Kiwi Motorsport signs up-and-coming international talent for full 2020 championship run

Ronan Murphy will make the move across the Pacific Ocean from New Zealand to race in the Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda for the 2020 season.

After several tests with Kiwi Motorsport, Murphy committed to a full season in the Formula 1 feeder series, marking his first foray into international competition. Murphy is currently contesting the ITM New Zealand Formula Ford Championship where he has shown promise in a Spectrum 015.

Kiwi Motorsport is led by Garry Orton and Teena Larsen. Under the Crosslink/Kiwi Motorsport moniker, the team has found significant success in recent years with two consecutive team championships. Last season the Texas-based squad had three of its drivers finish inside the top five, including eventual champion Joshua Car of Australia.

With recent success, it bodes well for Murphy, who has tested on and off with the team throughout 2019 at the Motorsport Ranch in Texas and Buttonwillow Raceway in California.

“I think it’s the obvious next step for me and I enjoyed the car when I tested it,” Murphy said. "I immediately felt at home with the car and it seems to suit my style very well. Obviously Garry and Teena’s team have a great handle on the set-up of this type of car so I was starting from a good base, but I felt confident and able to push. It’s an exciting new stage in my career and one which will hopefully be a stepping stone to the higher formula series around the world.”

While his father Greg is a Supercars Championship legend, earning four Bathurst 1000 wins, Murphy has his eyes firmly on the single-seater path for now with the goal of breaking into the NTT IndyCar Series.

“That’s my thing for sure,” Murphy said of touring car racing. “But dad started out in single-seaters too. Open wheel racing has been the classic route for so many successful Kiwi motor racing drivers and to try and follow in the footsteps of someone like Scott Dixon would be incredible.”

Murphy’s championship trail starts at the Road Atlanta April 9-11 before moving to the Circuit of the Americas June 5-7. July 17-19 the championship visits Virginia International Raceway for Rounds 7-9.

The mid-season event takes place just two weeks later at the Barber Motorsports Park July 31-August 2. The penultimate event is at Sebring International Raceway September 25-27 with the championship finale during the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas October 23-25 .