Keith Donegan Explained

Keith Donegan
Nationality: Irish
Birth Date:12 March 1997
Birth Place:Navan, Ireland
Current Series:Formula Regional European Championship
First Year:2022
Current Team:Race Performance Motorsport
Car Number:65
Starts:9 (10 entries)
Wins:0
Podiums:0
Poles:0
Fastest Laps:0
Best Finish:TBD
Year:2022
Prev Series:U.S. F2000 National Championship
Formula Ford
Ginetta Junior Championship
Prev Series Years:2018
2018, 2017
2013, 2012
Awards:Mazda Road to Indy Shootout
Award Years:2018

Keith Donegan (born 12 March 1997), is an Irish racing driver and team owner who last drove in the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship for Race Performance Motorsport.[1] He is the owner of the team, having purchased the assets of RP Motorsport in February 2022.[2] Following Round 5 of the championship, Donegan stepped back from driving to continue as just the owner.

Racing career

Karting

Donegan grew up in Navan, Ireland. He started karting at the age of 9, and did two years of karting in his home country of Ireland, and two years in the UK.[3]

Ginetta Junior Championship

Donegan made his car racing debut in the 2012 Ginetta Junior Championship, driving for Beacon Racing in rounds 1-5 and 8-10, and driving for Hillspeed in rounds 6 and 7. With 1 podium, he finished 8th in the standings.

Donegan joined Douglas Motorsport for the 2013 season.[4] With 4 wins and 12 podiums, he finished as the runner up in the championship.

Formula Ford

After a 3 year sabbatical to focus on his education, Donegan returned to racing in 2017, racing in various Formula Ford events such as the 2017 Formula Ford Festival, where he finished second. He competed again in the Formula Ford Festival in 2018.

U.S. F2000 Championship

In December 2017, Donegan won the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout up against the likes of Liam Lawson, giving him $200,000 to race in the 2018 U.S. F2000 National Championship.[5] Driving with Arms Up Motorsports, he finished 9th in the standings with 1 podium.

Formula Regional European Championship

Prior to Round 1, Donegan joined the grid of the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship, racing alongside Pietro Delli Guanti at his own team, Race Performance Motorsport.[1] He revealed in an interview in mid-2022 that the decision to compete in the championship was "very last minute" and that he "wasn’t prepared and was well over the weight limit".[6]

Following Round 5, he withdrew from a driving role within the team, replacing himself with Owen Tangavelou.

Personal life

After the 2013 Ginetta Junior Championship, Donegan took a 3 year sabbatical from racing to study business at Trinity College Dublin. He had a deal with his mother that if he got certain grades, his parents would buy him a Formula Ford. He achieved the required grades, hence his return to motorsport in Formula Ford in 2017.[3]

Race Performance Motorsport

In February 2022, Donegan purchased the assets of RP Motorsport to start his own team, Race Performance Motorsport (RPM). The team is registered in Italy, and based in Piacenza, like its predecessor. With an aim to compete in the Formula Regional European Championship, he took on Enrico Carraro as team manager, and the team made their competition debut in the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship, when they took the place of DR Formula. They competed with Donegan and Pietro Delli Guanti.[2]

In an interview on 16 May 2022, Donegan revealed intentions for the team to field a third car in the Formula Regional European Championship before the end of the 2022 season.[6]

For Round 6 at the Hungaroring, the team fielded Andrea Rosso in the third car to be kept for the remainder of the season,[7] and Owen Tangavelou replaced Donegan as the driver in the second car.[8]

For the 2023 season, the team signed Macéo Capietto, Adam Fitzgerald and Santiago Ramos.[9] [10] [11]

Racing record

Karting career summary

SeasonSeriesPosition
2009Super 1 National Comer Cadet Championship34th
2011Kartmasters British Grand Prix - Rotax Mini Max9th

Racing career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition
2012Ginetta Junior ChampionshipBeacon Racing16000 12748th
align=left Hillspeed40000
2013Ginetta Junior ChampionshipDouglas Motorsport20402124752nd
2017National Formula Ford 1600 Championship - ProPrivateer120022N/ANC†
Formula Ford 1600 Scotland30000013th
Formula Ford Festival10011N/A2nd
Formula Ford 1600 - Walter Hayes Trophy10000N/A16th
Mazda Road to Indy ShootoutLucas Oil School of Racing10000-1st
2018Formula Ford FestivalPrivateer10000N/A6th
U.S. F2000 ChampionshipArms Up Motorsport500001399th
BN Racing70001
2022Formula Regional European ChampionshipRace Performance Motorsport90000030th
As Donegan was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.

U.S. F2000 Championship

YearTeam1234567891011121314RankPoints
2018ArmsUp MotorsportsSTP
STP
IMS
IMS
LOR
9th139
BN RacingROA
ROA
TOR
TOR
MDO
MDO
MDO
PORPOR

Complete Formula Regional European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

* Season still in progress.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Aron tops FREC FP1 at Monza as Buhler and Donegan join grid. Formula Scout. 22 April 2022 . 22 April 2022.
  2. Web site: Perceval. Wolff. Exclusive: Introducing new FRECA race team Race Performance Motorsport: 'We can run at the front'. F1 Feeder Series. 23 February 2022 . 22 April 2022.
  3. Web site: 10 QUESTIONS WITH... KEITH DONEGAN. IndyCar. 22 April 2022.
  4. Web site: DONEGAN JOINS DOUGLAS MOTORSPORT FOR GINETTA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. Ginetta. 22 April 2022.
  5. Web site: Keith Donegan wins Mazda Road to Indy Shootout for USF2000 scholarship. Formula Scout. 11 December 2017 . 22 April 2022.
  6. Web site: FREC's newest team plans to run third driver and move to new facilities. Formula Scout. 16 May 2022 . 23 June 2022.
  7. Web site: Rosso reverses racing exit by returning to FREC with R-P-M. Formula Scout. 4 July 2022 . 8 July 2022.
  8. Web site: Injury puts van't Hoff out of FREC in Hungary, Braschi takes place at MP. Formula Scout. 6 July 2022 . 8 July 2022.
  9. Web site: Race Performance Motorsport signs Maceo Capietto for FREC. Formula Scout. 14 March 2023.
  10. Web site: FREC team R-P-M ticks off Irish driver target by signing Adam Fitzgerald. Formula Scout. 18 February 2023.
  11. Web site: Ramos stays at Race Performance Motorsport for second year in FREC. Formula Scout. 24 February 2023.