Sheffield army veteran emerges as champion motorsport driver in only second year competing
“When you’re strapped in and out in the car, all the pressures and challenges of daily life disappear - it’s a bit like mindfulness”
A Sheffield British Army veteran has emerged as a champion motorsport racer in only his second year behind the wheel.
Mark Jones says the adrenaline-fuelled thrills of track racing with other servicemen at the British Army Motorsport Association is the closest he’s felt to his old life in the forces since demobbing in 2002.
But not only is he back in touch with other veterans, he’s come out in front a podium favourite after being crowned 2026’s Armed Forces Veteran Champion and British Army Cup Champion.
The 2026 Armed Forces Race Challenge season saw Mark compete against teams and former servicemen from all branches of the military on some of the UK’s best loved tracks including Silverstone and Donnington.
And, after months of head-to-head clashes, the 46-year-old was named a two-time champion as well as coming second in the overall Armed Forces Race Challenge based on points scored.
Mark said: “It’s about far more than the motorsport or racing.
“For veterans like me it’s a real opportunity to stay connected to the armed forces community. Once you leave, it’s easy to fall out of the loop.
“Driving in that high adrenaline, high risk moment feels like the closest experience I’ve had to being a soldier on operational deployment again.
“When you’re strapped in and out in the car, all the pressures and challenges of daily life disappear. It’s a bit like mindfulness.
“And that’s just when you’re behind the wheel. Being part of a team is like being part of a family again with likeminded people.”
The Armed Forces Racing Challenge is a grassroots club level entry into motorsport, with former servicemen from across the army, navy and RAF going head to head with financial support from the military to help personnel explore sports.
Mark, who served with the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment from 1997 to 2002, today works in the NHS.
Mark said: “I’ve been fortunate to receive some fantastic support from local businesses, particularly Sheffield based RS Wheel Refurbishments, who have pledged their continued support not only to me but to the wider Army Motorsport team.
“We’re also working towards entering this year’s Race of Remembrance at Anglesey, a 12-hour endurance race that brings together motorsport, remembrance and the Armed Forces community.”