The New Douglas Motorsport Team Has Begun Its Testing Programme Ahead Of The New Campaign - Photo Credit: Alan Smeaton
2011 Ginetta Junior star Niall Murray has announced his return to the championship for 2012 with a new team and a new team-mate. Murray will race for the new Douglas Motorsport outfit, run by leading driver coach Wayne Douglas, and will be joined by fellow Irishman Andrew Watson.
Murray, the 2010 Ginetta Junior Ireland Champion, joined the UK series last year and a superb season saw him take two wins on his way to fourth in the championship. He will be joined by fellow Ginetta Junior Ireland graduate Watson, who joined the UK series for the final round last year and impressed with sixth place in the final race.
Commenting on his new team, Team Principal Wayne Douglas said: “This is a fantastic start for us to have such good drivers from the beginning. I've followed Niall very closely last year and was very impressed with his performance. We have been working with Andrew through our driver development programme over the past two seasons and are confident that these two drivers will run very close in the championship right from the off.”
Murray commented: “Without question, I'm back to challenge for the championship! The early part of last season was a little difficult for us as we were with a new team and every circuit was new to me. We did not have the opportunity to test very often and I found myself having to learn most circuits at the Friday pre-event test which was far from ideal! However I really showed what I was capable of in the second half of the championship with six podium finishes in a row. My family's race team Murray Motorsport was heavily involved throughout last year and we have brought everything we learnt to Douglas Motorsport this season. Coming back with a year's experience under my belt and a fantastic new team, I am confident that I can be one of the favourites for 2012.”
Watson added: “I've been really looking forward to entering this championship for quite some time now. The experience I have gained from the Irish Championship over the past two seasons is immense and I am confident I can run at the front of the championship from early in the season. Having Niall as my team-mate will be a fantastic bonus for me. Following Niall's progress last year, I am confident that his experience will stand very well to me as I enter the championship as a rookie.”
