MOTOR SPORTS NEWS

Latest News

  • Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever Cross-Country Rally season
  • Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award Finalists announced
  • Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award
  • Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes
  • Test run for the Audi RS Q e-tron in southern France concludes Dakar preparations
  • Home
  • News
  • Dakar
    • DAKAR 2016
    • Dakar 2015
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • Motorbike
  • Touring Cars
  • Circuit Racing
  • Events
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • Linked
    • Youtube

Murray goes stateside for $200,000 Mazda Road to Indy Shootout

Dec 03, 2016


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Tweet

BRSCC British National Formula Ford 1600 Champion Niall Murray is to take part in the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, hoping to win the overall prize of a $200,000 scholarship towards the 2017 Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda Championship.

Murray’s 2016 season has been nothing short of sensational, winning 12 of this years 16 races on route to the title, before winning all three of the world famous Blue-Riband Formula Ford 1600 Trophy races, the Kirkistown Martin Donnelly Trophy, Brands Hatch Formula Ford Festival and Silverstone Walter Hayes Trophy.

Making the transition from Karting to Cars in 2010, Niall instantly set himself out as a star of the future. Winning the inaugural Ginetta Junior Ireland Championship, Murray then went on to race in the British Ginetta Junior Championship where the increased talent and professionalism didn’t stand in his way of securing podium finishes and in his second year in the championship in 2012, finishing third overall.

Making his Formula Ford 1600 debut in 2013, Niall achieved the unimaginable, by winning the Brands Hatch Formula Ford Festival as a rookie at the event, an unprecedented achievement that didn’t go unnoticed by the judges for the Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year, awarding him the accolade for that year which would see him move away from his family team and under the guidance of Bernard Dolan for 2014.

That year he would go on to add two more titles to his CV in the shape of both the All-Ireland and Northern Ireland Formula Ford 1600 Championships. For 2015, Murray made the move to tintops, and got behind the wheel of a 300bhp SEAT Leon in the all new SEAT Supercup Ireland Championship. Despite missing the opening two rounds, Niall once again showed his class by dominating from the outset, winning the title in convincing style.

However 2016 would turn out to be Murray’s finest year to date. Returning to Bernard Dolan Racing, Niall had now set his sights on moving to America, and attracted by the prize of a coveted ticket to the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout for the overall champion, he returned behind the wheel of his Van Diemen RF99 under the expert engineering guidance of Bernard Dolan. From early in the year, Murray would set off on a breathtaking run of results that would see him command a championship lead he would never relinquish.

With the valuable support of the British Racing & Sports Car Club (BRSCC), Niall will board his flight to California tomorrow morning (Saturday 3rd December) to take part in the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, a programme with the specific goal of guiding the very best talent through a number of championships including Cooper Tires USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights before moving into the main category, the Verizon IndyCar Series and racing at the famous Indianapolis 500. The programme, which carries a total prize fund each year of almost $2 million, divided down across the various championship winners, will offer next week’s shootout winner $200,000 towards competing in the 2017 Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda Championship and Niall will be hoping that he can secure one final and important victory this year, to kickstart his 2017 season.

Niall Murray – 2016 BRSCC British National Formula Ford 1600 Champion: “What a year it’s been already, and now travelling to California we have the chance to make it even better. I have to say, the support I have received since winning the ticket to the shootout has been incredible, I’m blown away by it. But I would like to say a particular word of thanks to the BRSCC for supporting the trip, and of course to my long term sponsors who have helped me get to this point. Both myself and my fantastic team of people around me have left no stone unturned this year in our preparation, so I will be going out there knowing that I will be giving this my very best shot in every way. I’m looking forward to meeting so many new people, including those from Mazda Motorsports, Cooper Tires, the USF2000 teams and the other shootout finalists. Driving at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca alone will be incredible and may the best man win!”


  • tweet
Related articles
  • Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever Cross-Country Rally season
    Overdrive Racing has just finished its...

    Nov 30, 2023 Comments Off on Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever Cross-Country Rally season

  • Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award Finalists announced
    Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman...

    Nov 30, 2023 Comments Off on Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award Finalists announced

  • Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award
    Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy...

    Nov 27, 2023 Comments Off on Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award

  • Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes
    Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’...

    Nov 27, 2023 Comments Off on Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes

More in this category
  • Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever Cross-Country Rally season
    Overdrive Racing has just finished its...

    Comments Off on Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever Cross-Country Rally season

  • Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award Finalists announced
    Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman...

    Comments Off on Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award Finalists announced

  • Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award
    Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy...

    Comments Off on Finalists named for 2023 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award

  • Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes
    Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’...

    Comments Off on Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes


Fleet Car Magazine

Notice Board

  • Experience the Thrills of Motorsport in Emilia-Romagna: Following the Trail of Enzo Ferrari
    Experience the Thrills of Motorsport in Emilia-Romagna:...

    Sep 01, 2023

    TweetThe northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna boasts...
  • 1983 Lancia Rally 037 Evoluzione 2 for sale at Bonhams|Cars’ Goodwood Revival Sale
    1983 Lancia Rally 037 Evoluzione 2 for sale at...

    Aug 24, 2023

    TweetBonhams|Cars is delighted to offer one of the ultimate...
  • 1963 – 2023: Automobili Lamborghini, 60 years of unique cars
    1963 – 2023: Automobili Lamborghini, 60 years of unique...

    Aug 11, 2023

    TweetFrom the 1963 350 GTV to the Invencible and Auténtica...
  • One-off ‘Opera Unica’ Huracán Sterrato celebrates Lamborghini 60th anniversary
    One-off ‘Opera Unica’ Huracán Sterrato celebrates...

    Aug 05, 2023

    TweetInspired by the vibrant blues of Sardinia’s seas and...
  • Latest Statement by Galway Motor Club Limited
    Latest Statement by Galway Motor Club Limited

    Jun 16, 2023

    TweetThe recent decision by the Council of Motor Sport...

Categories

  • Africa Eco-Race
  • Baja
  • BRC
  • Circuit Racing
  • Cross-Country Rally
  • Dakar
  • Dakar 2015
  • DAKAR 2016
  • DAKAR 2017
  • DAKAR 2019 PERU
  • DAKAR RALLY 2018
  • EV Motorsport
  • Events
  • EverGreeens: Irish Abroad
  • Extreme E
  • Forestry Rally
  • Formula 1
  • Hillclimb
  • IndyCar Series
  • Interview
  • Middle East Rally Championship
  • Morocco Rally
  • Motorbike
  • News
  • Notice Board
  • Rally
  • RallyX
  • Related products
  • Review
  • Sportscars
  • Touring Cars
  • Tribute
  • Truck Racing
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • WRC
Tweets by @IrMotSportNews

Recent Posts

Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever Cross-Country Rally season

Overdrive Racing has just finished its most successful ever...

Nov 30, 2023

TweetThe Belgian car preparation company and Toyota Gazoo Racing won the Dakar Rally, the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) for a second successive year and the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country...
Read More
Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ – Almost 5,000 kilometres over sand, stones and dunes

Dakar 2024: ‘Toughest Yet’ –...

Nov 27, 2023

Test run for the Audi RS Q e-tron in southern France concludes Dakar preparations

Test run for the Audi RS Q e-tron in southern...

Nov 27, 2023

Extreme E welcomes back broadcaster Jennie Gow to its commentary team for Season 3 finale (2-3 December)

Extreme E welcomes back broadcaster Jennie Gow to...

Nov 27, 2023

Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Mohammed Al-Balooshi & Haitham Al-Tuwaijri record wins in car, motorcycle & quad categories at Rally Qassim Toyota 2023

Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Mohammed Al-Balooshi &...

Nov 27, 2023

Copyright 2016 / All rights reserved