Youngster Matthew McMurry has become part of Le Mans history last June when he became at the age of 16 years and 202 days the youngest driver to participate in and to finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans behind the wheel of the #42 Caterham Racing Zytek Z11 SN LMP2 run by Greaves Motorsport.

Matt has been kind enough to answer a few questions for Endurance-Info about his racing season and about his projects for  next year :  

You had many firsts in the season : first Le Mans, first European Le Mans Series season, first IMSA Cooper Lites Prototypes  season, first GT races in the Blancpain Lamborghini Super Trofeo, first testing with the Dyson Racing Bentley Continental GT3…If you could sum up this racing season in only one word, what would it be? 

Busy! I was on the road about every two or three weekend, so we were constantly traveling. I’ve flown more than 110,000 miles since February! I’m not even 17 years old yet and have 82 car races on my resume. So, yeah, it’s been busy. But in every trip and weekend, I learned something new and met incredible people. I started learning how to drive GT cars, full size prototypes, how to race at night, in the rain, how to deal with traffic, and much, much more. 

You are now in the Le Mans history as the youngest starter ever and the youngest finisher ever as well. What are your feelings about it? As you may still be the youngest driver  on a Le Mans podium, is it an objective for you? 

It feels great to be the youngest driver at Le Mans! We had been working towards that goal for years. It’s fantastic to have such a big accomplishment under my belt at such a young age. We will definitely try and beat the youngest podium record in 2015.

At Le Mans, what have you thought about the atmosphere before the race itself, during the scrutineering or the drivers parade? Is there a similar atmosphere in the USA? 

I don’t think there is any sporting event in the world that is quite like Le Mans, especially in the racing world. At Le Mans, scrutineering is such a big show, but anywhere else it’s just a routine task that the crew does before the weekend really starts. There are so many unique features to Le Mans that it doesn’t compare to any other event. Its unbelievably awesome in every way!

What has been the most challenging at Le Mans? Traffic, race length, the track, racing at night?   

I think the most challenging aspect of Le Mans was the rain. Lucky me, as soon as I got into the car for the first time, the skies opened up and started pouring. It was especially tricky since the sudden downpour happened just as I crossed start-finish. So, I had to make it around the 8 mile track on slicks before I could pit again for a tire change. I think it was Ricardo Rodriguez from the heavens saying, “Okay kid, if you want this record of mine, you’ll have to earn it … the hard way.” 

What part of the circuit did you like more? And less? 

I liked everything about the track, though my favorite part is the Porsche Curves, especially the last right-hander. That turn is my favorite because the car was stuck to the ground through there and you could carry so much speed through the whole turn. 

Has the race matched your expectations? 

The race and the events around it exceeded my expectations. I never expected the fan attendance to be so high, especially at the parade and scrutineering. The parade was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done in my life. The fans were wild and crazy!

What can you say about the European Le Mans Series? How was the level of competitiveness of the field? Have you been surprised by it? 

The European Le Mans Series was great this year. The P2 field I’m sure was among the largest ever seen in the sport in recent years, and every car and every driver was super competitive. I didn’t know what to expect going into it, so I wouldn’t say I was surprised. Though I was completely impressed with everything about the ELMS. 

What were your ups and downs (if any) in the ELMS?

I would say that Silverstone and Imola were the “ups” of the season because they were my favorite race weekends because we did the best at those tracks. The downs were that we didn’t get on the podium; we missed twice by one position. We did have a revolving door of drivers all year, so that made it harder for the team to achieve optimum results, though it did give me the opportunity to learn from a variety of very talented drivers.

Do you think that the ELMS season has been useful for you driver performances? 

I think the ELMS season has been a great learning experience. I learned how to drive a P2, how to drive through traffic, I did the longest stints I’ve ever done, how to do pit stops, and so much more. 

Can you compare the level of competitiveness between the ELMS and the Cooper Lites? 

 I think ELMS and IMSA Prototype Lites are similarly competitive. At the front of the field the pace is blistering in both series. I’d say the only difference is the format (endurance vs sprint) and experience level of the drivers. The racing in ELMS is much more clean and diligent, whereas the Cooper IMSA Lites sprint format mixed with young drivers seems to cause more urgency and mishaps.   

Can you say some words about your Cooper Lites season? Are you pleased with it? 

It’s hard to be happy about a season that was rife with car failures and unneeded contact from other drivers. We had the speed all season to be a championship contender, but the mechanical DNFs and overly optimistic driving by others killed us. But, the season ended on a good note with 4 podiums in the final 6 rounds, including a pole, fastest lap, flag-to-flag lead and a win at Road Atlanta. Next season it is championship or bust! 

In the Blancpain Super Trofeo, you had your first experience of a GT race. Is it very different to drive a GT by comparison to a prototype, a LMP2 or a smaller one as a Lite prototype?  

The Lamborghini Super Trofeo was my first GT race. It is very different in comparison to the prototype cars I’ve driven. The Lamborghini could really be driven with the throttle and brakes, and required more smoothness with the hands, than the Lites or P2. I enjoyed my GT experiences immensely and was thrilled to get on the podium for amateurs in the final race, which was then the fourth GT race of my career.

How is the racing in the Super Trofeo?  

The racing in Super Trofeo is really good. There are a number of really quick drivers and everyone seems to be clean and respectful on the track. It’s good racing.

You are the first member of the Dyson Racing Junior Development program, do you think that this program will be very important for your motorsport career?  Has the Dyson Racing been welcoming? 

I know there are opportunities that I wouldn’t have without having been part of Dyson Racing, not the least of which was the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the entire ELMS season and the recent Bentley test. So, yes, unequivocally, being part of Dyson has been essential to my career. I’m sort of the “little brother” on the team, with everyone looking out for me, giving me advise and encouragement, and rooting for me. 

You have been testing with the Bentley Continental GT3, so, what are your impressions with the car? Would you like to race with it? 

The Bentley GT3 is fun to drive. It is probably the most unique/different car I’ve driven. You have to brake so crazy late and hard to be fast. The downforce was surprisingly strong. The Dyson guys had set up the car very well. It was impressive to watch Butch Leitzinger and Tom Kimber-Smith drive the car, and to learn from top drivers. 

What have been your favourite tracks in Europe? In Northern  America? 

My favorite track in North America is definitely Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (Mosport). In Europe, Le Mans is my favorite. Both tracks offer a similar experience, which is wide sweeping, super fast, downforce happy corners!

Which drivers have been the most impressive throughout the past season from your point of view, whatever the series…?

Harry Tincknell in ELMS was quite incredible and stood out the most to me. He was able to wring every last ounce out of JOTA’s entry time-and-again, and never seemed to put a wheel wrong.  If I’m able to race in ELMS again next season, he has set a standard that I’d like to achieve.   

Have you already some plans for next year? ELMS and/or Cooper Lites again, Le Mans, TUDOR championship, Pirelli World Challenge? What would be your preferences?  

We are working diligently on our 2015 plans. I’m fairly certain we’ll do IMSA Lites again, which I really look forward to because getting prepared for Le Mans by age 16 required that I progress through the junior levels very rapidly, which meant I never had a second season in any series to apply everything that I learned from the prior season. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is something we’re focused on as well. We will mix other things into this plan, and are working through schedules and options as we speak. It will be a busy year again! 

Will you be still studying next year? 

Yes and that makes schedules and workload a challenge. It’s like I have two jobs: school and racing. I finish my junior/third year in high school just before Le Mans 2015. I plan to go to college – studying some sort of engineering – but that won’t start September 2016, after I graduate from high school. 

We do thank Matt for his kindness.