After laying his early foundations in senior karting across Australia and New Zealand, the 17-year-old will now campaign a green Slattery Auction and Valuations-backed BMW M4 GT4 Evo which will be prepared by McElrae Racing on the Gold Coast.
The team will have a sister car driven by Jay’s father Nathan, and which will run in red Morris Finance colours, making the whole operation a true family affair.
The father-son combination actually teamed-up for events at Sandown, The Bend and Hampton Downs at the end of last year which produced some solid results and even more valuable race experience.
The 2026 move marks an important milestone in Murray’s development as he transitions from the highly-competitive National KZ karting category into GT competition, while also completing his final year of secondary education at The Geelong College.
Murray was selected as one of the youngest ever participants for the BMW Driver Academy in Munich late last year, which cemented the decision to run the M4 in this year’s Australian GT4 series.
“Being selected to attend the BMW Driver Academy was an incredible experience and a major highlight in my short racing journey,” said Murray.
“Training alongside drivers from around the world and learning directly from BMW Motorsport was something I’ll never forget and I am hoping to repeat again this year.
“It is great to be building a relationship with such a major manufacturer like BMW this early in my career. Obviously BMW has an amazing reputation and history in motorsport and I will be working hard to do the brand and all my supporters proud this year.”
Murray started his career in karts where he progressed through the junior ranks before stepping into the Senior KZ gearbox category at age 14, one of the most competitive forms of karting in the world.
From 2023 he competed in both the Australian Karting and the New Zealand Kart Championships, gaining valuable experience racing against some of the best, and in most cases much older, drivers in the region.
He used those seasons to build his race craft and confidence to a level where he can confidently take the next step, while also juggling tough Year 12 school commitments.
“Outside of racing I enjoy training and maintaining a strong level of fitness, which is obviously an important part of preparing for competition,” said Murray.
“Balancing school, travel and racing has taught me a lot about discipline and time management.
“The Geelong College has been great in helping create a schedule that will accommodate both my final year studies and motorsport commitments.
“I enjoy the history of the sport and following all different categories around the world and learning as much as possible about every different facet of the sport.
“I want to make a career out of it and will be doing everything I can to make that happen.”
Murray is looking forward to turning his first wheel in anger in his new rig this week.
“Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit would have to be one of my favourite tracks that I have driven on,” said Murray.
“It’s a fast and flowing track that rewards commitment and precision, and it always produces great racing.
“We will be learning a lot about this new car and racing in general this year, but it would be nice to improve each time we go out and come away with some solid points next week.
“It will be great having dad out there with me this year, but as they say, ‘the first person you have to beat is your teammate’.”
The Murray’s took the covers off their 2026 colours schemes this week which included support from Slattery Auction and Valuations, Grays.com, IDAWS, MenzClub, Morris Finance, Morris Personal and the WADE Group.
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