O’Connell sets eyes on final race of the season at Donington Park
Clare racing driver Laura O’Connell is looking to finish strong in the final race week of the Radical Cup season in a championship deciding race at Donington Park over the weekend of the 26th of September. In her debut season in the Radical Cup, Laura has put on a remarkable display of speed and adaptability as she works out what it takes to race at the top level.
For Laura the drive in the Radical Cup this season has been the culmination of hard work and determination to allow her to continue progressing towards the very top of the racing pyramid. The ultimate goal for Laura is to make it to the summit of motor racing and represent Ireland at the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hour. Laura’s journey so far hasn’t been all plain sailing and it’s this resolve that has allowed her to push on through tough times and uncertainty to keep returning to the track.
From a small village in Co. Clare, Laura’s journey to racing was never going to be straightforward and it wasn’t until a TikTok advert piqued her interest that she began on her way towards a career in motorsport. It was her father’s interest in cars and motor racing that was ever present in her home, compelling Laura to dream of taking on a career in motor racing. Stemming from a TikTok advert during Covid, Laura took part in the Formula Woman Nations Trophy which sourced female racers from around the globe but unfortunately was cancelled before the final which was to be held in Dubai. Laura had qualified alongside nearly forty other women from all over the world and it was a huge disappointment not to be able to race under the Irish flag. However, this only served to light a fire in Laura and motivate her to pursue a career in motorsport even more.
Despite devoting much of her time to her training and racing, Laura is also a full-time biochemist and a proud woman in STEM. Balancing her job and racing has been no easy feat but Laura has found time to test different tracks on her at-home simulator (SIM). She travels to and from the UK for the race weekends, having dispensed of test days due to the expense, deciding to focus on completing a full championship. Laura signed with RJ Motorsport who maintain and set up her car and provide full team support to her on race days with mechanics, engineers and a racing coach.
Reflecting on her story so far, Laura is so grateful to those who have helped fund her racing career to date, mainly her family. With the final race week in plain view, plans are being put in place for next season as Laura is looking further afield to race in Europe next year as a means of pushing towards racing at the Le Mans 24 Hour.
Laura’s season has been a steep learning curve, and she currently sits in the top half of the Radical Cup leaderboard behind well-established racing drivers. Laura is incredibly proud of her first full season racing in the SR3 XXR and the team and car have been key to her development as she aims to continue with her progress and keep her sights firmly on Le Mans in the coming years.
