Gold Coast teenager Jack Smith has been confirmed as the first newcomer to join the 2016 CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship grid.

The 16-year-old has signed with AGI Sport and brings support from transportation company SCT Logistics.

Smith turned some laps in Formula 4 machinery in test sessions last year.

The youngster built some experience mainly in a DD2 kart as part of the Australian Rotax Pro Tour.

“We got in contact with AGI Sport (as) there was an opportunity to go down and test with them and we took it and it all sort of went from there,” Smith said.

“We chose to go with them after we found out that there was an opportunity (to race).”

“There was a big difference compared to karts because the brakes, the speed and especially the gears – it was all a pretty big change,” Smith explained.

“I’d never driven cars before, it was a huge difference with the speed as well.”

The first round of the 2016 CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship co-incides with the V8 Supercars Tasmania SuperSprint, at Symmons Plains from April 1­–3.