In third place is 22-year-old Canberran Jack Archer and his imported Nissan Silvia S15. Jack is good mates with Maxamillion Edwards, the very first winner of YSMOTY with his JDM Toyota Crown. Jack was apprehensive about entering a plastic-bumpered, JDM-styled tuner car in YSMOTY, so when we called with the news of his podium finish, he was beyond stoked.

Little wonder too, with his prize consisting of $1500 cash, a $500 Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse voucher and a $150 Street Machine merch voucher.

How did you feel when you first got the news?

Well, as you can imagine, I was stoked! I did post about it a bit on my socials, but I wasn’t expecting anything like this. Max was the one who really encouraged me to enter. I wasn’t sure at first because it’s a JDM car and all that, but I guess he was right!

Where did your interest in cars start?

I’ve always been involved with and interested in cars. I grew up around cars my whole life, with my grandfather and father having been heavily involved in the drag racing scene. My granddad Alan raced Valiants, and my father David built Top Fuel dragster motors for two decades. I veered off the path of drag racing into my own passion for Japanese cars and drifting; however, old-school chrome-bumper cars and drag racing have a special place in my heart.

Tell us a bit about the S15.

It’s one of my eight cars, but I’d say this is my favourite. It was imported into Australia in 2007, and it’s undergone some modifications, some of which were already on the car when I bought it a year or so ago. The exterior colour is VE Commodore Crunch Green, sprayed onto a Vertex bodykit with a URAS drag-style wing. The wheels are SSR Viennas, slammed on BC Racing coil-overs and Hardrace camber and toe arms in the rear. I’ve taken it drifting and do plenty of street driving. It’s a lot of fun!

What about the engine? Is it still an SR20?

Yep, sure is! The SR20DET has head studs and a metal head gasket, and the turbo has now been upgraded to a GT2876. Other performance mods include a set of Tomei Poncams, a high-mount manifold, Walbro fuel pump and 740cc injectors. The ignition has been upgraded with a PRP R35 coil pack conversion, all run off an A’PEXi Power FC. It makes an easy 230rwkW [308rwhp], and the gearbox is an HPI six-speed manual, sending power to a Nismo 1.5-way LSD.

Any other cool mods worth mentioning?

It has one of only 10 Worst Members steering wheels, and Joy Supply shifter and floor mats, which may sound dumb, but it’s the little things that make up a car like this. I have put quite a bit of time and money into it, and there’s so much more I’d like to do with it, but I have a terrible habit of buying cars and unfinished projects!

2025 Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse Young SMOTY winners:
1st Place: Jack Mill’s Suzuki Swift
2nd Place: Riley Matekovic’s VH Commodore
3rd Place: Jack Archer’s Nissan Silvia S15