INDY NXT by Firestone rookie driver Seb Murray boasts a rapid ascension in his motorsports journey.
Murray, 17, from Aberdeen, Scotland, loved anything with an engine that went fast from a young age. However, he didn’t begin a racing journey until he was 11, when his dad took him to a local karting track for the first time.
“I just loved it ever since,” Murray said.
That led to a proper introduction to racing karts a year later, with the last five years working his way to driving the No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai car for Andretti Cape INDY NXT this season. He is teammates with Ricardo Escotto, who will drive the No. 3 entry.
“I've always wanted to do it, but we never knew if it was actually going to happen or not,” Murray said. “When I was around 14 or 15, the F4 thing kind of was in the equation, but there was nothing planned. Then it all kind of came out the blue, to be honest. It was all quite quick.”
Murray began his racing career competing in the IAME Series UAE from 2017-23 and the IAME Euro Series from 2021-22.
While maintaining his passion for karting, Murray made his car racing debut in 2022 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula 4 UAE Trophy Round, where he collected a pair of top-10 finishes. In 2023, he took on the full F4 UAE season, finishing as high as 13th, all while being committed to a schedule of F4 testing to increase his single-seater driving experience. This testing worked in Murray’s favor, as he competed in the final two rounds of the 2023 GB4 Championship, capturing three top-10 finishes across both events.
Murray competed in the full 2024 F4 UAE season, scoring a top-five finish at the Yas Marina Circuit. As the 2024 F4 UAE season came to an end in February, Murray quickly transitioned to the GB3 Championship only a month later, making his debut at Oulton Park. The Scot made 24 GB3 Championship starts, finishing as high as seventh.
He moves into the top step of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES development series in 2025 as the youngest full-time driver on the grid. Murray also balances learning a new car and new tracks while completing his senior year of high school.
His education has consisted mostly of online classes, but navigating school and professional racing isn’t an easy endeavor.
“My school is quite good with it,” he said. “Everything since COVID, really, has been online, which has really benefited me. Or else I'll be stuck, to be honest.
“It’s hard to kind of find time to do it and not fall too far behind, but I've been managing all right so far. You just need to make sure you dedicate some time to try bash it all in at once.”
Murray is on pace to finish high school in mid-April, so he should graduate before the second race of the season May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park, ironically the first spot he visited when he came to America.
Murray had never been to the United States before his INDY NXT test last November at the Alabama road course. A little more than two months later, he is completing his high school diploma, racing professionally and living alone as a teenager.
“I'm really excited,” he said. “But it's also been 17 hours away from home. It’s going to be fun. It's going to be different, but I’m really looking forward to it.”