Murray: “This Has Been The Best Weekend Of My Racing Career”
It’s always good when a driver and team make positive progress and a step in the right direction. But for one driver he just keeps going from strength to strength, having the best weekend yet in his racing career at the Brands Hatch GP Circuit last weekend.
Since Rockingham, Niall Murray has been on an absolute charge in his Beacon Racing G40 Ginetta. At the Corby Circuit, not only did he managed to put himself on the silver step on the podium once, but twice, making it his best race weekend to date … until he went to Brands Hatch.
Although there was the misfortune in qualifying of a red flag and then Niall’s best time being disqualified which put him down in 10th on the grid for race one, Niall was undeterred by this and determined to make every lap count.
Throughout race one, Niall weaved his way through the pack keeping himself out of trouble to make up as many places as he could. By the time he knew it, he was up to second and ready to take Seb Morris for the lead. A fantastic move by Niall on the exit of Druids meant he secured the lead, but a lap later he made a mistake, allowing Seb to slip back through. Undefeated by this, Niall went for an overtake again, but was forced onto the grass by Seb, causing his Beacon Racing Ginetta to spin. Luckily for Niall, he managed to control it, and get back on the hunt without losing any places. As the chequered flag dropped, it was Seb who crossed the line to take the win, but a judicial hearing found Seb’s driving overly robust, and gave him a time penalty of three seconds added onto his winning time. This meant Niall took the well deserved win, making it his first win of the season.
Still on a high from his race win, it was onto race two, and with Niall starting from the back of the grid, there was a lot to be done. But thanks to some superb racing by the Irishman and a fantastic team behind him, he managed to bring his G40 home in third place.
Elated by his fantastic weekend, Niall said: “This has been the best weekend of my racing career. I’m very confident that with even one more lap I could have won the second race. However, I am delighted to have taken my first victory this weekend and to come from the back in race two I was hoping for a top five at best, so to get third and challenge for the lead was just brilliant.
“We’re now lying in a very strong fourth in the championship with a mathematical chance of third, which would be just amazing in only my first season. I’ve got to say a massive thanks to my sponsors Murray Motorsport, Ginetta and my team Beacon Racing for giving me a fantastic car this weekend. Roll on Silverstone!”
Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey
Becki Mitchell
