Maurice Dunne (born 23 December 1955) is a racing driver, active in years 1975-1989. He is of Irish nationality, and lives in Rathfarnham, Dublin, Ireland. Maurice Dunne 1980

Career

1975

He started in the Mondello Racing Drivers School under John and Marijka Murphy in

Mondello Park Mondello Park is Ireland's only international motorsport venue and is located in Caragh, County Kildare off the R409 regional road, approximately from Dublin city centre. History The Mondello Park short circuit was designed on farmland ne ...

Donore, Co. Kildare on 29 November 1975, the same date as the death of racing driver Graham Hill.

1976-1977

He raced with Mondello Park Racing Driver School. He suffered a crash in a Lotus 61 at Mondello Park.

1978

Driving a Crosslé 20F bought for £1000, he competed in the 1978

Irish Formula Ford Championship The Irish Formula Ford Championship, which is affiliated to Motorsport Ireland is run on various Irish circuits including Mondello Park, Kirkistown, Phoenix Park Motor Racing Circuit and Nutts Corner. Championship Winners * 1978 - Michael Ro ...

, won by Michael Roe. He placed 3rd at the

Phoenix Park The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...

Motor Races, Dublin 1978.

1979

Driving a Formula Ford Van Diemen, he competed at the

Formula Ford Festival The Formula Ford Festival is an annual meeting of Ford-powered single-seat racing cars which is held at the end of the British racing season, at the Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in the county of Kent, in Southern England. The events are hel ...

Brand Hatch 1979. He loaned the car to David Griffin, who drove at the

Motor Races, Dublin 1979.

1980

In 1980 Dunne was under the management of Brian Tuite Racing, he won a number of Marlboro Driver of the Day awards at various meetings, culminating in the win of the 1980 Marlboro Driver of the Year award, presented by the Irish McLaren Formula 1 driver John Watson. He won the 1980

1981

He finished 6th in the

driving a Delta. The championship was won by Arnie Black with PJ Fallon in second place. He was offered a drive by

Ralph Firman Racing Ralph Firman Racing is a British racecar constructor. The company was founded in 2008 by Ralph Firman, Sr. History Ralph Firman, Sr. was one of the founders of Van Diemen in 1973 which went on to become one of the leading formula car constructo ...

in the RF81 works Formula Ford 1660, but declined because of lack of financial backing.

1982

He drove the 1981 car of Tommy Byrne, an ex-works Formula Ford 2000 Van Diemen, and a pit crew composed of Fran Brady, Fran Hickey, Fergie and Susie McGee at Donington Park. He also finished third in the Irish Formula Ford 2000 Championship. He competed in the Leinster Trophy in September 1982, at

racing alongside the young

Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna da Silva (; 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver who won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in , , and . Senna is one of three Formula One drivers from Brazil to win the World Championship and ...

who made an Irish appearance.

1983

Driving a Formula Ford 2000, he finished third in the

Motor Races, Dublin behind race winner Martin Donnelly. This was the debut race for future

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

driver

Eddie Irvine Edmund Irvine Jr. (; born 10 November 1965) is a former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He competed in Formula One between 1993 and 2002, and finished runner-up in the 1999 World Drivers' Championship, driving for Scuderia Ferrari. He b ...

. He also worked on the pit crew of David Manley at the

1983 European Grand Prix The 1983 European Grand Prix (formally the John Player Grand Prix of Europe) was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on 25 September 1983. It was the fourteenth race of the 1983 Formula One World Championship. The 76-lap race was won ...

at Brands Hatch.

1984

He drove a 3-litre Ford Capri and a Formula Ford 1600 at various events including Mondello Park. He was offered a position on a Le Mans car team for the

1984 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 52nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 16 – 17 June 1984. It was also the third round of the 1984 World Endurance Championship. The works Rothmans Porsche team boycotted the 1984 Le Mans ra ...

by a London-based team, but lacking financing, could not compete.

1986

He raced an 82F at the

Motor Races Dublin and some appearances at Mondello Park.

1989

He drove a PRS Formula Ford 1600 for Cliff Dempsey Racing in the Dun Laoghaire Street Circuit races, Dublin. He raced at the Ballyjamesduff street circuit races in Dundalk, also entered by Stirling Moss, who made an Irish appearance.

Hillclimbing

He competed in various hillclimb events around Ireland.

Saloon racing

He appeared at Mondello Park in an Opel Kadett in 1981 and 1982, and in 1984 in a 3 Litre Ford Capri.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunne, Maurice Irish racing drivers 1955 births Living people Motorsport people from County Dublin People from Rathfarnham