Eoin Murray
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| Eoin Murray | |
|---|---|
| Image:EoinMurray.jpg |
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| 2008 BTCC driver | |
| Nationality |  |
| Nickname | - |
| Car # | 14 |
| Team | Quest Racing |
| Car | Alfa Romeo 156 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podium finishes | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Debut season | 2006 |
| Best championship result | 18th (2006) |
| 2006 position | 18th (8 points) |
Eoin Murray is an Irish auto racing driver, born 9th December 1982. After winning the European Alfa Romeo 147 Challenge in 2005, he made his BTCC debut in the middle of 2006.
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[edit] Early years
Murray had a successful career in karts, culminating in victory in the Formula A championship of 1999. He dabbled in rallycross that winter, winning 6 races. In 2000 he raced Fiats and Ford Fiestas in one-make championship, doing well enough to be nominated for the Young Irish Racing Driver of the Year award.
In 2001 he did the Fiesta Championship, winning the Newcomer cup and finishing 5th overall after 8 podium finishes. He won the Jimmy Millard trophy for emerging Irish racers.
[edit] Renault Clio Cup UK
In the next 2 years his primary focus was the Renaultsport Clio UK Championship championship, in the Xcel team ran by former BTCC driver John Bintcliffe, with sponsorship from former British Rallycross Champion Helmut Holfeld. He was 7th overall in 2002 and third in 2003, winning the Young Irish Racing Driver of the year award at the third attempt. He also did a little Rallycross racing in 2003.
[edit] European Alfa Challenge
For 2004 he switched to racing in mainland Europe, in the Alfa Romeo 147 challenge. He lacked circuit knowledge in his rookie season, but still won 2 races to come 4th overall. In 2005 he converted all this into a title winning season. He only won one race, but took 4 pole positions, 9 podiums and 4 lap records.
[edit] BTCC
This earned him a factory-prepared WTCC-spec Alfa 156, although not the funding or team to run it. He contacted Quest Racing, which was essentially the GA team minus its former boss Gary Ayles and they sought funding. This arrived in time for round 5 at Croft, tragically just days after team boss Ian Blackman died in a motorcycle accident. Despite the weight penalty for mid-season entrants in their first round, he finished 10th in race one to score his first championship point. At Donington Park he was more competitive, running 6th in race one until contact, before finishing 6th in race 2, and running third in race 3 before going off in slippery conditions.
Murray continues to drive his Quest Racing Alfa in the BTCC in 2007. He qualified 12th at round one, but an engine failure prevented them taking part in the races. After a 9th-place finish in race one at Thruxton, he had an engine failure in race 2, leaving the team unable to start round 3 [1]. The misfortune continued at Brands Hatch meeting 2 in October, when he was one of 11 drivers involved in a shunt triggered by Mat Jackson. The car was not fully repairable and a lack of parts causes him to miss the next round at Knockhill [2]. The team did not continue for 2008, leaving Murray without a drive.
[edit] External links
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