Jay Mooney made an impressive debut in the 116 Trophy series at Brands Hatch
Jay one day hopes to make the step up into touring cars.(Image: Jay Mooney)
A promising young racing driver from near Hull has dazzled more experienced competitors in his first event in a car. Jay Mooney, 19 from North Ferriby, has been racing karts from a young age but recently took to Brands Hatch circuit in Kent to compete in the 116 Trophy series – turning heads among seasoned drivers.
Having got behind the wheel at a track day last year, Jay decided to follow his passion from karts through to cars and bought himself a BMW 1 series to use in the single make series which is a favourite among grassroots enthusiasts looking for an affordable way in to the sport. With the help of his parents, the full time car salesman, who works for a Nissan dealership on Hull’s Anlaby Road, set about testing the car ahead of the 2026 season.
Earlier this month he made his debut on the circuit, describing a “feeling of David vs Goliath” when he looked around to see experienced drivers with big transporters and entourages. The talented teen finished 12th in a field of 22 in the first race, and then seventh out of 22 – putting him eighth in the championship, and the highest placed rookie driver.
The Formula 1 fan – who grew up idolising drivers such as Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel – now has his sights on further success. And despite confessing to having only limited mechanical knowledge, Jay and his family are dedicated to the sport having acquired the car “race ready” having won the championship previously.
“I sort of dragged my family into it a bit,” he joked. “And now we have this race car with our family name on it – Mooney Motorsport.”
Jay added: “We maintain the car. I just try and drive the car as fast as possible. I don’t really have any team members around me – other than my mum and dad. As you’d imagine, I felt quite odd on the grid at Brands Hatch with all the teams with big trucks around me. But I still did well against teams with big budgets, so I’m chuffed.”
In his first weekend on the circuit, Jay received encouraging feedback from other drivers and those involved in the sport – some of them commenting favourably on his technique and speed. A previous winner of the championship also suggested that even more experienced drivers would struggle to match his speed, and that he expected to see Jay on the podium in the near future.
“It’s always something I’ve wanted to do – it just gives you a thrill,” said Jay When you’re racing in close quarters with other people on the track, it’s all about the thrill of getting past people and overtaking.”
Jay decided to go into full time employment straight after finishing college – partly as a means to fund his motorsport passion – and has enjoyed the support of colleagues at the dealership where he works. Now he is looking for sponsorship from regional businesses in an effort to take his racing to the next level.
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