WHILE MANY IRISH sports fans were celebrating the exploits of Conor McGregor and Rory Mcilroy last weekend, another Irish sporting gem was defending her crown as the Queen of Europe in Romania
Drift car racer, Danielle Murphy has been competing at the highest level on the European drift scene for some time now, and having clinched the inaugural Queen of Europe title in 2013, she is right in the mix to do the same this year.
Having finished behind main rival Ramona Rusu of Romania in qualification, the Saggart native upped her game in the main race, and had too much for her closest rival.
However, a complicated points system, which sees the first qualifier earn more points than the actual race winner, means Murphy still needs to out-perform Rusu in the remaining two events later in the year.
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Dubliner Danielle Murphy alongside Romanian drift racer, Ramona Rusu
Speaking to TheScore.ie, the current Queen of Europe star said she is living her dream, while doing what she loves, in a sport that rapidly growing across Europe.
She said: “Since I was a child I always wanted to represent Ireland internationally, but I always thought my destiny was with horses and show jumping, but then drifting came along.”
“I think now I’ve made the right choice, to feel and know I am making a big impact in a male-dominated motorsport and have my name recognised worldwide is incredible.
“I have hit many brick walls along the way but you have to crash through them and move on. That to me means more than any trophy.”
Having impressed so much in her first year, Murphy is now the only female driver allowed to race with the pro drivers, and after her success last year, she was invited to take part in a special invite-only tournament in Malta next October.
Before that, though, the final two rounds of this year’s tournament take place in Croatia in August and Greece in September.
In order to successfully defend her title she must out-qualify Romanian driver, Ramona Rusu, with the pair having locked horns in both last year’s competition and the two events so far this season.
“In the championship I am still in second place overall because of how the points system works whereby the highest qualifier gets more points than the winner of the competition so it means Ramona is currently first in the championship,” she says.
“With two rounds remaining I have to qualify first or hope that Ramona doesn’t qualify first anymore.
“It won’t be easy, but nothing comes easy in this sport, and I have had to everything the hard way, so the challenge is something I relish.”
Dublin drifter hoping to continue her reign as 'Queen of Europe'
WHILE MANY IRISH sports fans were celebrating the exploits of Conor McGregor and Rory Mcilroy last weekend, another Irish sporting gem was defending her crown as the Queen of Europe in Romania
Drift car racer, Danielle Murphy has been competing at the highest level on the European drift scene for some time now, and having clinched the inaugural Queen of Europe title in 2013, she is right in the mix to do the same this year.
Having finished behind main rival Ramona Rusu of Romania in qualification, the Saggart native upped her game in the main race, and had too much for her closest rival.
However, a complicated points system, which sees the first qualifier earn more points than the actual race winner, means Murphy still needs to out-perform Rusu in the remaining two events later in the year.
Speaking to TheScore.ie, the current Queen of Europe star said she is living her dream, while doing what she loves, in a sport that rapidly growing across Europe.
She said: “Since I was a child I always wanted to represent Ireland internationally, but I always thought my destiny was with horses and show jumping, but then drifting came along.”
“I think now I’ve made the right choice, to feel and know I am making a big impact in a male-dominated motorsport and have my name recognised worldwide is incredible.
“I have hit many brick walls along the way but you have to crash through them and move on. That to me means more than any trophy.”
Having impressed so much in her first year, Murphy is now the only female driver allowed to race with the pro drivers, and after her success last year, she was invited to take part in a special invite-only tournament in Malta next October.
Before that, though, the final two rounds of this year’s tournament take place in Croatia in August and Greece in September.
In order to successfully defend her title she must out-qualify Romanian driver, Ramona Rusu, with the pair having locked horns in both last year’s competition and the two events so far this season.
“With two rounds remaining I have to qualify first or hope that Ramona doesn’t qualify first anymore.
“It won’t be easy, but nothing comes easy in this sport, and I have had to everything the hard way, so the challenge is something I relish.”
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