by Neil Leslie – Evening Herald – 1st June 1999

The parents of one of Ireland’s most promising motor racing stars were today said to be “devastated” following his tragic death in a track accident. Dubliner Neil Shanahan (19) died after his Formula Ford hit the barrier travelling at more than 100mph at Oulton Park race track in Cheshire yesterday. His parent’s, Liam and Mary Shanahan from Churchtown, were at the track when the fatal accident happened.

by Martin Walsh – Irish Examiner – 1st June 1999

Neil Shanahan, one of the brightest prospects in Irish motor sport, was tragically killed in Oulton Park, Cheshire in England yesterday, whilst competing in the fifth round of the Slick 50 Formula Ford Zetec Championship.

The 19-year-old was involved in a three-car collision on the second lap at Clay Hill corner and died as he was being airlifted to hospital.

Neil Shanahan began his motor sport exploits in Junior Karting in 1993, three years later, he finished runner-up to Michael Keohane in the Formula Karting Championship. He was also second overall in the Southern Karting Club Championship and third overall in the Irish Karting Club Championship. The same year, 1996, he was awarded the Philips Trophy by the Royal Irish Automobile Club for the most improved Driver of the Year. Neil made an immediate impact in his move into single seater racing the following year and won the DHL Star of Tomorrow Formula Ford 1600cc Championship. The Churchtown teenager won a total of ten races en route to success. He was also a winner at the Phoenix Park Races in the same category and was the dominant force in the Ford Zetec Championship in 1997.

by Nick Phillips – The Independent – 1st June 1999

The promising Irish racing driver Neil Shanahan died on his way to hospital after a crash in the Formula Ford Zetec Championship race in the supporting programme for the British Touring Car Championship rounds at Oulton Park yesterday.

The 19-year-old was involved in a three-car accident on the Clay Hill section of the circuit when his car left the track and hit a barrier. Shanahan suffered a cardiac arrest, but was resuscitated at the scene, before being air-lifted to the Countess of Chester Hospital. He died before he arrived.

Shanahan’s death followed another incident at the circuit the previous day, when a BTCC car, driven by Russell Spence, left the circuit and went into a spectator area.

The crash provoked criticism of the circuit’s safety standards.

“We shouldn’t race here. It’s a track from the old days,” said the reigning BTCC champion, Rickard Rydell, who, together with another former champion, John Cleland, intends to write to the sport’s governing body – the Motor Sports Association (MSA) – to raise concerns about the safety at Oulton Park.

Speaking after Spence’s crash on Sunday, the former Formula One driver, Derek Warwick, whose younger brother Paul was killed at Oulton Park in 1991, commented: “I don’t think it’s safe enough. I think the spectators are at risk.”

A spokesman for Brands Hatch Leisure Group Ltd, which owns Oulton Park, said: “The circuit is fully compliant with all the safety criteria as laid down in the terms of our MSA license.”

The Formula Ford championship, which Shanahan was contesting, is one of the most important training grounds for young drivers pursuing a career in motorsport, and the vast majority of current Formula One drivers, including all the Britons currently at the top level, competed in previous versions of this category.

by Nick Phillips – Irish Daily Star – 1st June 1999

The death of a rising Irish motorsport star Neil Shanahan was caused by a freak “trillion-to-one” accident, according to his Van Diemen team boss Ralph Firman.

The tragic teenager was killed during a Formula Ford Championship race at Oulton Park in Cheshire, England last Monday.

He was chasing his dream of becoming Ireland’s next Eddie Irvine and had been thrilled to secure a drive in Formula Ford with the Van Diemen team. Irvine raced with the same squad in 1987 and won the British Championship.

Although the official investigation into the accident is still continuing, Firman is certain Shanahan was killed when a broken front wheel entered the cockpit. The Van Diemen boss said: “It is a trillion-to-one situation. If it had hit the cockpit 2mm one-way or the other, the wheel would have bounced away.” Firman also led the praise for Shanahan’s unique driving skills. “He was a young driver with a great deal of potential talent,” he said.

His co-manager, Oisin O’Briain, said: “Shanahan’s death was a huge blow.”

by Marcus Pye - Autosport - June 3rd 1999

Irishman Neil Shanahan was killed in an accident during the British Championship Formula Zetec race at Oulton Park on Monday.

The 19-year-old’s works Van Diemen tangled with two other cars going up Clay Hill, and speared off into the barrier before rebounding onto the track. The Cheshire circuit’s medical team resuscitated the driver at the scene before a helicopter airlifted him to Countess of Chester Hospital. He died on the way from a cardiac arrest caused by massive trauma to the chest and upper body.

The three cars involved have been impounded by police for further investigation, and stewards are to compile an official report.

A spokesperson for Ford said: “The cause of the accident has yet to be established. This was a tragic accident and our thoughts are with Neil’s family, friends and team.”

Van Diemen boss Ralph Firman, who was not at the meeting, said: “To have a fatality happen so close to you is horrific. There is no indication in any shape or form that it was anything other than a pure racing accident. The cars been impounded, which is standard procedure, and no doubt it will be released later in the week.”

The incident occurred on the second lap as Shanahan was battling for ninth place with the Haywood Mygale of Craig Murray and Greg Caton’s Atlantic Van Diemen. The trio went up Clay hill three abreast with Shanahan sandwiched in the middle. There was contact made between him and Caton, and all three crashed into the barriers at high speed. Caton and Murray were unharmed in the accident. The race was restarted 40 minutes later and was won by Shanahan’s team mate, Dutchman Richardo van der Endre.

Carton said: “Neil and Craig ran wide on the exit of Knickerbrook and I went though (up Clay Hill). I thought I was clear, but one of them caught my rear wheel and we all spun out.”

A spokeswoman for Brand’s Hatch Leisure, which owns Oulton Park, said: This circuit is fully compliant with all the safety criteria as laid down in the terms of our Motor Sports Association licence.”

Shanahan was one of Ireland’s brightest young talents. In his first year in the British series, he had already finished fourth twice, and was lying seventh in the points.

The death of Neil Shanahan has stunned the Formula Ford Zetec fraternity and dealt an inestimable blow to Irish motorsport, for which he embodied the immediate future. In only his third season of car racing, the Dubliner was hailed as the best from the Republic since Derek Daly (who raced in Formula 1 from 1978 – 82) and Michael Roe (CanAm champion in ’84).

Shanahan started karting as a Junior in ’93, but it was not until ’96 – when he finished runner-up in the National Formula A series – that his true ability began to blossom.

His rise in Fford was meteoric. Having won every race in the ’97 ‘Star of Tomorrow’ FF1600 series, he graduated to Ford of Ireland’s Zetec class last year, and stunned rivals when he swept to the title, winning six of the 12 rounds.

Guided throughout his car career by Mick Merrigan, he had won every major accolade at home, including the premier RIAC Dunlop Driver of the Year award twice.

I met Neil in ’97, and was greatly impressed with his intelligent, articulate and focused approach, which earned him a big following. His scintillating speed I saw later at Kirkistown and Phoenix Park.

That his life should be cruelly ended, a month before his 20th birthday, has robbed him and his wonderfully supportive family of a future which promised so much.