by Andrew Murphy - The Title - 18th October 1998

Nineteen-year-old Neil Shanahan set out for Brands Hatch last Wednesday morning on what will be the most important two weeks in is short and successful racing career. With six wins to his credit this year the teenager has won three times more races than his nearest rivals here and his success rate compares favourably with the best in Britain and Europe.

His parents, Liam and Mary, will be, urging him on from the trackside as they have done at all the races he has driven.

“The meetings I’m driving in at Brands are the two most important races so far in my career so I’ve been preparing mentally for them over the last few weeks,” said the redhaired teenager.

“I don’t really know what to expect of the other drivers as I’ve never raced against them but I believe that the Irish series was very competitive and that I will be able to mix it at the top with the other Formula Ford Zetec champions from around the world,” said the confident Shanahan.

“I’m very focused on winning both the Eurocup today and helping Ireland win the world finals next weekend. I learn tracks easily, so if I get on pace quickly can match the performance of top European and British drivers.

“Earlier this year I arranged sponsorship from Red Bull and their Irish representative, Daniel Schwalh, told me the company wants to establish a long-term association with me which could lead to me joining the Red Bull F3000 junior team,” said Shanahan.

He joins Philip Kehoe (New Ross) and Mark O’Connor (Naas) to represent Ireland in the Formula Ford World Finals next weekend.

by Linda Keen - Brands Hatch Official Programme - 24th – 25th October 1998

Win or lose the Irish have traditionally made an impression at Brands Hatch, during the Formula Ford Festival – If not on the track certainly in the Kentagon. An Irishman’s name has graced the magnificent trophy on several occasions. Derek Daly (1976), Michael Rowe (1978), Tommy Byme (1981), Eddie Irvine (1987)and Kevin McGarrity (1995).

Since Zetec started in Ireland last year, the Emerald isle has produced some talented young chargers and none more so than 19-year old Dubliner, Neil Shanahan, this year’s Ford of Ireland Formula Ford Champion and one of the Irish World Cup squad this weekend. Supported by PaIfinger. BIaupunkt and Stena Line.

Neil won six out of the 12 rounds in his Mick Merrigan-run Van DIemen RF98. Very much a thinking young driver, Shanahan dominated the DHL Star of Tomorrow FF1600 series last year and was also the Dunlop RIAC Sexton Driver of the Year. Intent on a season out of Ireland next year, Shanahan is expected to make a strong showing at Brands this weekend.

John Kenny - Irish Daily Star - 28th October 1998

Mick Merrigan, manager of Irish Formula Ford champion Neil Shanahan, is negotiating a new deal for his driver to move to a full season of international racing. Shanahan will more than likely avoid moving to the Irish Formula Opel series. Ireland’s only slicks and wings class, as he attempts to take his racing career up to another level in pursuit of a possible Formula One drive in the future.

The 19-year-old Dubliner suffered massive disappointment in last weekend’s Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch when his fuel pump failed while in a semi-final second place in his Van Diemen.

However he did enough over the weekend to impress many of the team owners present at the Kent circuit and Merrigan now has a list of opinions for Shanahan next year.

Two Formula Three teams are talking to Shanahan about testing with their team. Alan Docking Racing and the Rowan Motorsport team.

There is also talk that the ’98 Irish champion could move to the States to contest the US Formula Ford 2000 series which supports many of the Champ car races.

The thinking behind that is possibly the fact that getting a drive in Formula One is becoming more and more difficult and that a better option would be to aim for the Champ Car series won for the past two seasons by Alex Zinardi.

“At this moment in time the decision as to where Neil will race next year will have to wait as I work out with his family about were we want to go for ’99” said Merrigan. “I will think about getting him to run in Formula Ford 2000 in America. Irish American companies would hopefully come in to support him for next season. But Europe is the place to race and England especially is the place to go racing next year possibly with one of the Formula Ford teams. A drive in the International Formula 3000 series in two years time is also a possibility. Neil won six races in ’98 and the Irish Formula Ford series is a very competitive class. As a result of that I have every confidence that he can go all the way and race at the very top of international motorsport,” added Merrigan.

Eddie Irvine is the only Irish driver running in Formula One this year while Johnny Kane, Dino Morelli and Kevin McGarrity all ran in the F3000 in ’98 before budgetary problems cut short their seasons. Kane won the Irish Formula Ford Series in 1992.

by Declan Quigley - Irish Independent - 29th October 1998

Rising star Neil Shanahan thrust himself into contention for a top drive in Britain next season with a scintillating drive in last weekend’s Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch. Dubliner Shanahan, the new Ford of Ireland Formula Ford Zetec champion, travelled to the Kent circuit for the annual festival of international single seater racing with high hopes of a top ten finish. However, while fate intervened to snatch away the chance of a top finish, Shanahan had already done enough to get his name in all the top team managers’ notebooks.

The 19-year-old from Churchtown qualified third for his semi-final of the 100-car knock out event, an impressive result for the privately entered Bachelor Inn Van Diemen RF98. Neil then quickly wowed the racing establishment by forcing his way into second place as the race got under way.

A place on the front row of the prestigious final beckoned as he challenged the leader, Robert Collard, but it was not to be. A fuel pump failure on the normally reliable Michael Merrigan Motorsport machine forced his retirement.

Afterwards, Neil was not too despondent with the outcome, secure as he was in the knowledge that he had made the right impression with the professional racing team managers present.

“Initially I was gutted,” admitted Shanahan, “but the reaction to the weekend has been amazing and I have to say that although I’m sure victory was possible, I’m reasonably pleased with the way it turned out. The Swift and Mygale works teams have each offered me a test and the Van Diemen factory are interested in talking to me, so there’s a very strong chance of me driving with a top team in Formula Ford next year. There;s even been interest from F2000 in the US,” he added.

Top Irish finisher in the festival was Mark McKenna in eighth place, while Shanahan’s Republic of Ireland World Cup team-mates Mark O’Connor and Philip Kehoe were both out of luck. O’Connor spun out of his semi-final after qualifying third while Kehoe crashed out of his heat while lying fifth in treacherous conditions.