Johnny O'Connell

Johnny O'Connell

O'Connell at Road America in 2014
Born (1962-07-24) July 24, 1962
Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2013 position 65th
Best finish 65th (2013)
First race 2013 Johnsonville Sausage 200 (Road America)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
IndyCar Series career
4 races run over 2 years
Best finish 9th (1996)
First race 1996 Indy 200 (Orlando)
Last race 1996-97 Las Vegas 500K (Las Vegas)
Wins Podiums Poles
0 0 0
Statistics current as of November 16, 2013.
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Participating years 1994, 19982010, 2016
Teams Clayton Cunningham Racing, Panoz Motorsports, Corvette Racing, Team AAI
Best finish 5th (1994, 2000)
Class wins 4 (1994, 2001, 2002, 2009)

Johnny O'Connell (born July 24, 1962), is the most successful GM factory racing driver from the United States. He currently drives for Cadillac in the Pirelli World Challenge, winning the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 GT driver's championship.

Career

1990s IMSA car

Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, O'Connell started racing in the Formula Atlantic series in 1987, winning the Championship and Rookie of the Year. He also spent 1996 in the Indy Racing League, racing in the Indianapolis 500 and finishing in the top 10 in half of his 4 starts. He has seven class wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring, more than any other driver, and an overall title in 1994 when racing for Nissan. Driving for Corvette Racing, he has also won a number of class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. With his teammate Ron Fellows he won the 2003 GTS class driver's championship.

O'Connell was also featured in Chevy's 2007, Super Bowl ad, "Ain't We Got Love" also featuring Mary J. Blige, rapper T.I., Big & Rich, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

In 2013, O'Connell competed in the Johnsonville Sausage 200 at Road America in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro;[1] he finished 12th in the event.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position earned by points standings. * – Most laps led.)

Nationwide Series

1 Ineligible for series points

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1994 United States Clayton Cunningham Racing New Zealand Steve Millen
United States John Morton
Nissan 300ZX Turbo IMSA
GTS
317 5th 1st
1998 United States Panoz Motorsports
France DAMS
France Éric Bernard
France Christophe Tinseau
Panoz Esperante GTR-1 GT1 236 DNF DNF
1999 United States Panoz Motorsports Denmark Jan Magnussen
Italy Max Angelelli
Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S
Ford
LMP 323 11th 9th
2000 United States Panoz Motorsports Japan Hiroki Katoh
France Pierre-Henri Raphanel
Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S-Élan LMP900 342 5th 5th
2001 United States Corvette Racing Canada Ron Fellows
United States Scott Pruett
Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 278 8th 1st
2002 United States Corvette Racing Canada Ron Fellows
United Kingdom Oliver Gavin
Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 335 11th 1st
2003 United States Corvette Racing Canada Ron Fellows
France Franck Fréon
Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 326 12th 3rd
2004 United States Corvette Racing Canada Ron Fellows
Italy Max Papis
Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 334 8th 2nd
2005 United States Corvette Racing Canada Ron Fellows
Italy Max Papis
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1 347 6th 2nd
2006 United States Corvette Racing Canada Ron Fellows
Italy Max Papis
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1 327 12th 7th
2007 United States Corvette Racing Denmark Jan Magnussen
Canada Ron Fellows
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1 342 6th 2nd
2008 United States Corvette Racing Denmark Jan Magnussen
Canada Ron Fellows
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1 344 14th 2nd
2009 United States Corvette Racing Denmark Jan Magnussen
Spain Antonio García
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1 342 15th 1st
2010 United States Corvette Racing Denmark Jan Magnussen
Spain Antonio García
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT2 225 DNF DNF
2016 Taiwan Team AAI United Kingdom Oliver Bryant
United States Mark Patterson
Chevrolet Corvette C7.R GTE
Am
306 39th 9th

Indy Racing League results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank Points
1996 Byrd-Cunningham Racing Reynard 95i Ford XB V8t WDW
7
PHX
5
INDY
29
9th 192
1996-1997 Treadway Racing Reynard 95i Ford XB V8t NHA
Wth
40th 23
Reynard 94i Ford XB V8t LVS
12
WDW PHX
A.J. Foyt Enterprises G-Force GF01 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 INDY
DNQ
TXS PPIR CLT NHA LVS

Indy 500 results

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
1996 Reynard Ford-Cosworth 29th 29th Byrd-Cunningham Racing

References

  1. Kallmann, Dave (May 30, 2013). "GM's Johnny O'Connell joins Road America NASCAR field". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Milwaukee, WI. Retrieved 2013-06-23.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by
Ted Prappas
North American Formula Atlantic
Pacific Division Champion

1987
Succeeded by
Dean Hall
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