John Penny and Ronan Murphy are set to team up to race an Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 in the 2022 Golden Homes North Island Endurance Series.
The pair will be on track for the first time this weekend at Pukekohe Park Raceway for the opening round of the North Island Endurance Series, where they will compete in the three-hour race.
The Vantage GT3 they will get behind the wheel of recently arrived from Australia where it was previously raced and owned by Tony Quinn.
“Coming from a 2-litre Toyota 86, it’s nothing like the power the Aston Martin has, so I’m quite excited about that,” Penny said.
“Ronan and I are going to go out this weekend and get this first race under our belt, finish the round and learn from there.
“I’ve raced with Ronan and had him as a stablemate for two years now in the Toyota 86 Championship and he’s a great kid — he’s very eager to learn. He’s got some great skills and a lot of energy, I think we’ll be quite a good team.”
Murphy has raced in the Toyota 86 series the past two seasons.
“I’m excited but nervous, it’s a huge opportunity,” Murphy said.
“This is going to be a big learning experience for me. I’m lucky to have a great relationship with JP – he’s very experienced and really quick. I know there’s a lot I can learn from him. I also have to thank Peter Sturgeon for giving me this chance to drive something so awesome, I really can’t wait.”
Murphy will also be competing against his father Greg Murphy who is returning to the series to race alongside Shane Helms in the Renault RS01 this season.
The Renault and the Aston Martin are both being prepared and run by the team at RaceLab.
The season kicks off at Pukekohe with the opening race of the championship on Sunday.
2022 Golden Homes North Island Endurance Racing Calendar:
NIERDC R1 – Pukekohe – 7-8 May 2022
NIERDC R2 – Taupō – 27-28 May 2022
NIERDC R3 – Hampton Downs – 17-18 June 2022