Irish Racer Ready to Graduate to Indy 500 Challenge
Credit: INDYCAR Photo
CHICAGO, Ill. (September 18, 2013) – After making history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May among many other notable career achievements, Peter Dempsey has his sights set on racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2014.
A native of Ashbourne, Ireland, Dempsey crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 2008 to pursue his dream of competing in America’s premier open wheel racing series. He has been climbing the Mazda Road to Indy motorsport ladder ever since, representing his country as the sole Irish driver in the IndyCar field. With a record-breaking win under his belt followed by consistently strong finishes in 2013, Dempsey feels the timing is right to take the final step towards his lifelong goal of becoming an Indy 500 champion.
“I really feel the timing is right to make the move to IndyCar,” said Dempsey. “I think that I’ve spent enough time in the lower ranks and earned enough experience at this point to make my push for IndyCar worthy. Since coming over to America, my only aim has been to become an IndyCar driver, and now, I’m closer than ever to making that happen. It’s certainly not been the easiest road for me; I’ve had to work extremely hard to make things happen outside the car, but all it has done is made me more determined to reach my goal. I also feel my maturity as a driver has really improved over this past year and a half, and I would relish the opportunity to show that in the IndyCar Series in 2014.”
Dempsey’s own road to Indy, though not the easiest, has been fueled by an unparalleled determination and drive to succeed. Pair that with inherit talent and valuable opportunities, and it’s no wonder why Dempsey has consistently flown the underdog flag with pride.
Dempsey’s career highlights include being a two-time Dunlop Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year award recipient, a three-time victor of the prestigious Walter Hayes Trophy, winner of nine Star Mazda Championship races and title of Vice Champion, winner of multiple Formula Ford Championships, winner of the Leinster Trophy in Ireland, and most recently, making record-breaking history by winning the Firestone Freedom 100 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by .0026 seconds in a four-wide photo finish. His impressive racing credentials leave little doubt that he, like other drivers that have successfully come up through the ranks, is a future star of IndyCar.
“Currently, I’m in talks with a few teams about a potential seat for 2014 and working with potential sponsors to secure the necessary funding,” continued Dempsey. “The next step with that is to try to get my first test in an IndyCar. Over the past couple of years, the Mazda Road to Indy has really produced some outstanding drivers who have made the cut in IndyCar and who I have been lucky enough to compete against. I think this proves that there is a new generation of drivers emerging into IndyCar who are very capable of being competitive and winning championships.
“This season has been a challenging but successful year with Belardi Auto Racing in the Firestone Indy Lights series. Winning our first race together at Indy has certainly been the highlight of our season, and to back that up with three solid second place finishes shows that we have strengthened as a team. We’re fifth in the championship and certainly an outsider to win it, but I’m up for the challenge! We will all give it everything we have in the final two races in Houston and Fontana and see how the championship plays out.”
With two races yet to go this season, Dempsey is one of five drivers in contention for the Firestone Indy Lights championship title and the coveted one million dollar scholarship towards an IndyCar seat in 2014.
To follow Peter’s progress, please go to www.peterdempsey.com and www.indycar.com. For media inquiries and high resolution photos, please contact Mandy Skinner at peterdempseyracing@gmail.com. For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at peterdempseyracing@gmail.com.
About Peter Dempsey: Peter Dempsey is a racecar driver from Ashbourne, County Meath, Ireland best known for his win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which was the closest ever finish in the history of the speedway (.0026 second margin of victory). He is also known for being one of only two drivers to win the prestigious Walter Hayes Trophy three times. Peter is currently the only Irish-born driver to be competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series ladder. After a successful motorsports debut in Europe with his father’s racing team Cliff Dempsey Racing, Peter moved his career to the U.S.A. in 2008 where he has been climbing the Mazda Road to Indy ladder ever since. Peter is currently racing in the Firestone Indy Lights Series, the third step in the Mazda Road to Indy development program, and is just one step below his ultimate goal, the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indy 500. For more information, please go to www.peterdempsey.com.
Fast Fact: The Indy 500 is the largest attended single-day sporting event in the world with an annual presence of over 400,000 people.