An Irish team at Silverstone

Competitors of the European Le Mans Series this season, Murphy Prototypes, a will race at the 6 Hours of Silverstone, the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Irish team has already been present in the second and third rounds. At the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps thaey managed a podium finish, but a broken suspension led to the retirement of the Oreca 03-Nissan in the early morning at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Last weekend, the crew of Murphy Prototypes climbed the third step of the podium again at the Donington 6 hours, the second event of the Europan Le Mans Series. Jody Firth, Warren Hughes and Brendon Hartley finished on the same lap as the winning car of OAK Racing.

A second podium after one of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, which served as a dress rehearsal for the team before the race at Le Mans. Only Warren Hughes, with eight appearances, knew the circuit in La Sarthe. The British driver even has even a victory to his credit in LMP2 with RML in 2005, driving with Mike Newton and Thomas Erdos. The former BTCC driver car was part of the Team LNT Panoz project and became champion of Speed Euroseries in 2011, alongside Jody Firth. The two Britons had already rubbed shoulders at Embassy Racing where Firth was team manager.

They were joined by the young (22) New Zealander Brendon Hartley, from the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Coming from open wheel formulae, it was his debut in endurance racing. After a title in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 in 2007, the future seemed bright when he was spotted by Red Bull Racing where he became a test driver in 2009 and reserve driver in 2010 while pursuing his career in the GP2 Series. The lack of results will end the association, but he rediscovered success in endurance racing, with a podium finish in the Belgian Ardennes.

Currently residing in Milton Keynes, not far from Silverstone circuit, Brendon Hartley will want to do well at his home circuit, as well as Jody Firth and Warren Hughes at the Silverstone 6 Hours on the 24th to 26th August.

Dave Davies

Photo: FRANCORCHAMPS (LIEGE, BELGIUM), SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS CIRCUIT, 6 HOURS OF SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Saturday, May 5, 2012, RACE. After a podium in the Belgian Ardennes, Irish team Murphy Prototypes will contest the 6 Hours of Silverstone.