Danny Murphy focused inside his kart

DANNY MURPHY · #274 · IRELAND

DannyMurphy — Irish Racing Driver

Last to First

From the back of the grid — by design.

IRISH GRAND PRIX WINNER 2026

ROTAX MAX CHALLENGE IRELAND · MINI MAX

◆LAST TO FIRST◆IRISH GRAND PRIX WINNER 2026◆LEVEL ON POINTS · 719–719◆#274◆CLOGHERHEAD, IRELAND◆FOCUSSED. CALM. CONSISTENT.◆LAST TO FIRST◆IRISH GRAND PRIX WINNER 2026◆LEVEL ON POINTS · 719–719◆#274◆CLOGHERHEAD, IRELAND◆FOCUSSED. CALM. CONSISTENT.
Danny Murphy preparing to race

The Driver

Focussed. Calm. Consistent.

Danny Murphy is a 13-year-old racing driver from Clogherhead, County Louth, Ireland. He is not the loudest driver in the paddock — by design. He models his approach on Kimi Antonelli: humble, calm, fast-learning, relentless in preparation. Ask him about a fallback plan and the answer is short: ‘There is no Plan B.’

13Years old
#274Race number
2,200+Test laps in 2026
2.5 yrsFrom first rental kart to national contender
T-SportTeam (Ireland)

The method

  • /Home simulator programme
  • /Reviews his own race data after every session
  • /Mental performance coached with his father, a trained Adult Guidance Counsellor
  • /Multi-sport conditioning: tennis, badminton, swimming, Gaelic football

WATERGRASSHILL · ROUND 3 · 2026

When the engine wouldn’t start, Danny did.

Danny Murphy racing through wet conditions

Two rounds into the season, engine problems had left Danny 28 points off the championship lead. The title looked like it was slipping away — and then, on the pre-grid at Watergrasshill, his engine refused to start.

By the time it fired and he caught the formation lap, he was past the red line. The rules are the rules: he would start from the very back of the grid.

It was raining hard. In the worst conditions of the season, from last place, Danny picked his way through the entire field — pass after pass, lap after lap — and won the race.

Last to first, in the wet, on the day it mattered most.

Then he did it again

IRISH GRAND PRIX 2026

Nutts Corner, 16 August. Starting P2 against English JAG-spec engines, Danny won the Grand Prix on his Irish engine — and was named Junior Driver of the Event.

Watch the race

Season 2026

Live results

2026 Rotax Max Challenge Ireland · Mini Max

Runner-up · level on points with the champion (719–719)

01 · Round 1

Nutts Corner

Engine issues

02 · Round 2

Kiltorcan

Engine issues

28 pts off the lead

03 · Round 3

Watergrasshill

WIN

Last to first, in the wet ★

04 · Round 4

Nutts Corner

2 heat wins

P2 in the final

05 · Round 5

Whiteriver

P3 in the championship

06 · Round 6

—

P2 in the championship

13 pts off the lead

07 · Irish Grand Prix

Nutts Corner

16 Aug

WINNER

Junior Driver of the Event ★

08 · Championship

Kiltorcan

5/6 Sept

P2 in the final

All heats won

09 · Round 9 · Final round

Nutts Corner

26 Sept

WIN

Heats 1st · Final 1st ★

Palmarès

Honours

2024

  • Motorsport Ireland IAME Restricted Cadet (97kg): National Vice-Champion in his first full season
  • Whiteriver clean sweep: every heat and the final, with fastest laps
  • Tullyallen Kart Club Open Cadet

2025

  • Motorsport Ireland Open Cadet: 6th overall
  • Tullyallen Kart Club: 2nd overall
  • Pole position, Kiltorcan Raceway
  • IAME World Finals, Valencia (Spain): world-level experience at 12

2026

  • Irish Grand Prix Winner (Rotax Inter/Minimax)
  • Junior Driver of the Event
  • Watergrasshill: last-to-first victory
  • Rotax Max Challenge Ireland Mini Max: Runner-up — level on points with the champion

The Road Ahead

2027: The British Step

In 2027, Danny takes the defining step of his junior career: out of Ireland, onto the British grid — the most competitive junior proving ground in Europe. He arrives the way he likes to arrive: as the outsider, at the back of the deepest field, with everything to gain.

2026

IRELAND

Irish Grand Prix Winner · Mini Max runner-up, level on points with the champion

2027

GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND

British Junior championship (IAME Junior or Rotax Junior, ~10 rounds) + RMC Ireland Junior (~9 rounds) · target: top-5 British Junior

2028+

EUROPE

FIA Karting · driver academies · the single-seater pathway

Voices

From exceeding expectations to challenging for championships, Danny’s progress has been nothing short of exceptional.

Aidan Tully— T-Sport Kart

Off Track

Music
Tennis
Badminton
Swimming
Gaelic football
Pitch & putt

Inspired by Kimi Antonelli’s calm and Max Verstappen’s self-belief — and by a swimming coach who taught him never to give up.

Team & Partners

Built with people who believe.

Racing with

T-Sport Kart (Ireland)

Partners

Celtic Macadam
Lennon Solar logo

Two partners, two consecutive seasons — delivered, not promised.

Partner with Danny

The British grid is next. Partnership opportunities for 2027 are open — request the 2027 Partnership Prospectus.

Contact

Start a conversation.

Tom Murphy

murphycarcraft@yahoo.com

+353 86 822 0794