CARMA (The Tommy Byrne Story)

CARMA is inspired by the true story of Irishman TOMMY BYRNE. A living legend known to everyone in motor racing and often quoted as once being the greatest racing driver in the world. Yet Tommy’s ability to win race after race, along with his unprecedented meteoric rise to Formula One, were strangely “ignored” by the industry powers-that-be.  Rumours as to why have circulated for years.

TOMMY, a razor-witted kid with ADHD and a heart of gold, came from the wrong side of the tracks of a dead-end Irish town.  But from day one he demonstrated his impatience to seize life by being born in a car on the way to hospital. Tommy always had an unswerving self-belief that against all odds he would make it past lowly stock car racing, out of Ireland and all the way to Silverstone and Formula One.  Some called it pure arrogance. Some inevitably laughed at young Tommy’s quixotic dreams. This deeply hurt him, but it also made Tommy even more determined to show the world his brilliance.  In 1982 – thanks to another racing legend AYRTON SENNA DI SILVA – Tommy achieved the impossible and was propelled to the top rung of the motor racing ladder.   However, RON DENNIS, the iconic founder and owner of McLaren, had a very different plan for young Tommy…

CARMA is much more than just another story about the elitist, dangerous and obscenely expensive world of Formula One.  It is the very personal journey of a generous young man with nothing in his pockets, but who was so rich in natural talent that for a moment he did achieve his dream and became the fastest motor racing driver in the world.  Surely fame and fortune were going to quickly follow?

After decades of rumours and questions, along with the more recent shocking discovery of sabotage, the life of Tommy Byrne is about to be set straight.

CARMA is based on interviews with Tommy and his critically acclaimed autobiography,
Crashed and Byrned – the William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year in 2008. A successful TV documentary entitled Crash & Burn,featuring Eddie Jordan, was released in 2016 on Amazon Prime. 

GENRES – True Story / Drama / Comedy / Action

PRODUCER – Alistair Maclean-Clark has 35 years’ experience
in the media, as a film producer and as a film financier.

SCREENPLAY – by Irish writer Camilla Leslie. “Miss Conception”
starring Heather Graham (‘The Hangover’) and Tom Ellis (‘Lucifer’)

* As famously quoted by EDDIE JORDAN