Neil Shanahan (born June 28th, 1979 in Dublin, Ireland; died May 31, 1999 in Cheshire, England) was killed aged 19 in a crash on the fifth round of the British World Championship at Oulton Park. 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 the category. Shanahan began go-karting at the age of 13. By the time he was 16, he came runner-up in the Formula A1 Karting Championship of 1996. In 1997 Shanahan was the winner of the Formula Ford DHL Star of Tomorrow (winning 10 out 11 races that season), winner of the Phoenix Park Motor Races, and awarded the Dunlop Sexton Trophy for Driver of the Year. In 1998 Shanhan won the Ford of Ireland Championship, was awarded the Barney Manley Trophy for the Best Irish International Driver, alongside the Dunlop Sexton Trophy for the second year running. In 1999, Shanahan signed for the Van Diemen Works Team in the United Kingdom to compete in the British and European Formula Ford Championship. The Van Diemen Formula Ford team was the starting point for many successful drivers – amongst the most notable being Ayrton Senna and Eddie Irvine. That year Shanahan was also named Motorsports News “Race Ace” for his overtaking maneuvers at Brands Hatch, in the fourth round of the season. The Neil …
