It’s not every day that you see teenage national champions. Yet brothers Liam and Mark Snyder get to call themselves that after four years of Formula One racing.
The Carroll ISD seniors have been interested in cars since they were 9 years old. Initially driving 100 miles-per-hour go-karts, their father William says they started driving cars when they were 11 and started racing professionally at 14 years old.
“They were the youngest licensed race car drivers in the United States when they were 14,” William says. “Racing is not just a sport — it’s a full-time lifestyle. It’s always working on the cars, posting videos, talking to sponsors and practicing. And the only way you can practice is by driving.”
It took the brothers several years to build up their skills on the race track. In 2018, the two raced in the SCCA National Championships at the Sonoma Raceway in California. After 20 fast-paced laps, Mark finished first in the race with a 16.379-second margin.
“The only thing I can remember was how dry my mouth was during the race,” Mark recalls. “I couldn’t even talk when I came in for the interview. I was like ‘Give me a water first, then I can talk.’ I did my victory lap with no helmet and I came in with my flag. I was like ‘I have no idea how I’m here right now.’”
Liam’s turn would come a few years later at the 2020 championships at Road America in Wisconsin. Finishing within 0.778 of a second, Liam recalls being bumper-to-bumper with several other cars lined up behind him as they accelerated toward the finish line.
“We were going up against some fast, talented guys,” Liam says. “I had to keep my head in it. What was gonna happen was gonna happen. I’m passing whoever I’m passing. I came here to race, and I was gonna race.”
Although the last pro season is over before they graduate, the brothers have a few more races ahead of them before they join Texas A&M’s formula program next year. One race they’re looking forward to in particular is the World Racing League Endurance Championship from December 4-6 in Austin’s Circuit of the Americas. But no matter where they’re at, Mark and Liam will enjoy racing on whichever track they find themselves in.
“We don’t do this to get second or third place,” Mark expresses. “We do this to win. Now and forever, we’re known as national champions.”