“It was an amazing opportunity to drive the Bentley GT3, and to learn from everyone at Dyson, Bentley and drivers like Butch Leitzinger, Chris Dyson and Tom Kimber-Smith,” McMurry said following the test. “It was my first time in a GT3 car like this and the driving requirements are very different from my single-seater and prototype experience. I am really glad to be adding different cars to my repertoire and can`t wait to try it again.”

McMurry’s sessions were part of a three-day off-season development test conducted by Dyson Racing Team Bentley. Chris Dyson, the team’s vice president and sporting director, oversaw McMurry’s test.

“Matt did a great job,” Dyson said, noting that the high-school junior was still a month shy of his 17th birthday, but performed with maturity beyond his years. “All this season I’ve been impressed how level-headed Matt is, both on and off the track. So I wasn’t surprised that in testing the Bentley he took a very professional approach. He worked up to speed and took on board everything that Butch and Tom were telling him. Matt made progress every time out and by the end of the test he looked smooth, fast and comfortable in the car.”

McMurry was impressed with how nimble and responsive the Bentley Continental GT3 was. “Based on having driven road cars on race tracks, I was expecting the Bentley to be kind of like that,” McMurry said. “I thought I’d make an input on the steering and the car would kind of wait to respond. And that I’d have to brake really early to the car slowed down for a corner. That wasn’t the case at all. You can really drive the Bentley aggressively and its responsiveness is excellent.”

Immediately following the Tuesday half of the test McMurry headed for the airport and his flight to Spain. Friday he’ll be in the #41 Greaves Motorsport LM P2 Zytek-Nissan for the opening practice for the 4 Hours of Estoril. McMurry currently ranks eighth in the driver point standings and is no longer in contention for the championship, he’s looking to match or better his best finish so far this season, fourth-place at both Silverstone and Imola.

“We’ve been so close to the podium twice this season,” McMurry said. “I’d like to be standing on it this time, and not just the bottom step.”

Dyson explained that one of the goals of the Junior Development program has been to give McMurry the chance to team with as many different drivers as possible. In addition to Kimber-Smith and Dyson, during the course of the ELMS season, McMurry has driven with Mark Patterson and Johnny Mowlem. At Estoril he’ll be sharing the Zytek-Nissan with Miguel Faisca and James Fletcher.

Mowlem, the reigning European Le Mans Series LMGTE driver champion, brings extensive Zytek experience with him, including driving for the works team in 2006, a plus this weekend as the Greaves team enters the Paul Ricard race weekend a contender for the season championship.

“It will be good to be back racing in the European Le Mans Series,” said Mowlem “Greaves Motorsport has been a competitive presence for many years in endurance racing, frequently fielding winning cars. And Matt McMurry has proved his racing credibility on some of the most competitive tracks in Europe this year. I look forward to being part of their exciting effort. I won at Paul Ricard last year and it would be great to make it two in a row!”

Mowlem is one of racing’s more diversified international drivers He drove for Dyson Racing in both 2012 and 2013, and has won class victories in both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring as well as earning class podiums at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 1,000 km Nurburgring and the ten-hour Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.
“Few drivers are as quick or experienced as Johnny Mowlem,” said Chris Dyson, Vice-President and Sporting Director of Dyson Racing. “I’ve driven with him so I know how fast he is and what a great team player he is. The first time Johnny first drove for us in 2012, he fit in so well that it felt like he had been with the team for the whole season. It will be a perfect pairing for Matt and the Greaves team.”

This year the Dyson Junior Development Program made the Guinness World Book of Records when Matt McMurry became the youngest driver to ever start, run and finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“This was a really hard-fought race for us and for just all the teams,” McMurry said, following a final-hour battle to the checker between two-time Le Mans winner Kimber- Smith and ex-F1 driver Christian Klien in the Newblood by Morand Racing Morgan Judd, with Kimber-Smith coming up less than two seconds shy.

The race for first place went to the Signatech Alpine Nissan with Paul Loup Chatin behind the wheel over the Jota Sport Zytek Nissan of Harry Tincknell.

“It felt like I was racing hard against someone or another every lap I was in the car,” McMurry continued. “In the end we finished where we started, which in other circumstances would be disappointing. But in this case I’d say it was a fair result.”

McMurry noted that his Greaves team was one of the five still in the hunt for the season championship and predicted the title would come down to the final race of the season at Estoril, Spain in October. “In the meantime, I’m really looking forward to the next race at Paul Ricard (Le Castellet, France). It’s the only track I’ve driven on before, and that will be an advantage. The ELMS has turned out to be an unbelievably competitive and great place to learn, so I’m grateful to Chris Dyson and Dyson Racing for making this all possible.”

Kimber-Smith admitted a bit of disappointment at the final result of his 40-minute late- race duel with Klein, but said he still enjoyed their close battle.

“You always want to win,” Kimber-Smith said, “but it was fun racing with Christian. We both fought fair and it couldn’t have been much closer. I just came up a bit short today.

“And I think this was a good day for Matt as well. I’ve been quite impressed with how he’s come along over the season so far. He’s been quick from the start and his judgment and maturity have increased every race.”

The team’s next outing is September 13-14 at Paul Ricard. According to Chris Dyson, McMurry’s teammates for the final two races of the season have yet to be determined. “We’re grateful to Mark (Patterson) for standing in for me in Austria. But Tom has conflicts for the final two races and we’re evaluating qualified drivers to team with Matt.”

“The primary purpose of running Matt in the ELMS was to give him exposure to the highest echelon of sportscar competition and to prepare him to fulfill his goal of becoming the youngest driver to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” Dyson said. “Matt’s performance at Le Mans was impressive and he achieved not only his goal of becoming the youngest starter in the race but also the youngest finisher. His performance overall this season has exceeded our expectations. Matt’s learned most of what he can from Tom and me; now his gains will come from more time in the car and working with a variety of teammates.”

Dyson noted that the recent expansion of Dyson Racing’s horizons through the creation of the Junior Development Program and the initiation of our partnership with Bentley Motors and the establishment of Dyson Racing Team Bentley has made it increasingly important that the organization marshal its resources as efficiently as possible.

“I now need to turn more of my focus to our partnership with Bentley and our joint program in the Pirelli World Challenge,” Dyson said. “We had a great start last month at Elkhart Lake, where Butch (Leitzinger) finished sixth and fourth in the two races. We started the PWC season at its midpoint and have four race meetings remaining to develop the car further and determine our plans for the 2015 season.

“I’m grateful to Mark for stepping in for Austria. Tom continues to work with us but he has some conflicts that preclude his participation in the ELMS beyond that race. So we’re evaluating other drivers who would wish to join Matt in the final two races on the ELMS schedule. We are working hard to build on what we started this year with the junior program, and interest in these available seats is indeed strong.”

Dyson noted that with a pair of fourth-place finishes, the team currently stands second in the ELMS point standings. “We are grateful to our long-time partners and friends at Greaves Motorsport, who have fielded a strong car for us all season long. My expectation is that the team will continue to enjoy high finishes in the remaining races, and that Matt will continue with his impressive progress.”

“This is a massive accomplishment for Matt McMurry, the McMurry family and for the Dyson Racing Junior Development program,” said Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director of Dyson Racing. “Congratulations to Matt’s dad, Chris, on this Father’s Day achievement. To come over here and break two significant records is a notable success. I know Matt is going to be hungry to come back here. This is such a wonderful international event and no matter how many times we race here, we always look forward to coming back.”

Matt was just ten when he first saw the race with his dad and 12 when he set his sights on becoming the youngest driver to race in the event. Speaking after the race, Matt observed that “everything about Le Mans was new, big and incredible. I’m so happy to have had the chance to experience everything about it, the whole week long. Our team did a great job, I learned a lot from Chris and Tom, and we got a good result — we ran all 24 hours and had a respectable finish. I arrived with an eye on becoming the youngest driver ever at Le Mans, and thanks to everyone I’m now also the youngest finisher. It was a memorable day for Dyson Racing, Greaves Motorsport and me. Thanks to all the people over the years – and there were a lot of them – who made this possible for me.”

Tom Kimber-Smith has won the LM P2 class twice at Le Mans. “It is an achievement simply to finish such a challenging race,” he said. “There as so many things that can go wrong, so many opportunities to make that little mistake with the big consequence. We had a lot of goals going into the race but number one was to support Matt’s quest for the record and I’ll tell you, he did a great job. His first stint was in the rain, which wasn’t easy. But as a racing driver he’s mature beyond his years – he looked as if he had been driving on wet tracks for years. It is incredible he’s only 16.

Kimber-Smith also noted that “Chris drove fantastically all week, never putting a wheel wrong and he did the stints you’d expect to see from a two-time ALMS champ. It was a real pleasure to drive with these guys and I cannot wait until the next event.”

And that next event won’t be long in coming. The trio will be back in Europe next month, driving the Greaves Motorsports Caterham entry in the third round of the European Le Mans Series at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, July 19-20.

All three drivers share the common goal of a class win, but each of them also brings his own agenda to the world’s most prestigious sportscar race.

Kimber-Smith is aiming for his third LM P2 victory in six starts, (and fourth class win, including victory in GT2 in 2006.) “Le Mans is a special race which anyone in motorsport would love to attend and compete at,” Kimber-Smith said. “I have been extremely fortunate to have won the race three times now. (2006: Panoz Esperante GT2; 2011: Zytek/Nissan LMP2; and 2012: HPD/HPD LM P2). I still have the same, if not more desire to win this race. It\’s such a special feeling to stand on the top step of that podium looking down at thousands of spectators. LM P2 this year is very competitive. Probably the most competitive it has ever been. The race will be flat out as always and the winner will be the team that makes the least mistakes.”

For McMurry, a 16 year-old high school student and the initial Dyson Racing Junior Development Driver, it’s about becoming the youngest starter in the 91-year history of this twice-around-the-clock classic, the youngest finisher and the youngest winner.

“I went to Le Mans in 2008 when I was ten when my father raced there,” recounted McMurry. “When I was twelve, we had a school project where we were asked what we wanted to accomplish before we graduated. I said that I wanted to race at Le Mans, and now four years later, the dream is about to become real. I have been getting good advice from my teammates, Chris and Tom on how to get into a rhythm and stay calm. Greaves Motorsport has a very good record at Le Mans and I am glad I will be part of the team’s effort to have another successful race at Le Mans.”

When he climbs into the car for the first time following the green flag on June 14, McMurry will displace the legendary Mexican driver Ricardo Rodriquez, who was 17- years old when he started the 1959 edition of the race.

Dyson, a two-time IMSA American Le Mans Series driving champion, made his first start at Le Mans in 2004, coming home first in the contingent of American drivers. His focus on State-side competition has curtailed Dyson’s participation in European sportscar racing, at least until this season.

“It was a thrill racing at Le Mans for the first time, ten years ago,” Dyson said. “I wish my schedule made it possible for me to race there every year, but our team’s primary focus has needed to be on our U.S. schedule. But the fact that I don’t get to race at Le Mans every year – this will be my third start – makes the opportunity to do it this year all the sweeter. Plus, it’s great to be doing this race with Tom, who is a good friend, and Matt, who I believe is destined for a truly great driving career. That’s why we made him our first Dyson Junior team member.”

Dyson also paid tribute to the team that is fielding the car. “We’ve got a great entrant in Greaves Motorsport,” he noted. “TKS won with them in 2011 and Greaves was on the podium last year as well. They’re known for fielding cars that are solid, reliable and well prepared for the task of surviving 24 straight hours of racing. We’re not taking anything for granted, but our goal is to win LM P2 and I don’t think our optimism is misplaced.”

On the strength of his strong performances in the opening rounds of the European Le Mans Series, McMurry will be joining Chris Dyson and Tom Kimber-Smith in the #41 Greaves Motorsport LM P2 Zytek-Nissan at the French classic. The inaugural Dyson Junior Development Program driver scored fourth-place finishes at both Silverstone in April and this past weekend at Imola, Italy where he ran a clean opening triple stint in the Le Mans bound car.

“I’ve been working toward this specific goal for almost four years now,” McMurry said. “That was over 60 races ago, 20,000 miles of seat time, and 175,000 frequent flyer miles ago. I can’t believe it’s almost here and within reach. I feel well prepared by all the amazing mentors I’ve had every step of the way, and am ready to help Dyson and Greaves succeed in the most important sports car race in the world.”

Matt’s first trip to the 24 Hours of Le Mans was when he was eight years old. For a seventh-grade class assignment on long-term goals, he stated that he wanted to be the youngest driver to race at Le Mans. Soon thereafter, the age of twelve, he became the youngest graduate of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. In the four years since, Matt has carefully honed his craft, advancing from Formula Skip Barber to Formula Mazda Bondurant, to USF2000 to IMSA Lites and now to Le Mans prototypes. It has been a methodical advancement, going all the way back to a PowerWheel he got for his second birthday and his first go-kart drive at the age of four.

“Matt has been nothing short of outstanding in his first two major international races,” noted Chris Dyson. “He has driven like a veteran and has validated our decision to take him on as a Junior Development Program driver. It is very exciting to be taking him to Le Mans, but he is ready for the challenge. It’s wonderful for Dyson Racing to play a role in helping Matt to record such a historic milestone.”

“I am very happy with the team’s performance overall and Matt’s in particular,” Dyson said. “Matt’s effort this weekend validates our Junior Development Program, the purpose of which is to introduce promising young drivers to top-tier competition. The talent runs deep in the ELMS and Matt acquitted himself very well against some really experienced and accomplished drivers. He drove like a veteran, showing great judgment in traffic. And this is only the beginning.”

Based on the promising performance of the Greaves team in the season’s opening round, Dyson predicted greater success in subsequent ELMS races. “Tom is a three-time Le Mans LMP2-class winner, Matt is only going to get stronger with a little more experience, and I‘ll do my part. All of us are confident that we’re going to be spending a lot of time this season on the podium.”

If McMurry was at all wide-eyed after his first ELMS race – he drove more than half of the four-hour race – it didn’t show. “I knew what I had to do and I knew I had the full support of Chris, Tom and the Greaves team. I just had to get comfortable in the car, run fast laps, stay out of trouble and focus on learning.”

Team principal Tim Greaves noted that McMurry did all of that: “Matt ran a brilliant race – two hours twenty minutes on your first event at this level is a big task, but he responded with good pace and great maturity.”

McMurry drove the first two stints of the race and kept the fourth-place qualified car in the top six before handing over to Dyson (who arrived at Silverstone straight from the New York International Auto Show, where Bentley announced that Dyson Racing will run a pair of Continental GT3’s in the second half of the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge season.) “I had a good run,” Dyson said. “There was a lot of traffic, but it was competitive and enjoyable. Then we were able to take advantage of a yellow to put Matt back in the car for his last turn.”

Finally, Tom Kimber-Smith took over from McMurry for the run to the finish. An extended safety-car period reduced Kimber-Smith’s green-flag time and there was not enough laps left to overtake the third-place finisher.

“Tom drove the wheels off the car and we were very close to making the podium,” Dyson said. “We have made a good step with the car since last season and I am looking forward to the next race at Imola, where Matt will be joining us again, and putting together a good championship effort this year.”

McMurry, 16, joined Dyson and Kimber–Smith with the Greaves team at the ELMS’ official pre-season test at the Circuit Paul Ricard near Marseille, France. The #41 Dunlop–shod entry was third fastest during the Tuesday evening session and second fastest Wednesday morning. This was McMurry’s second outing in the Greaves Motorsport LMP2 entry. He has competed in fifty–six races in the past two years in Formula Skip Barber, US F2000, Formula Mazda and Prototype Lites. McMurry will also be competing in this year’s International Motorsports Association Prototype Lites Championship. He is the son of sportscar racing veteran Chris McMurry, who finished third in the American Le Mans Series Drivers Championship with Dyson Racing last year.

“I feel well prepared to take on the next challenge,” commented McMurry. “Dyson Racing, Greaves Motorsport and everyone involved have taken me under their wings, shared their knowledge and have given me a lot of seat time. I couldn’t be more appreciative and honored to join the team at Silverstone, and I look forward to rewarding everyone with everything I’ve got.”

“Matt had two very good days at Paul Ricard,” said Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director of Dyson Racing. “Paul Ricard is a daunting and technical track that is quite physical. He showed maturity and the same aptitude that he displayed during his first test at Carolina MotorSports Park.”

Dyson observed that McMurry’s confidence and pace increased session by session over the course of a test that included many regular ELMS competitors. “Matt’s biggest strength is his ability to listen and learn. He has a measured and mature approach. That’s what’s impressed me over the last two years as I’ve watched him make a naturally seamless upwards transition.”

Commenting on the Paul Ricard test, Dyson also noted that the team has built on the baseline it established at last month’s tire test at Sebring. “At Paul Ricard, for the first time this season, we were able to measure the car against the top runners in the series. We left confident that the car is very good in all conditions, which will translate well at Silverstone, Matt’s first race in the European Le Mans Series.”

In addition to announcing the formation of the Dyson Racing Junior Development Program, Chris Dyson also named the program’s first member, 16 year-old Skip Barber Racing Series and US F2000 graduate Matt McMurry.

“The Dyson Racing Team has during its long history been home to many of the best drivers in sportscar racing,” said the team’s Vice President and Sporting Director, Chris Dyson. “Over the past three decades our team has also nurtured the careers of a number of up-and-coming drivers, including my own. With the creation of the Dyson Racing Junior Development Program we’ve made a more formal commitment to accelerating the progress of new generations of driving talent.”

McMurry, the son of sportscar racing veteran and former team driver Chris McMurry, joined Dyson Racing drivers Tom Kimber-Smith and Chris Dyson last weekend in Kershaw, South Carolina for a two-day test in the same Caterham-liveried LMP2-class Zytek-Nissan that will be fielded for TK-S and Dyson by Greaves Motorsport in the European Le Mans Series. McMurry’s first outing as part of his Dyson Junior Development program will see him rejoin Greaves on April 1-2 at the European Le Mans Series Official Test at Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet, France.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for me, and I’m honored to be Dyson Racing’s first Junior Development Program team member,” said McMurry, who says he’s looking forward to now competing on a world stage. “Sportscar racing is an international sport and to have the chance to compete in Europe and learn from guys like Tom, who’s won the LMP2 class twice at Le Mans, and Chris, who’s twice been the IMSA American Le Mans Series driver champion, it’s just such a great thing.”

McMurry, from Phoenix, says he learned to drive at the age of five under the tutelage of Bondurant Superkart School’s general manager and lead instructor Alan Rudolph. A half-dozen years later McMurry was a student in Bondurant’s school driving Corvettes and Formula Mazdas. In the past two years McMurry has competed in a total of 56 races in Formula Skip Barber, US F2000, Formula Mazda and Prototype Lites. For 2014, in addition to his commitments with the Dyson Racing Junior Team, McMurry will be competing domestically in a full 14-race season in the International Motor Sports Association’s Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship in an entry fielded by Performance Tech Motorsports.

Dyson Racing Team President Rob Dyson says he’s looking forward to watching McMurry’s racing career progress this year with the support of Kimber-Smith and Chris Dyson. “I saw how having the support of a well-organized and experienced team behind him helped accelerate Chris’s development as a driver. It allowed him to fully focus on building his skill behind the wheel.”

“What impresses me the most about Matt is not how good he is for a driver his age,” Chris Dyson said. “It’s just how flat good he is. I watched him drive last week in testing and I came away with the sense that he has enough talent that if he plays his card right, there’s no limit to how much he can accomplish. In the car and working with the team running the test, Matt showed an unbelievable degree of maturity. All of us at Dyson Racing are happy to welcome him to our Junior Development Program, and we are excited to see him grow with us.”