Leh Keen
Leh Keen | |
---|---|
Nationality | American |
Born |
Dublin, Georgia | July 22, 1983
United SportsCar Championship career | |
Debut season | 2004 |
Current team | Alex Job Racing, WeatherTech |
Car no. | 22 |
Former teams | Dempsey Racing, Brumos Racing, Synergy Racing, Farnbacher-Loles, Shoes for Crews |
Starts | 144 |
Wins | 14 |
Poles | 10 |
Fastest laps | 6 |
Championship titles | |
2009 Rolex Sports Car Series Championship Class: GT teammate: Dirk Werner 2012 American Le Mans Series Championship Class: GTC teammate: Cooper MacNeil |
Lehman McGrath Keen III (born July 22, 1983) is an American racecar driver born in Dublin, Georgia, who competes in the United SportsCar Championship. He most recently drove the No. 22 Alex Job Racing WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT America in the United SportsCar Championship GTD class with co-driver Cooper MacNeil.
2004
Keen moved into the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2005. He captured two podiums in the three races that he entered with the Autometric Motorsports SGS class Porsche. His best finishes of the season were third-place finishes at Virginia International Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park. He finished 23rd in SGS points.
2005
Keen captured his first win in the Rolex Sports Car Series at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen at Watkins Glen International. He drove for Autometrics once again in 2005. He started with a sixth-place finish at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and ended the year in fifth place in Rolex Sports Car Series points. He had one win (at Watkins Glen) and 11 top-10 finishes. Keen raced in the GT2 class of the American Le Mans Series, driving the No. 79 J3 Porsche GT3 RSR in the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, where he finished sixth.
2006
Keen drove the Shoes for Crews No. 80 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car with David Murry for Synergy Racing of the 2006 season, with a podium finish in Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Mexico City and another at Infineon Raceway for the season. Overall, he finished sixth in points for the GT Class and finished eighth in GT points. His best finish of the season was second at Mexico City.
2007
Keen began a three-year stint driving the #85 Porsche GT3 GT3 with Farnbacher-Loles, sponsored by Shoes for Crews and Recaro. During the 2007 Rolex 24 hours at Daytona, Keen was one of four drivers to drive the number 85 car. The car led the GT class for the first 22.5 hours. However, they failed to finish the race due to engine trouble. At the second race of the year in Mexico City, Keen finished second with co-driver Dominic Farnbacher. Keen also competed in time attack racing. Keen piloted GSC's Unlimited Class Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Modified class Toyota Supra in the Redline Time Attack Series and drove in the Car & Driver One Lap of America competition, driving GSC's Modified Class Toyota Supra. He finished 24th in GT points. An injury at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course cut his season short. Keen finished second at Mexico City and Miller Motorsports Park.
2008
Keen continued his stint with Farnbacher-Loles in the Grand-Am Rolex Series where he finished ninth in GT points, with one win (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), five top fives, and one pole.
2009
Keen captured three pole positions and four wins on his way to his first Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. His co-driver Dirk Werner and he clinched the Rolex Grand-Am GT championship with 359 points each. They both finished the season with seven podiums (4 wins, 1 second and 2 third). He won season-high four races, including three in succession, and three poles.
2010
Keen got a full-time driver with #41 Mazda RX-8 for Dempsey Racing in the Rolex Sports Car Series took the team's Mazda to their first win ever with co-driver James Gue.
2011
Keen changed teams again but this time he was driving for #59 Porsche 911 GT3 for Brumos Racing with co-driver Andrew Davis. The pairing took their first win together at the 2011 Six Hours of Watkins Glen. Keen and his teammate Bill Sweedler ran in the top three during the first portion of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course race. Later Keen incurred two separate penalties; he regained a second-place position but later fell to a fifth-place finish. Five minutes into the race at Road America, his car overheated. The car was taken behind the wall and never returned to the track. The team officially retired one hour and 37 minutes into the race. Keen and teammate Bill Sweedler ran a flawless race during the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix and maintained a second-place position throughout the race. The team competed in the top three throughout the race at Petit Le Mans. Keen encountered one stop-and-go penalty for ignoring the red light at pit exit early in the race but quickly recovered and gained one spot for a second-place finish. Captured GT championship. He won two races co-driving with Andrew Davis. Championship came in first year of Brumos Racing in return to historic GT roots. 2011 Rolex Series GT champion with Andrew Davis for Brumos Racing.
2012
Keen returned with Brumos Racing with co-driver Andrew Davis in the team's No. 59 Porsche 911 GT3 in the Rolex Sports Car Series. Keen signed with Alex Job Racing with a full ride with teammate Cooper MacNeil. During the 12 Hours of Sebring, Keen and his teammates led a strong battle throughout the race. He encountered minor hiccups and climbed one spot to a second-place finish. At Long Beach consistent podium battle. Lost the lead halfway through on pit stop and never regained the top position. Keen won pole at Lime Rock Park. Co-driver Cooper MacNeil started the Porsche and kept team in top three before handing car to Leh who, despite several on-track run ins, brings the car home in first place under caution. Leh qualified car in third at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Cooper MacNeil starts car and has excellent run, handing car over to Cooper in the GTC lead. Keen dices with #66 Porsche and No. 11 Porsche before finishing second. Keen and Cooper struggle with brake issues early at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and finish fourth. Cooper started car in second at Baltimore and hands off to Keen still running second. Keen led briefly, but finished second. Cooper and Keen ran in top three for duration of VIR race, leading multiple times. Keen took the lead on final lap when #11 JDX car must pit for fuel. The win sealed GTC driver championship for Cooper and team championship for Alex Job Racing. In the Rolex Sports Car Series, Keen and Andrew finished eighth in GT points; four third-place finishes, including Rolex 24 At Daytona and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
2016
After the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park round of the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech Series schedule, Leh was released by Alex Job Racing, and replaced with Porsche Junior driver Sven Mueller. Team owner Alex Job cited off track circumstances as the reason for Keen's departure.[1] At the time of dismissal, Keen sat 8th in driver standings, tied with co-driver Cooper MacNeil.
Racing record
Year | Races | Wins | Podiums | Pole position | American Le Mans Series points | Rolex Sports Car Series points | United SportsCar Championship points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 295 |
2013 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 277 | 0 |
2012 | 21 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 141 | 329 | 0 |
2011 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 79 | 319 | 0 |
2010 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 30 | 311 | 0 |
2009 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 359 | 0 |
2008 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 274 | 0 |
2007 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2006 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 363 | 0 |
2005 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 333 | 0 |
2004 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
24 Hours of Le Mans results
Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Hankook Team Farnbacher | Dominik Farnbacher Allan Simonsen |
Ferrari F430 GTC | GT2 | 336 | 12 | 2 |
2011 | Hankook Team Farnbacher | Dominik Farnbacher Allan Simonsen |
Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 | GTE Pro |
137 | DNF | DNF |
2016 | Proton Competition | Marc Miller | Porsche 911 RSR | GTE Am |
50 | DNF | DNF |
References
- ↑ "Keen Released by AJR; Mueller Joins MacNeil for Road America - Sportscar365". Retrieved 2016-08-05.