Getting off the line in motorsport both figuratively and literally is a challenge all competitors will have faced at some point in their racing career. The sport we all love can be cruel, tiring and downright expensive but racers and their teams press on in search of precious seconds and podium places.
One driver doing just that is Flynn Mullany, an Auckland-based racer who recently announced he will be driving for Cello Racing Team in the upcoming Mazda Racing Series season.
The 20-year-old will be competing in both the North and National categories of the series with eyes to compete in the South category as well in the future.
His weapon of choice is a bright yellow Mazda RX-8 complete with a flame spitting rotary engine. The car has been newly-prepared by Cello Racing Team and is equal to all other competitor’s cars on the grid as the series only races RX8s – similar to how the Toyota 86 Championship operates.
Getting to this point wasn’t exactly plain sailing though as the Kiwi has battled with obtaining sponsorships and funding throughout his career.
When the opportunity came up to race for Cello Racing Team, Mullany was only given a month and a half to find the initial budget needed to get started with the team.
Time quickly went by as he searched for sponsors but just days before the deadline, a chance run in with a family friend who runs civil engineering company Libbet Limited saw him secure the backing needed to get started this season. The company will also act as Mullany’s title sponsor.
“I was just so stoked to get it,” said Mullany.
“I don’t come from wealth so all the sponsorship I get is basically what funds my racing.”
The work has only just begun though as the Kiwi will be going up against a field of experienced drivers including his own teammate Simon, who also runs Cello Racing Team, alongside being one of the youngest drivers on the grid in the series this season.
His goals for the series include achieving his first ever race win as unfortunate events with cars, unequal machinery and funding situations have denied him of the top step in the past.
While he has only reached second and third positions before, entering the Mazda Racing Series now grants him the opportunity to win.
“When I do get that first win, it will definitely be very emotional,” he said.
When asked about the future of his motorsport career, Mullany said he wanted to become the next champion of the Super GT series in Japan which has been his dream ever since he started racing.
“I’ve always had the end goal of being New Zealand’s next Super GT champion. I’ve always wanted to go professional in Japan as I love the motorsport industry over there,” he said.
“I just think it would be a perfect fit for a driver like me.”
Outside of the car, Mullany is also a graduated film and content creation student who plans to document his race weekends in a video series for the team. He said its a similar concept to how the Formula 1 teams record their weekends like McLaren with its Unboxed series.
Social media is also another area of the sport Mullany likes to focus on as well for the purpose of getting his sponsor’s names out there while also giving followers an insight into his life.
Whether face down in a textbook or behind the wheel, one person pushing Mullany at every step of the way is his dad Kevin who although fell on hard times due to the pandemic, continued to back his son’s racing career.
“After the last season, we basically had nothing. I honestly thought this year, I was not going to be able to race again which was a really sad thought,” he said.
“We were both in a very dark time around the middle of this year so its cool to see that we’re both persevering through it.
“If it wasn’t for me and dad pushing each other, we definitely wouldn’t be in this position.”
Ever since Mullany started racing, he has always had the mentality of “not giving up and just pushing your limits,” which couldn’t be more true considering how far he’s come today.
Round 1 of the 2022 to 2023 Mazda Racing Series North Island Championship kicks off on October 22 to 23 at Manfield Circuit Chris Amon where Mullany will debut in the series.
A full race calendar can be found here.
Mullany is still looking for sponsors for the latter rounds of this upcoming season and urges those interested to get in touch with him at: flynnm.motorsports@gmail.com
To follow Mullany’s journey, be sure to check out his Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok.
