about peter

Peter Dempsey Photo

Peter Dempsey
Star Mazda Championship Series, Car #3
Born: March 31, 1986 in Dublin, Ireland.
Resides: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Occupation: Race car driver, data analyst and driver coach.
Educated: Attended Ashbourne Community School, Ashbourne, County Meath, Ireland.
Personal: 5'11", 158 lbs. Racing heroes are Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine.
Websites: www.peterdempsey.com and www.o2rt.com.

Peter Dempsey is a 25-year-old racecar driver from Ashbourne, Ireland best known for winning the most races (9) in the history of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and for being one of only two drivers to win the Walter Hayes Trophy three times.

Peter began his career racing go-karts in Ireland at age 8. In 2004, he began racing competitively in the Formula Ford Series in Ireland and the UK as a driver for his father's racing team, Cliff Dempsey Racing. In 2005, he entered into his first full season of competitive racing in the Formula Ford Series where he won 33 out of the 43 races that he competed in. That same year, Peter was awarded the Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year Award.

From 2006-2007, Peter continued to win numerous races and awards including third overall in the Formula Ford championship in 2006, two more nominations for the Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year Award, and the prestigious Walter Hayes Trophy both years in a row.

In 2008, Peter boldly decided to move his racing career to the U.S.A. where he saw a major opportunity in the open-wheel development ladder. He completed his first season in the Star Mazda Championship with four wins, seven podiums, and third overall in the driver's championship with Andersen Racing. He entered the series once again in 2009 with AIM Autosport and then Juncos Racing, winning five races, six podiums, and finishing second in the driver's championship after a devastating DNF in the final event.

In 2010, Peter broadened his racing resume further by racing an LMP2 car in the world famous 10-hour Petit Le Mans event at the Road Atlanta road course. He also made a trip back home to compete in both the Formula Ford Festival and the Walter Hayes Trophy which he won for the third time, becoming only the second driver to ever do so. In addition to his own career, Peter began coaching young up and coming drivers for his former team, Juncos Racing.

This year, Peter will continue to coach the Juncos Racing drivers in the Star Mazda Championship while also striving to compete in a full season of the Firestone Indy Lights Series. The Firestone Indy Lights Series is the third step in the Mazda Road to Indy development program and is just one step below the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indy 500. He has already completed two successful tests with the O2 Racing Technology team and will be making his Firestone Indy Lights debut in the season opener on the Streets St. Petersburg March 27.

Racing Highlights:
2010: Walter Hayes Trophy winner
2009: Second in Star Mazda Championship
2008: Star Mazda Championship. 3rd with 4 wins and 7 podiums Andersen Racing.
2007: Raced in selected races of the UK and Irish Formula Ford 1600 season. Won the Martin Donnelly Trophy, the BRDC Golden Helmet, the Leinster Trophy and the Walter Hayes Trophy.
2006: Finished third in UK Formula Ford Duratec Championship. Won four races and had six additional podiums and five fastest laps with Cliff Dempsey Racing. Went on to win the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone.
2005: Competed in Formula Ford 1600 in UK and Ireland. Won 33 races with 33 fastest laps and 18 poles out of 43 races. Won UK Formula Ford 1600, champion of Brands and Northern Ireland Formula Ford series. Also won the BRDC Golden Helmet, Castle Combe Carnival and won the Motorsport Ireland Young Driver of the Year.
2004: Started racing Formula Ford seriously in June. Won six races with Cliff Dempsey Racing.
1995-2000: Karting action, winning many races.