 – Daytona