Award-winning journalist Jason Craig has launched Northern Ireland’s very first motoring website.
Home to breaking car news and all-important first drives of the freshest models coming to market, Drive NI will also carry interviews, special features and stories charting the success of drivers from the province involved in motorsport’s many different codes, from single-seaters to stage rallying.
The website (www.drive-ni.co.uk) is only a few days old but, so far, the response has been positive, with some of the stories proving most popular including Craig Breen’s two-year deal with M-Sport Ford and September’s new car sales data that revealed the struggles being experienced by dealers.
A car enthusiast and an avid writer during his school years, Jason decided to combine the two by studying Journalism and Media at Coventry University where he earned a First-Class BA (Hons) degree. Since then, his work has been recognised by Motorsport UK who awarded him the Young Journalist of the Year award in 2012. He also clinched the Newspress Motorsport Writer of the Year title last May.
With an increasing number of people turning to digital mediums to access the latest news content during the COVID pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, not forgetting the absence of any new car websites based in Northern Ireland, Jason felt the time was right to push ahead with his plans to launch Drive NI.
“New car news continues to be print-led in Northern Ireland, and any content available online tends to be hidden away on websites, so unless you are determined to find it, the whole experience can be frustrating,” said Jason. “Drive NI changes that because it is a website that puts cars front and centre.
“Drive NI has a clean, modern look and is clearly signposted to ensure people who go to the website get the most out of their visit by being able to access information in a quick, easy fashion,” he added.
“These are very early days but the response has been very encouraging, but I would invite anyone who would like to help, collaborate or support me going forward to get in touch. I’d love to hear from you.”