Applications for the Dunedin-based 2020 Elite Motorsport Academy of New Zealand are open and young Kiwi competitors are being encouraged to put their names forward.
The academy, which is open to drivers who hold licences with Motorsport New Zealand and its affiliates, is scheduled for the week of June 28 to July 5. Many internationally successful drivers have passed through its programme, including Shane van Gisbergen and Richie Stanaway, Hayden Paddon, Mitch Evans, Brendon Hartley and more recently Marcus Armstrong.
Academy trustee David Turner praised the level of recognition the academy attracts internationally.
“We are incredibly pleased the academy has done so much for so many of our great young talents that we have in the sport and that the FIA recognise just what we offer, which is more than many other countries,” he said.
Ronan Murphy, this year’s Elite Academy winner, encouraged young competitors to apply if they were serious about having a career in motorsport.
“The academy is about a whole lot more than driving. They teach you things you wouldn’t even think are an important part of becoming a professional. A lot of people think it’s one big fitness camp but while that is one focus area, there is so much more on offer that you just can’t get anywhere else,” Murphy, the son of circuit racing great Greg Murphy, said.
More information and application forms are available on Motorsport New Zealand’s website, www.motorsport.org.nz. Applications close March 13.
- Catherine Pattison
Photo: Supplied
