Ben Keating

Last updated
Ben Keating
BenKeating.jpg
Born (1971-08-18) August 18, 1971 (age 53)
Alma mater Texas A&M University
Employer(s)Owner, Keating Auto Group
World Endurance Championship career
Debut season2006
Racing licence FIA Bronze Driver.png FIA Bronze
TeamsTeam Project 1
The Racers Group
Riley Motorsports
TI Automotive Racing
PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports
TF Motorsports
Wins2023 Road America

2023 Sebring 1000 Miles
2023 6 Hours of Portimão
2023 24 Hours of Le Mans
2022 Sebring 12 Hours
2022 Glen
2022 24 Hours of Le Mans
2021 Sebring 12 hours
2021 Watkins Glen 240
2021 Laguna Seca
2021 Bahrain 6 Hours
2020 Spa-Franchorchamps
2021 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup
2019 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup
2018 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup
2017 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup
2015 24 Hours of Daytona

2014

Contents

Grand Prix of Mosport
2014 Circuit of the Americas
Previous series
Viper Racing League
(2007–2008)
North American Road Racing Association
(2009–2010)
Dodge Viper Cup
(2010–2012)
North American Endurance Championship (2012)
American LeMans Series
(2013)
Championship titles
2008 Viper Racing League
National Champion
2009 & 2010 NARRA
National Champion
2011 & 2012 Dodge Viper Cup
National Champion
2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship
LMP2 Champion

Benjamin Edward Keating [1] (born August 18, 1971) is an American racing driver and business owner operating out of Victoria, Texas. Keating is the owner of 30 car auto dealerships across Texas, The Keating Auto Group. Since starting auto racing in 2007, he has competed in many auto races worldwide, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona, Twelve hours of Sebring, and most recently the World Endurance Championship. He is the only American driver to have won multiple World Championships. Keating began racing in 2007 after receiving a weekend track driving course as a Christmas present from his wife.

Business life

Ben Keating has been surrounded by the car industry his entire life. Growing up, he washed cars and parked them on the front line at the Ford dealership owned by his father, which provided Keating an inside look into the dynamics of auto dealerships. Keating eventually found himself in an internship at Service Group during his junior and senior years at Texas A&M University.

During his internship in Service Group, Keating trained staff and managers at multiple dealerships. In 1995 when he graduated from A&M with a degree in Engineering, Keating sold cars at Covert Ford in Austin, Texas. Soon after he became the Used Car Sales Manager at Tomball Ford which was owned by his father and later became a minority owner himself. [2]

Keating purchased Port Lavaca Ford in 2002. [3] That was followed by Port Lavaca Dodge (2002) then Port Lavaca Chevrolet (2004). As of 2024 Keating owned 30 dealerships, generating about $3 billion in annual revenue and selling over 50,000 cars annually. In 2023, the Keating Auto Group was ranked 1st as the Largest Privately Held Auto Group in Texas as well as the 9th Top Privately Held Dealership Group in the United States. [1] Automotive News ranked the Keating Auto Group as the 15th Largest Auto Group in the Nation. [4] In 2024, Keating was nominated for Time Magazine Dealer of the Year Award. [5]

At each of his stores the general manager is also a minority partner of the business. [6]

Racing

Viper Racing League and NARRA

Keating began racing in 2007 after receiving a weekend track driving course as a Christmas present from his wife. In 2007, he began racing a 2000 Dodge Viper GTS in the Viper Racing League (VRL), a league that began as track days for Viper enthusiasts. Keating received a DNF in his first race, an event at Sebring International Raceway. In 2007 Keating participated in the full VRL series and in 2008, his second full year in the league, Keating won the VRL National Championship. [7] After the 2008 season, the VRL reorganized into the North American Road Racing Association. [8]

In 2009, Keating participated in the NARRA US GT Championship, a 13-round series at 7 venues across the Continental United States. [9] Driving a Viper Competition Coupe, Keating claimed the national championship. He would repeat this feat in 2010.

In 2010 Keating also began racing in a new Dodge SRT-sponsored event, the 5-city, 10-race Dodge Viper Cup. [10] Driving the specially designed Viper ACR-X, Keating finished 2nd in the inaugural Viper Cup with race wins at Virginia International Raceway and Pocono Raceway. [11] Keating finished the series with 501 points, 106 points behind first place. During the 2011 Viper Cup, Keating would record 4 race wins (New Jersey Motorsports Park, [12] Virginia International Raceway, [13] Texas World Speedway [14] and Daytona). Going into the final race of the season Keating held a 58-point advantage in the Viper Cup standings (a win being worth 60), and claimed the national championship by 20 points despite being forced into 15th place by a late-race collision. [15] [16] In 2012 Keating would dominate the series and repeat as national champion, recording 6 wins (Road Atlanta (both races), [17] Road America (both races), Monticello Motor Club, [18] and Watkins Glen) as well as three other top 5 finishes. [19]

Rolex Sports Car Series

Keating made his Rolex Sports Car Series debut at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 2011, racing in the Viper Exchange.com No. 66 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Racing for The Racer's Group (TRG), Keating and co-drivers Dominik Farnbacher, Tim George Jr. and Lucas Luhr placed 13th in their class (27th overall), completing 612 laps with a total time of 21:40:37.038. [20]

The following year, Keating participated in a full season of the North American Endurance Championship, a subset of the Grand-AM Rolex Sports Car Series consisting of three races: the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, the Six Hours of The Glen, [21] and the Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. [22] Keating drove the No. 66 Porsche in all three races. Keating pulled double-duty during the 2012 24 Hours of Daytona, also taking a shift in The Racer's Group's No. 68 Porsche GT3 Cup. [23]

Keating would participate in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona again in 2013, driving the No. 66 car along with co-drivers Farnbacher, Kuno Wittmer, and Jorg Bergmeister. They would go on to place 20th in class (31st overall), completing 622 laps with a time of 23:57:15.712. [24]

American Le Mans Series

In 2013, Keating made the jump into the American Le Mans Series, competing in the series' final season. Keating, with co-drivers Damien Faulkner and Craig Stanton in the No. 66 Porsche, would finish 5th in the GT-challenge (GTC) class in the series' opening event, the 12 Hours of Sebring. [25] Keating would continue to race with Faulkner for most of the series. On September 21, Keating and Faulkner would score their first victory of the season at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. In front of his friends and family from around Texas, Keating drove the first 70 minutes of the race, then handed off to Faulkner, who completed the victory with a winning margin of 12.94 seconds. [26] [27] Keating and Faulkner followed their first victory up with another winning effort at Virginia International Raceway. [28] The two late-season victories would prove a boon to Keating's final position in the standings, providing him with 40 of his 84 total points and earning him an 8th-place finish in the GTC class (out of 46 drivers). [29]

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

2023

2022

2021

The LMP2 is in the classic WYNN’S livery. The team for LMP2 consists of Ben Keating, Mikkel Jensen, and Scott Huffaker. The LMP2 results as of Nov 14, 2021:

Ben and his team won the IMSA Championship and the Michelin North American Endurance Cup for LMP2.

2019

Keating won his third consecutive IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. He finished seventh in the GTD season and had a victory at Virginia International Raceway. Also 2019, Keating became the first person to enter a Ford GT in Le Mans privately. The team placed 3rd but was later disqualified due to a capacity issue with the car's fuel cell.

2018

Keating won his second consecutive IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD title. He finished third in the GTD championship by winning a victory at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and two third-place runs at Laguna Seca and Sebring.

2017

Keating competed in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in a Mercedes AMG. He partnered with the Riley Motorsports Team. The car is a naturally-aspirated, 6.3-liter V8 Mercedes-AMG GT3 based on the Mercedes-AMG GT road cars. They competed in the IMSA GT Daytona (GTD) class. 2016 In December 2015, Viper Exchange announced they would again be sponsoring two Vipers in the 2016 running of the 24 Hours of Daytona. [30] Keating will once again take shifts in both the No. 93 and No. 33 Vipers as he seeks to defend his 2015 victory. Keating will be joined in the No. 33 by Dominik Farnbacher, who helped drive the No. 93 to Daytona victory in 2015, and Le Mans co-drivers Marc Miller and Jeroen Bleekemolen. [30] Keating was joined in the No. 93 car by Trans-Am Series TA2 Champion Gar Robinson. [30]

2016

Keating followed up on 2015's winning success with his most successful IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season yet in 2016. Racing the full season with Bleekemolen for the third-straight year, Keating once again kicked off the schedule with double duty in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona. He and co-drivers Jeff Mosing, Eric Foss, Gar Robinson, and Damien Faulkner put the No. 93 Viper on the GTD-class podium for the second-straight year after the 2015 Daytona victory. The No. 93 gained three positions in the race's final hour for a third-place finish. Keating and the No. 33 team in turn recovered from a Saturday night accident to finish 10th, which made ViperExchange.com the only two-car GTD team in the Rolex 24 to place both of its entries in the top 10.

Keating scored his first win of the year in Detroit. A popular victory in the hometown of the Viper, Keating stayed in touch with the lead pack throughout his race-opening stint after qualifying sixth, racing his way into the lead as the GTD field cycled through pit stops. Bleekemolen took over and kept the No. 33 upfront to the finish.

The year's second victory followed one race after Lime Rock at Road America, where Keating and Bleekemolen co-drove to the second-year-in-a-row victory. The win moved Keating, Bleekemolen, and ViperExchange.com to third in the GTD class point standings, putting them in contention for a solid championship finish for the first time.

The No. 33 team arrived at Road Atlanta second in points for the season-ending Petit Le Mans. Again co-driving with Miller, Keating and Bleekemolen did everything they could to gain a great result, starting from the pole and winning what would be the final race for a Viper in the IMSA GTD competition. Although the championship-winning Ferrari team build a big enough cushion to win the championship despite the No. 33 team's strong finish at Road Atlanta, Keating and company finished second in the team and driver GTD standings.

The 2016 season also saw Keating compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second-straight year. After debuting in a GTE-Am class Viper GTS-R in 2015 with Bleekemolen and Miller, Keating switched to the LMP2 division in 2016, co-driving an open-top Nissan Oreca 03 with Bleekemolen and Marc Goossens. Despite a race-long string of issues, Keating finished Le Mans for the first time, driving the Oreca across the finish line for a 15th-place result in class.

2015

Keating started off the 2015 season pulling double-duty at the 2015 24 Hours of Daytona, taking turns in both the No. 93 and No. 33 Vipers. Keating would score his first win of the young season in the No. 93 Viper with previous Daytona co-drivers Dominik Farnbacher (2011–2013) and Kuno Wittmer (2013), along with American Al Carter. The No. 33 Viper would come in 9th in the event. [31] Keating would drive in both cars again in the subsequent race, the 2015 12 Hours of Sebring, guiding the No. 93 car (with Carter and Belgian Marc Goossens) to a Top Five finish. The No. 33 Viper (with Jeroen and Sebastiaan Bleekemolen) would again come in 9th after a radiator issue late in the race knocked the car out of the lead. [32] [33] Keating and Bleekemolen followed up with another strong performance and snagged their first class win of the year in the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America. [34] [35] As a result of their win at Road America, the No. 33 car was placed under some competitive restrictions limiting the performance of the car during the next race, the Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR. These restrictions limited the No. 33 Viper to a 7th-place finish, preventing Keating from taking a third consecutive podium. [36] [37] Keating and Bleekemolen would come back strong though, and charged back into the winner's circle with a come-from-behind victory at Circuit of the Americas. Keating was hit with a penalty early, but strong driving from him and Jeroen allowed them to overcome that setback and take the victory. [38] [39]

2014

After the American Le Mans Series merged into the Rolex Sports Car Series after the 2013 season, Keating participated in the 2014 Tudor United SportsCar Championship season. Keating joined with Dutch siblings Jeroen and Sebastiaan Bleekemolen in the No. 33 Dodge Viper GT3-R for Riley Motorsports. Joined by French driver Emmanuel Collard, Keating and the Bleekemolen brothers competed in the opening event, the 24 Hours of Daytona, completing 615 laps over the day-long event, finishing 19th (40th overall). [40] They would go on to record Top Five finishes in the next two races, placing third in the Brickyard Grand Prix (Indianapolis Motor Speedway [41] ) and fourth in the Road America 500. [42] Keating would record his second win of the season with a win at his home-state event at the Circuit of the Americas. [43] The two wins, combined with his two top 5 finishes, propelled Keating into 14th place in the final driver points standings. [44]

WEC

2023

2022

Selected by WEC as the Gentleman of the Year

2021

Keating competed in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in a Corvette C8.R with Corvette Racing. The Corvette ran in the GT-Am class of the WEC. It was a GTE spec car.

The WEC results as of Nov 07, 2021:

Ben and his team finished P2 in the WEC Championship for GT-Am.

2019-20

Keating joined the FIA World Endurance Championship for the 2019–2020 season. He also entered several IMSA races. After speaking with many teams, he decided to join Team Project 1, having confirmed a full-season program alongside longtime partner Jeroen Bleekemolen and Felipe Fraga in the team's No. 57 Porsche 911 RSR. He had beat this team in Le Mans but was disqualified due to an issue with the car's fuel cell.

Additional Races

In addition to these races, Keating participated in a Viper Days Reunion event at Road America during the August 26- 29th weekend and plans to race in the Intercontinental GT 8 Hour race at Indy in mid-October. Keating's team looks to repeat their win last year at the Indy 8hr in the Pro-Am class.

24 Hours of Le Mans

On April 16, 2015, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest announced that the Viper Exchange.com/Riley Motorsports entry into the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans had been approved, with American Marc Miller joining Keating and Jeroen Bleekemolen as co-driver. The team will drive the No. 53 Dodge Viper GTS-R in the GTE Am class. The team was first among the reserves for the event, and the entry gives Keating the opportunity to accomplish the feat of winning both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans events in the same year. This would be the first 24 Hours of Le Mans for both Keating and Miller, while Jeroen earned his 10th consecutive start in the event. [45] Jeroen finished fourth in class in qualifying, and so the team had good position for the start of the race. Bleekemolen continued the strong start with his opening shift in the car, leading for most of the third hour, and Keating continued to maintain a top-four position during the second shift. Miller took the third shift through much of the night, and the team entered the final shift, again driven by Bleekemolen, in fifth place. However, Bleekemolen began to notice issues with the gearbox. After replacing the gearbox failed to resolve the problems, the No. 53 car was forced to retire from the race at 13:45, having completed 304 laps. [46] [47] Keating continued to race at Le Mans in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020.

Partnership with VLF Automotive

Origins

VLF Automotive is a joint venture between designer Henrik Fisker, former GM Vice Chair Bob Lutz and manufacturer Gilbert Villarreal. Lutz and Villarreal began VL automotive in 2012, and in 2013 unveiled the VL Destino, a luxury automobile based on Fisker's Karma electric car. [48] However, VL did away with the Karma's fully electric powertrain and replaced it with the 6.2L V8 GM engine used in the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. [49] [50] Eventually Fisker joined the team, which then became VLF automotive. [48] VLF then began work on a new automobile built around the 8.4L V10 of the Dodge Viper, which would become the Force 1 V10.

Keating and the Force 1

Fisker and Keating met in 2015 and quickly developed a partnership, combining Fisker's legendary designs with Keating's extensive expertise with performance vehicles, particularly his intimate knowledge of the Dodge Viper. [51] In particular, Keating helped design the active suspension used in the Force 1 V10 using his decade of experience racing Vipers to tune the suspension for both on-the-road and on-the-track needs. [51] [52] As part of the partnership, the first run of the Force 1 V10, totaling 50 cars, were sold entirely through Keating's Viper Exchange dealership. [53]

Racing record

Racing career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition
2010Dodge Viper CupN/A102??45012nd
2011Dodge Viper CupN/A5????5381st
American Le Mans Series - GTC TRG 100002021st
Grand-Am Rolex Series - GT 100001855th
2012 Grand-Am Rolex Series - GT TRG 300005636th
2013 American Le Mans Series - GTC TRG 102003848th
Grand-Am Rolex Series - GT 100001662nd
Pirelli World Challenge - GTS TRG-AMR 2000013237th
IMSA GT3 Challenge by Yokohama - Platinum CupTPC Racing400002121st
2014 United SportsCar Championship - GTD Riley Motorsports 11200323514th
2015 United SportsCar Championship - GTD Riley Motorsports 1030042656th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am Riley Motorsports TI Auto 10000N/ADNF
US GT Championship Series - GTUN/A20110189th
Aston Martin Le Mans Festival - GT4 TRG-AMR 10000N/A7th
2016 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Riley Motorsports 1130053032nd
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 Murphy Prototypes 10000N/A15th
2017 IMSA Sportscar Championship - GTD Riley Motorsports - Team AMG 1020042905th
IMSA Sportscar Championship - Prototype Challenge Starworks Motorsport 100002623rd
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 Keating Motorsport10000N/A20th
24H Series - A6 Black Falcon100010NC†
2018 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports 1110032993rd
24H GT Series - Continents' - A6 Black Falcon100000NC†
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am Keating Motorsport10001N/A3rd
2019 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports 1011012367th
24H GT Series - Continents' - A6 Abu Dhabi Racing Black Falcon320020NC†
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am Keating Motorsport10000N/ADSQ
2019–20 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am Team Project 1 81103101.56th
2020 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am Team Project 1 10000N/A14th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - LMP2 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 101010NC†
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Riley Motorsports 300006732nd
Intercontinental GT Challenge DXDT Racing 100000NC
2021 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am TF Sport 6120390.52nd
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am 10001N/A2nd
Le Mans Cup - GT3 100000NC†
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD 1000025952nd
IMSA SportsCar Championship - LMP2 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 8450721621st
Intercontinental GT Challenge DXDT Racing 100000NC
2022 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am TF Sport 623041411st
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am 11001N/A1st
IMSA SportsCar Championship - DPi JDC-Miller MotorSports 1000133221st
IMSA SportsCar Championship - LMP2 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 53303105011th
GT World Challenge America - Pro/Am CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Motorsports 100000NC
Intercontinental GT Challenge Crowdstrike with Riley Motorsports 100000NC
2023 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am Corvette Racing 733051731st
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am 11101N/A1st
IMSA SportsCar Championship - LMP2 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 7140419951st
2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTP JDC-Miller MotorSports 1000027228th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - LMP2 United Autosports USA 7120119625th
FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGT3 Proton Competition

As Keating was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
* Season still in progress.

Complete American Le Mans Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamClassMakeEngine12345678910Pos.PointsRef
2011 TRG GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Porsche 3.8 L Flat-6 SEB LBH LRP MOS MDO ELK BAL LAG PET
4
21st20 [54]
2013 TRG GTC Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 SEB
5
LBH
7
LAG
4
LRP
3
MOS
8
ELK
DNF
BAL
DNF
COA
1
VIR
1
PET
6
8th94 [55]

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearEntrantNo.ClassMakeEngine123456789101112RankPointsRef
2014 Riley Motorsports 33GTD SRT Viper GT3-R SRT 8.0 V10 DAY
19
SEB
24
LGA
16
DET
11
WGL
17
MOS
1
IMS
3
ELK
4
VIR
13
COA
1
PET
17
14th235 [56]
2015 Riley Motorsports 33GTD Dodge Viper GT3-R Dodge 8.3 L V10 DAY
9
SEB
9
LGA
11
DET
10
WGL
6
LIM
2
ELK
1
VIR
7
COA
1
PET
12
6th265 [57]
2016 Riley Motorsports 33GTD Dodge Viper GT3-R Dodge 8.3 L V10 DAY
9
SEB
12
LGA
6
DET
1
WGL
4
MOS
11
LIM
3
ELK
1
VIR
6
COA
13
PET
1
2nd303 [58]
2017 Riley Motorsports - Team AMG 33GTD Mercedes-AMG GT3 Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8 DAY
3
SEB
1
LBH
2
COA
1
DET
14
WGL
10
MOS
7
LIM
15
ELK
4
VIR LGA
8
PET
4
5th290 [59]
2018 Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports 33GTD Mercedes-AMG GT3 Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8 DAY
4
SEB
3
MDO
9
DET
4
WGL
5
MOS
1
LIM
6
ELK
5
VIR
5
LGA
3
PET
8
3rd299 [60]
2019 Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports 33GTD Mercedes-AMG GT3 Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8 DAY
6
SEB
5
MDO
14
DET WGL
15
MOS
7
LIM
9
ELK
14
VIR
1
LGA
5
PET
4
7th236 [61]
2020 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 52LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 DAY

2†

SEB ELK ATL PET LGA SEB 0NC [62]
Riley Motorsports 74GTD Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8 DAY
11
DAY SEB ELK VIR ATL
4
MDO CLT PET
12
LGA SEB 32nd67
2021 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 52LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 DAY
7†
SEB
1
WGL
2
WGL
1
ELK
3
LGA
1
PET
2
1st2162 [63]
TF Sport 97GTD Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Aston Martin 4.0 L Turbo V8 DAY
7
SEB MDO DET WGL WGL LIM ELK LGA LBH VIR PET 52nd259
2022 JDC-Miller MotorSports 5DPi Cadillac DPi-V.R Cadillac 5.5 L V8 DAY
3
SEB LBH LGA MDO DET WGL CTM
ELK
PET
20th332 [64]
PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 52LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 DAY
4†
SEB
1
LGA
MDO
WGL
1
ELK
PET
6
11th1050
2023 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 52LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 DAY
7†
SEB
4
LGA
2
WGL
3
ELK
1
IMS
4
PET
2
1st1995 [65]
2024 JDC-Miller MotorSports 85GTP Porsche 963 Porsche 9RD 4.6 L Turbo V8 DAY
6
SEB LBH LGA DET WGL ELK IMS PET 28th272 [66]
United Autosports USA 2LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 DAY
6
SEB
10
WGL
8
MOS
4
ELK
1
IMS
9
PET
10
5th1962
Source: [67]

Points only counted towards the Michelin Endurance Cup, and not the overall LMP2 Championship

24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLapsPos.Class
Pos.
2015 Flag of the United States.svg Riley Motorsports TI Auto Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jeroen Bleekemolen
Flag of the United States.svg Marc Miller
SRT Viper GTS-R GTE
Am
304DNFDNF
2016 Flag of Ireland.svg Murphy Prototypes Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jeroen Bleekemolen
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Marc Goossens
Oreca 03R-Nissan LMP232334th15th
2017 Flag of the United States.svg Keating Motorsport Flag of the United States.svg Ricky Taylor
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jeroen Bleekemolen
Riley Mk. 30-Gibson LMP231247th20th
2018 Flag of the United States.svg Keating Motorsport Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jeroen Bleekemolen
Flag of Germany.svg Luca Stolz
Ferrari 488 GTE GTE
Am
33428th3rd
2019 Flag of the United States.svg Keating Motorsports Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jeroen Bleekemolen
Flag of Brazil.svg Felipe Fraga
Ford GT GTE
Am
334DSQDSQ
2020 Flag of Germany.svg Team Project 1 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jeroen Bleekemolen
Flag of Brazil.svg Felipe Fraga
Porsche 911 RSR GTE
Am
32640th14th
2021 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg TF Sport Flag of Luxembourg.svg Dylan Pereira
Flag of Brazil.svg Felipe Fraga
Aston Martin Vantage AMR GTE
Am
33926th2nd
2022 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg TF Sport Flag of Portugal.svg Henrique Chaves
Flag of Denmark.svg Marco Sørensen
Aston Martin Vantage AMR GTE
Am
34334th1st
2023 Flag of the United States.svg Corvette Racing Flag of the Netherlands.svg Nicky Catsburg
Flag of Argentina.svg Nicolás Varrone
Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTE
Am
31326th1st
2024 Flag of the United States.svg United Autosports USA Flag of Portugal.svg Filipe Albuquerque
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ben Hanley
Oreca 07-Gibson LMP227242nd13th
LMP2 Pro-Am6th
Sources: [67] [68]

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearEntrantClassChassisEngine12345678RankPts
2019–20 Team Project 1 LMGTE Am Porsche 911 RSR Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 SIL
10
FUJ
3
SHA
2
BHR
1
COA
11
SPA
6
LMS
8
BHR
6
6th101.5
2021 TF Sport LMGTE Am Aston Martin Vantage AMR Aston Martin 4.0 L Turbo V8 SPA
2
ALG
7
MNZ
12
LMS
2
BHR
1
BHR
Ret
2nd90.5
2022 TF Sport LMGTE Am Aston Martin Vantage AMR Aston Martin 4.0 L Turbo V8 SEB
2
SPA
2
LMS
1
MNZ
Ret
FUJ
1
BHR
4
1st141
2023 Corvette Racing LMGTE Am Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Chevrolet 5.5 L V8 SEB
1
PRT
1
SPA
2
LMS
1
MNZ
4
FUJ
2
BHR
7
1st173
Sources: [67] [69]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Auberlen</span> American factory race car driver

William Anthony Auberlen is an American factory race car driver known for his affiliation with BMW, driving cars made and run by the famous German marque for a number of years. Auberlen currently competes for Turner Motorsport in the IMSA SportsCar Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge. He is the winningest driver in IMSA history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riley Technologies</span> American auto racing constructor and team

Riley Technologies LLC is an American auto racing constructor and team specializing in the design and manufacture of complete race cars, as well as prototype development for racing and manufacturing applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Westbrook</span> British racing driver

Richard Westbrook is a British professional racing driver noted for his success in racing Porsche and International sports cars. As a junior, he attended St Joseph's College, Ipswich. He has won both the Porsche Supercup international championship and the Porsche Carrera Cup in his native Britain (2004). At the end of the 2007 season, Richard signed a factory contract deal with the German marque Porsche, and the British ace proceeded to take on the world's best on the other side of the Atlantic. The next year (2009), Westbrook won the highly coveted FIA GT2 Championship, taking four victories in the process, establishing himself firmly on the World motor sport stage and in the upper echelons of elite sports car drivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Braun</span> American racing driver

Colin James Braun is an American racing driver. He is the 2014 and 2015 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Prototype Challenge Champion and currently drives the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 for Meyer Shank Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Driving the ARX-06, he was part of the winning team of the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona. He formerly competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">João Barbosa</span> Portuguese racing driver

João Ricardo da Silva Coelho Barbosa is a Portuguese auto racing driver. He currently competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Sean Creech Motorsport in the LMP2 class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Bomarito</span> American racing driver

Jonathan Lewis Bomarito is an American professional racing driver from Monterey, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tristan Vautier</span> French racing driver (born 1989)

Tristan Vautier is a French professional racing driver who is currently competing in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship for the Vanwall Racing Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Hand</span> American racing driver

Joseph Alan Hand is an American professional racing driver who competes in sports car racing as a Ford factory driver. A former champion of the Star Mazda Series, Hand is the co-winner of the 2011 24 Hours of Daytona driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, the 2012 12 Hours of Sebring GT class for BMW Team Rahal, and the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans LMGTE Pro class for Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA driving the Ford GT. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dane Cameron</span> American racing driver

Dane Richard Cameron is an American racing driver from Glen Ellen, California. He won the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship overall in 2016 and 2019, and also in the GTD class in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominik Farnbacher</span> German sports car racing driver

Dominik Farnbacher is a German sports car racing driver, and currently an SRT factory driver, driving an SRT Viper GTS-R in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Taylor (racing driver)</span> American racing driver (born 1991)

Jordan Lee Taylor is an American professional racing driver. He competes full-time in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, driving the No. 40 Acura ARX-06 for Wayne Taylor Racing. He won the 2017 24 Hours of Daytona and the 2017 championship in the Prototype class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooper MacNeil</span> American racing driver

Cooper Ian MacNeil is a retired professional American racecar driver. He most recently competed in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driving the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 with co-drivers Dani Juncadella, Maro Engel, and Jules Gounon. He is son of WeatherTech owner and car collector David MacNeil. Cooper has won the 24 Hours of Daytona, Petit Le Mans three times, 12 hours of Sebring twice, and has been on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times. He has also won the SCCA Runoffs and is a 4 time Ferrari Challenge Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastiaan Bleekemolen</span> Dutch racing driver (born 1978)

Sebastiaan Bleekemolen is a Dutch racing driver that currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, driving for the family-owned Team Bleekemolen in the No. 69 Ford Mustang in the EuroNASCAR PRO class. His brother Jeroen and father Michael are also racing drivers. His father is a former Formula One driver, who has competed with RAM and ATS. Sebastiaan won the Benelux and Dutch Formula Ford 1800 championships in 1996, but decided early in his career formula racing was not his thing and already started driving sports cars and touring cars from 1997.

Viper Exchange Racing is an American auto racing team. The team, in partnership with Riley Motorsport and TI Automotive, runs two cars in the IMSA Tudor United SportsCar Championship, both Dodge Vipers racing in the GTD class. The No. 33 Viper has scored two victories since the beginning of the 2014 season along with two further top-five finishes. The No. 93 Viper, added in 2015, has added two victories and another top-five finish during the current season. In 2015, Viper Exchange Racing was granted an entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the No. 53 SRT Viper GTS-R was the only Viper to run in the event.

The 2016 IMSA SportsCar Championship was the third season of the United SportsCar Championship and first to be under the name as the IMSA SportsCar Championship organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). It was the 46th season of IMSA-sanctioned GT Championship sportscar racing tracing its lineage to the 1971 IMSA Camel GT season. It began on January 30 with the 24 Hours of Daytona and ended on October 1 at Petit Le Mans.

Bryan Sellers is an American racing driver. Sellers won the title in the U.S. F2000 in 2002 and later competed in the Atlantic Championship and in racing sports cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Lawrence (racing driver)</span> American racing driver

Cameron Lawrence is an American professional racing driver and 2015 North American Endurance Cup (NAEC) champion in the GTD class in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

John Potter is a race car driver and race team owner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Corvette C8.R</span> Grand tourer racing car

The Chevrolet Corvette C8.R is a grand tourer racing car built by Pratt Miller and Chevrolet for competition in endurance racing. It serves as the replacement for the Corvette C7.R, using the C8 generation Chevrolet Corvette as a base. Corvette Racing fielded the C8.R in the IMSA SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) class starting with the 2020 season. The car was built to LM GTE specifications as per GTLM rules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zacharie Robichon</span> Canadian motor racing driver

Zacharie Richard Robichon is a Canadian sportscar racer, who competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Heart of Racing and in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Proton Competition.

References

  1. 1 2 "Benjamin E Keating from Victoria, TX". Automotive News. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  2. https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/article/Auto-group-takes-on-third-dealership-in-Tomball-9384490.php
  3. "Interview With Ben Keating of Keating Auto Group". www.northamericanautomotive.com. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  4. https://www.autonews.com/data-center/automotive-news-top-150-dealership-groups-2024 [ bare URL ]
  5. "Ben Keating - Nominee for 2024 | Ally TIME Dealer of the Year Award".
  6. Webb, Alysha (6 January 2016). "Investing in auto dealerships instead of the stock market, a group grows in Texas". Automotive Buy Sell Report. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
  7. "Viper Days/NARRA". 29 October 2009. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  8. "NORTH AMERICAN ROAD RACING ASSOCIATION" . Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  9. "US GT Championship" . Retrieved 2015-04-27.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. "Dodge Viper Cup Series Kicks Off". 10 July 2010. Retrieved 2015-04-27.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. "Dodge Viper Cup Series Crowns 2010 Season Champion" (Press release). Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  12. "2011 Dodge Viper Cup round 4 – New Jersey Motorsports Park" . Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  13. "2011 Dodge Viper Cup round 5 – Virginia International Raceway" . Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  14. "2011 Dodge Viper Cup round 8 – Texas World Speedway" . Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  15. "2011 Dodge Viper Cup round 10 – Daytona" . Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  16. "Dodge Viper Cup 2011 standings" . Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  17. "Spoiler Alert – [Video] SRT® Viper Cup presented by Pennzoil Ultra season opener results are in" . Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  18. "Keating collects fifth Viper Cup win at Monticello" . Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  19. "Back-to-Back: Ben Keating claims second straight SRT® Viper Cup title" . Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  20. "Rolex Sports Car Series Official Race Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-09-18. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  21. "Rolex Sports Car Series Official Race Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-09-17. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  22. "Rolex Sports Car Series Official Race Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-09-17. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  23. "Rolex Sports Car Series Official Race Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-09-17. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  24. "Rolex Sports Car Series Official Race Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-09-17. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  25. "1st Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  26. "International Sports Car Weekend Presented by Continental Tire" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  27. "Booming Ben Keating savors first American Le Mans Series win". 21 September 2013. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  28. "American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patrón VIR 240" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  29. "2013 AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES PRESENTED BY TEQUILA PATRÓN CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  30. 1 2 3 "ViperExchange.com and Riley Motorsports to Defend Their Rolex 24 At Daytona GTD Victory in No. 93 Dodge Viper GT3-R". Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  31. "Rolex 24 At Daytona" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-21. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  32. "Last-To-First Victory for No. 93 TI Automotive/ViperExchange.com Dodge Viper GT3-R in the Rolex 24 At Daytona". Archived from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
  33. "63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  34. "Continental Tire Road Race Showcase: Official Race Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  35. "Road America Press Release". Archived from the original on 2016-04-18. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  36. "Oak Tree Grand Prix: Official Race Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  37. "Keating, Bleekemolen and No. 33 ViperExchange.com/Riley Motorsports Viper GT3-R Finish Seventh in Oak Tree Grand Prix". Archived from the original on 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  38. "Keating, Bleekemolen and ViperExchange.com Score Repeat Win Saturday at Circuit of The Americas". Archived from the original on 2015-10-26. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  39. "Lone Star Le Mans: Official Race Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  40. "52nd Annual Rolex 24 at Daytona" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-13. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  41. "Brickyard Grand Prix" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-09-12. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  42. "Continental Tire Road Race Showcase" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  43. "Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of the Americas" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  44. "2014 TUDOR UNITED SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  45. "ViperExchange.com Granted an Entry to 83rd Running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 13–14". Archived from the original on 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  46. "Viper Exchange Leads in Competitive 24 Hours of Le Mans Debut Only to End up Just Short of Finish". Archived from the original on 2015-07-12. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  47. "24 Hours Le Mans – Race Results". 14 June 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  48. 1 2 "Our Story". Archived from the original on 2016-01-14. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  49. Lavrinc, Damon. "Fisker Karma Gets a 638-HP Corvette Heart Transplant". Wired. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  50. "Destino: Bob Lutz's Corvette-powered Fisker Karma" . Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  51. 1 2 "745-HP Force 1 V10 Debuts at 2016 North American International Auto Show as the New American Supercar" (Press release). Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  52. "The VLF Force 1 is a Viper-powered supercar with a Lamborghini price tag". 13 January 2016. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  53. "VLF Force 1 V10 is a rebodied Viper priced like a Lamborghini" . Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  54. "Ben Keating – 2011 American Le Mans Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  55. "Ben Keating – 2013 American Le Mans Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  56. "Ben Keating – 2014 Tudor United SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  57. "Ben Keating – 2015 Tudor United SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  58. "Ben Keating - 2016 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  59. "Ben Keating - 2017 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  60. "Ben Keating - 2018 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  61. "Ben Keating - 2019 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  62. "Ben Keating - 2020 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  63. "Ben Keating - 2021 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  64. "Ben Keating - 2022 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  65. "Ben Keating - 2023 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  66. "Ben Keating - 2024 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  67. 1 2 3 "Ben Keating Results". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  68. "Ben Keating". Automobile Club de l'Ouest . Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  69. "Ben Keating". FIA World Endurance Championship . Retrieved 8 May 2024.