Neil’s wheels get new deals0

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.