Novice racer Stephen O’Keefe was presented with the opportunity to fulfil his Motor Racing Dreams at Mondello Park last weekend, as he will now compete in the upcoming Formula Sheane season.
It would be hard to find a bloke that wouldn’t want to tear around a race track for six months of the year, so that’s why Corkman Stephen O’Keefe is one seriously lucky lad.
31-year-old O’Keefe became the third winner of the competition following in the footsteps of Mayo’s Sean Hynes and Bray’s Timmy Swail (pictured below), both of whom went on to impress in their first seasons’ racing.
The fantastic prize is valued at over €15,000 and will provide him with everything he needs to go motor racing including coaching, all testing and entry fees, use of a Formula Sheane race car supplied and maintained by the Sheane Factory in Wicklow, all running costs and a full set of racewear to keep, courtesy of Murray Motorsport.
The new ‘Become A Racing Driver’ champion won his opportunity by coming out on top in a qualifying heat and then beating the other novices in the final, which consisted of a day of assessment, both on and off the track, at Mondello Park.
2012 winner Timmy Swail hands over his title to 2013 Become A Racing Driver Winner Stephen O’Keefe (in-car)
On his way to winning the prize O’Keefe underwent assessment in a Racing Saloon with an instructor alongside and in a Formula Sheane single seater, as well as having to undergo a Media skills interview.
But don’t worry, your chance to shine on the track isn’t too far away. For 2014’s competition all drivers who complete a Mondello Park Motor Racing Experience will have a chance of being put forward for the award, with at least one driver being nominated each day that the experience is run.
To get involved all you have to do is buy a Motor Racing Experience Level 1 or Level 2 and show our instructors that you could have what it takes to be our next future star. Click here for more.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
