Ben Keating (born August 18, 1971) is an American amateur
racing driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
and business owner operating out of
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a small city in South Texas and county seat of Victoria County, Texas. The population was 65,534 as of the 2020 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 as of the 2000 censu ...
. Keating is the owner of 28 car auto dealerships across
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, The Keating Auto Group. Since starting auto racing in 2006, he has competed in many auto races worldwide, including the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
,
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...
,
Twelve hours of Sebring, and most recently the
World Endurance Championship World Endurance Championship may refer to:
* FIA World Endurance Championship, an auto racing series held since 2012
* World Sportscar Championship, an auto racing series which used the title World Endurance Championship from 1981 to 1985
* Endura ...
. Keating began racing in 2006 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
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
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
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
.
During his internship in Service Group, Keating trained staff and managers at multiple dealerships. In 1996 when he graduated from A&M with a degree in
Engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
, Keating sold cars at Covert Ford in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
. Soon after he became the Used Car Sales Manager at Tomball Ford and later became a minority owner.
Keating purchased Port Lavaca Ford in 2002. That was followed by Port Lavaca Dodge (2002) then Port Lavaca Chevrolet (2004). As of 2022 Keating owns 28 dealerships, generating about $3 billion in annual revenue and selling over 50,000 cars annually.
At each of his stores the general manager is also a minority partner of the business.
Racing
2022
IMSA
*
Rolex 24 at Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layout ...
– 3rd Overall in Dpi Class with JDC Miller Motorsports in a Cadillac DPI
*
12 Hours of Sebring – Started on Pole, Winner P1 with
Mikkel Jensen and Scott Huffaker
*
Sahlen’s 6 Hours at Watkins Glen – Started on Pole, Winner P1
* Michelin North American Endurance Cup – Winner P1
WEC
*
Sebring 1000 miles – Started on Pole, Finished P2
*
Spa 6 Hour Race – Started on Pole, Finished P2
*
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
– Started 19th, Finished WINNER P1 with Marco Sorensen and Henrique Chaves
*
Monza 6 Hours – Started P2, DNF
*
6 Hours of Fuji
The 6 Hours of Fuji (formerly the Fuji 1000 Kilometres) is a sports car race held at Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Shizuoka, Japan. The race was held for the first time in 1967, and in 1977 became part of the new Fuji Long Distance Series. In 1982 a se ...
– Winner P1
*
8 Hours of Bahrain
The 8 Hours of Bahrain (previously 6 Hours of Bahrain) (بطولة ست ساعات في البحرين) is a sports car race that is held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. It was created for the FIA World Endurance Champi ...
– Clinched driver's championship in LMGTE Am class with Marco Sorensen and Henrique Chaves as first American to win a class title since the resurrection of WEC in 2012.
2021
IMSA
The
LMP2
A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is the type of sports prototype race car used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were crea ...
is in the classic WYNN’S livery. The team for LMP2 consists of Ben Keating,
Mikkel Jensen, and Scott Huffaker.
![Keating Wynns IMP2 2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Keating_Wynns_IMP2_2021.jpg)
The LMP2 results as of Nov 14, 2021:
*
Rolex 24 at Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layout ...
, Started on the Pole, finished P7. (Keating raced in two different cars for Rolex 24, LMP2, and Aston Martin)
*
12 Hours of Sebring – Started 2nd, finished WINNER P1
*
Sahlen's 6 Hours at Watkins Glen – Started at the back, finished P2
Watkins Glen 240– Started on the Pole, finished WINNER P1
* Road America – Started on the Pole, finished P3
*
Laguna Seca Laguna Seca may refer to:
* Laguna Seca Formation, a geologic formation in California
* Laguna Seca (Mexico), see Convention of London
* Laguna Seca (Santa Clara County), a seasonal lake in California
* Laguna Seca, Texas, United States
* Rancho ...
- Started P7, finished WINNER P1
*
Petit Le Mans
The Petit Le Mans (French for ''little Le Mans'') is a sports car endurance race held annually at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, USA. It uses the rules established for the 24 Hours of Le Mans by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which ...
- Started on the Pole, finished P2. (P1 at checkered flag, P2 after applying penalties post-race)
Ben and his team won the
IMSA Championship and the
Michelin North American Endurance Cup for LMP2.
WEC
Ben is competing in the
World Endurance Championship (WEC) in an
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is an English manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with ...
with
TF Sport
TF Sport is a GT racing team that competes in blue-riband motorsport events throughout Europe including the FIA WEC Super Season and the 24 hours of Le Mans, headed by Tom Ferrier and supported by Aston Martin Racing.
Overview
Founded in 201 ...
. The Aston Martin is running in the GT-Am class of the WEC. It is a GTE spec car. In the WEC, Ben's team is sponsored b
4HorsemenRacing.comand has a light blue livery. The team consists of Ben Keating, Dylan Pereira, and Felipe Fraga.
![Kristof Flag Shots (17 of 8)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Kristof_Flag_Shots_%2817_of_8%29.jpg)
The WEC results as of Nov 07, 2021:
*
Spa 6 Hour Race – Started on the Pole, finished P2
*
Portimao 8 Hour race – started P11, finished P8
*
Monza 6 Hour race – Started on the Pole, finished P14
*
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
– Started P6, finished P2
*
Bahrain 6 Hour – Started P6, finished WINNER P1
*
Bahrain 8 Hour – Started P5, retired
Ben and his team finished P2 in the WEC Championship for GT-Am.
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.
2019-2020
Keating decided to pull back on the IMSA series, choosing to join the FIA World Endurance Championship 2019–2020 season. He will also enter several IMSA races.
Keating initially wanted to run his Ford GT in the WEC, but his entry request was denied. Keating then spoke with many teams but 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.
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 SLS 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
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...
.
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
Dominik Farnbacher (born 26 September 1984 in Ansbach) 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.
Career
After beginning his career in kartin ...
, who helped drive the No. 93 to Daytona victory in 2015, and
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
co-drivers
Marc Miller and
Jeroen Bleekemolen
Jeroen Bleekemolen (born 23 October 1981 in Heemstede) is a Dutch professional racing driver. In the Chrysler Viper GTS-R he drove in the FIA GT Championship, with great success. He competed in the very competitive German Formula Three Champion ...
.
Keating will be joined in the No. 93 car by
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is a sports car racing series held in North America. Founded in 1966, it is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).
Primarily based in the United States, the series competes on a variety of track types includ ...
TA2 Champion Gar Robinson.
2016
Keating followed up on 2015's winning success with his most successful IMSA
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
The IMSA SportsCar Championship, currently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under sponsorship, is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IMS ...
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 focused solely on the No. 33 Viper with Bleekemolen for the rest of the year after Daytona but encountered some tough going one race later in the 12 Hours of Sebring for the third year in a row. Bleekemolen led in the race's opening hour when the No. 33 suffered a rear stub axle failure. The entry returned after some lengthy repairs and soldiered home to a 12th-place finish with Marc Miller co-driving with Keating and Bleekemolen.
After great strategy and fast pit stops produced a sixth-place finish in Round 3 at
Laguna Seca Laguna Seca may refer to:
* Laguna Seca Formation, a geologic formation in California
* Laguna Seca (Mexico), see Convention of London
* Laguna Seca (Santa Clara County), a seasonal lake in California
* Laguna Seca, Texas, United States
* Rancho ...
, Keating scored his first win of the year in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
. 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.
Keating, Bleekemolen, and the No. 33 team stayed competitive in the summer stretch of races that followed Detroit, frequently relying on great strategy and fast pit stops when the Viper didn't have the pace of other GTD cars within IMSA regulations. The run included fourth at Watkins Glen, 11th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, after a late contact incident while leading, and a third-place finish at Lime Rock Park. 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.
A sixth-place finish at
Virginia International Raceway
Virginia International Raceway (commonly known as "VIR") is a race track located in Alton, Virginia, near Danville. It is less than a half-mile from the North Carolina/Virginia border just outside Milton, North Carolina, on the banks of the Dan ...
kept Keating in the championship hunt. Despite a disappointing 13th-place result in his home race at Circuit of The Americas, Keating and the No. 33 team arrived at Road Atlanta second in points for the season-ending
Petit Le Mans
The Petit Le Mans (French for ''little Le Mans'') is a sports car endurance race held annually at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, USA. It uses the rules established for the 24 Hours of Le Mans by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which ...
. 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 with 303 points, second only to the Ferrari's 330 points.
Now set to race a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in 2017, Keating brought a successful three-year run in the Viper GT3-R to a winning close at the Petit Le Mans 2016 finale. In total, Keating drove a Viper GT3-R to eight IMSA GTD race wins from 2014 to 2016.
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.
The Sports Car Classic on Belle Isle: First Place GT Daytona (GTD) class victory.
Le Mans: Finished the 24 hours of Le Mans P35 overall and P15 in class after electronic issues in the Murphy Prototype.
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
Dominik Farnbacher (born 26 September 1984 in Ansbach) 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.
Career
After beginning his career in kartin ...
(2011–2013) and
Kuno Wittmer (2013), along with American
Al Carter
Albert Houston Carter Jr. (born May 20, 1952) is a former reporter and sports columnist for the ''Houston Chronicle'', ''The Dallas Morning News'' and other major daily newspapers in Texas and Oklahoma. His writing career spanned three decades. H ...
. The No. 33 Viper would come in 9th in the event. 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
Marc Goossens, nicknamed The Goose (born 30 November 1969), is a Belgian professional racing driver that currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, driving the No. 14 Chevrolet Camaro for SpeedHouse in the EuroNASCAR PRO class.
Ra ...
) to a Top Five finish. The No. 33 Viper (with
Jeroen Jeroen () is a Dutch male given name originating from the Greek Hieronymus, and is equivalent to the English name Jerome. In the Netherlands, there are around 52,000 people who are named Jeroen, while in Belgium there are around 11,000 people of tha ...
and
Sebastiaan Bleekemolen
Sebastiaan Bleekemolen (born 9 August 1978 in Haarlem) 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 Elite 1 class. His brother ...
) would again come in 9th after a radiator issue late in the race knocked the car out of the lead.
After Sebring, a string of technical and track issues befell Keating and the No. 33 car. Early in Keating's opening shift of the 2015
Monterey Grand Prix
The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey is an IndyCar Series race held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, California. The event dates back to 1960, and became an American open wheel race in 1983. The race was part of the CART/Champ ...
, a storm drain grate that was jutting out of the track did massive damage to the right side of the Viper, forcing significant repairs and knocking the No. 33 out of contention.
The No. 33 car was then forced to pit for significant repairs early at
Belle Isle after damage to the oil tank.
Keating and Bleekemolen would experience another early issue at the 2015
Six Hours of The Glen
The Six Hours of Watkins Glen (currently sponsored as the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen) is a sports car endurance race held annually at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. The race dates from 1948, and has been a part of the ...
, but were able to recover and finish the race in the 6th place overall.
Running a full race without any stops for repairs, Keating and Bleekemolen rebounded with a second-place finish at the 2015
Northeast Grand Prix
The Northeast Grand Prix (until 2006: New England Grand Prix) is a professional sports car race held at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, United States as part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Previous editions of the Gran ...
, finishing just three and a half seconds behind the leader.
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. 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
Vir (; it, Puntadura, Dalmatian: ''Punta de Ura'') is an island on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea with an area of 22 km2.
It lies in Dalmatia, north of the city of Zadar. It is connected to the mainland via a road bridge. The mai ...
. These restrictions limited the No. 33 Viper to a 7th-place finish, preventing Keating from taking a third consecutive podium. 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
Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a Grade 1 FIA-specification motor racing track and facilities located within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Austin, Texas, in the United States. The facility is home to the Formula One United States Grand ...
. Keating was hit with a penalty early, but strong driving from him and Jeroen allowed them to overcome that setback and take the victory. For the season's final race, the
2015 Petit Le Mans at
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta (known for sponsorship reasons as Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta) is a road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, United States. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur spo ...
, Sebastiaan Bleekemolen joined Keating and brother Jeroen in the No. 33 Viper. Unfortunately, Keating's early spin-out on the rain-soaked track resulted in a lap deficit the team could not overcome, and the No. 33 car finished 12th in class.
However, Keating's late season push of three podiums and two wins in the last five events were enough to help overcome the No. 33 team's early troubles, and Keating and Bleekemolen finished in 6th place in the points standings for the GTD Class.
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
The IMSA SportsCar Championship, currently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under sponsorship, is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IMS ...
season. Keating joined with Dutch siblings
Jeroen Jeroen () is a Dutch male given name originating from the Greek Hieronymus, and is equivalent to the English name Jerome. In the Netherlands, there are around 52,000 people who are named Jeroen, while in Belgium there are around 11,000 people of tha ...
and
Sebastiaan Bleekemolen
Sebastiaan Bleekemolen (born 9 August 1978 in Haarlem) 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 Elite 1 class. His brother ...
in the No. 33 Dodge Viper GT3-R for
Riley Motorsports. Joined by French driver
Emmanuel Collard
Emmanuel Collard (born 3 April 1971) is a French professional racing driver. He is a former member of the Porsche Junioren factory team, but also drives for other marques.
Born in Arpajon, Essonne, Collard is the winner of the Le Mans Serie ...
, Keating and the Bleekemolen brothers competed in the opening event, the
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...
, completing 615 laps over the day-long event, finishing 19th (40th overall). During the subsequent event, the
Twelve Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. The event is the second ro ...
, Keating was driving the No. 33 Viper on the 13th lap when the Viper's driveshaft disconnect from the rear axle, severing a fuel line and starting a fire. After noticing the fire, Keating was able to stop and exit the vehicle without injury, although the team was forced to retire from the race.
The No. 33 car was up and running again under 2 months later for the event at
Laguna Seca Laguna Seca may refer to:
* Laguna Seca Formation, a geologic formation in California
* Laguna Seca (Mexico), see Convention of London
* Laguna Seca (Santa Clara County), a seasonal lake in California
* Laguna Seca, Texas, United States
* Rancho ...
, as Keating and
Jeroen Bleekemolen
Jeroen Bleekemolen (born 23 October 1981 in Heemstede) is a Dutch professional racing driver. In the Chrysler Viper GTS-R he drove in the FIA GT Championship, with great success. He competed in the very competitive German Formula Three Champion ...
completed the 2 hour race. Keating and Jeroen recorded their first win of the series three races later at the
SportsCar Grand Prix. They would go on to record Top Five finishes in the next two races, placing third in the Brickyard Grand Prix (
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...
) and fourth in the
Road America
Road America is a motorsport road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, United States on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Champ ...
500. Keating would record his second win of the season with a win at his home-state event at the
Circuit of the Americas
Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a Grade 1 FIA-specification motor racing track and facilities located within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Austin, Texas, in the United States. The facility is home to the Formula One United States Grand ...
. The two wins, combined with his two top 5 finishes, propelled Keating into 14th place in the final driver points standings, despite his misfortune at Sebring.
Viper Racing League and NARRA
Keating began racing in 2006 after receiving a weekend track driving course as a
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
present from his wife. In 2006, he began racing a
2000 Dodge Viper GTS in the Viper Racing League (VRL), a league that began as track days for
Viper
The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...
enthusiasts. Keating received a
DNF in his first race, an event at
Sebring International Raceway
Sebring International Raceway is a road course auto racing facility in the southeastern United States, located near Sebring, Florida.
Sebring Raceway is one of the oldest continuously operating race tracks in the U.S., its first race being run i ...
. 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. After the 2008 season, the VRL reorganized into the North American Road Racing Association.
In 2009, Keating participated in the NARRA US GT Championship, a 13-round series at 7 venues across the Continental United States. 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 NARRA-sponsored event, the 5-city, 10-race Dodge Viper Cup. Driving the specially designed
Viper ACR-X, Keating finished 2nd in the inaugural Viper Cup with race wins at
Virginia International Raceway
Virginia International Raceway (commonly known as "VIR") is a race track located in Alton, Virginia, near Danville. It is less than a half-mile from the North Carolina/Virginia border just outside Milton, North Carolina, on the banks of the Dan ...
and
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway (formerly Pocono International Raceway), also known as ''The Tricky Triangle'', is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. It is the site of three NASCAR national series races and an ARCA M ...
. 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
New Jersey Motorsports Park is a Road racing, road course "Motorsports Entertainment Complex" located in Millville, New Jersey, Millville, Cumberland County, New Jersey, Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. It has hosted races since openi ...
,
Virginia International Raceway
Virginia International Raceway (commonly known as "VIR") is a race track located in Alton, Virginia, near Danville. It is less than a half-mile from the North Carolina/Virginia border just outside Milton, North Carolina, on the banks of the Dan ...
,
Texas World Speedway
Texas World Speedway (TWS) was a motorsport venue located in College Station, Texas.The track was one of only eight superspeedways of or greater in the United States used for racing, the others being Indianapolis, Daytona, Pocono, Talladega ...
and
Daytona Daytona refers to the city of Daytona Beach, Florida, or things named after it.
Daytona may also refer to:
Locations
* Daytona Beach Shores, Florida
* South Daytona, Florida
* The Daytona Beach metropolitan area
* Halifax area, also known as Da ...
). 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. In 2012 Keating would dominate the series and repeat as national champion, recording 6 wins (
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta (known for sponsorship reasons as Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta) is a road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, United States. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur spo ...
(both races),
Road America
Road America is a motorsport road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, United States on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Champ ...
(both races),
Monticello Motor Club
The Monticello Motor Club is a private country club for automotive enthusiasts with a long motor racing circuit situated in Monticello, New York. It opened on July 27, 2008, and was built on the site of the former Monticello Airport. In May 20 ...
, and
Watkins Glen) as well as three other top 5 finishes.
Rolex Sports Car Series
Keating made his
Rolex Sports Car Series
The Rolex Sports Car Series was the premier series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It was a North American-based sports car series founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed ...
debut at the
Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layout ...
in 2011, racing in the Viper Exchange.com No. 66
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a high-performance homologation model of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is a line of high-performance models, which began with the 1973 911 Carrera RS.
The GT3 has had a successful racing career in the one-make national ...
. Racing for
The Racer's Group
The Racer's Group, or TRG, is a WeatherTech SportsCar Championship racing team located in Petaluma, California, owned by Kevin Buckler and his wife Debra. TRG has competed professionally in road racing since 1995. The team formerly competed in N ...
(TRG), Keating and co-drivers
Dominik Farnbacher
Dominik Farnbacher (born 26 September 1984 in Ansbach) 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.
Career
After beginning his career in kartin ...
,
Tim George Jr.
Tim George Jr. (born December 21, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver.
Personal life and early career
George was born on Manhattan's Upper East Side in 1980 as the son of investment banker Timothy M. George. George Sr. is t ...
and
Lucas Luhr
Lucas Luhr (born 22 July 1979) is a German BMW factory racing driver, currently competing for BMW and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the GTLM category of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship.
Early career
Born in Mülheim-Kärlich, Luhr ...
placed 13th in their class (27th Overall), completing 612 laps with a total time of 21:40:37.038.
The following year, Keating participated in a full season of the
North American Endurance Championship, a subset of the
Rolex Sports Car Series
The Rolex Sports Car Series was the premier series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It was a North American-based sports car series founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed ...
consisting of three races: the
Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layout ...
, the
Six Hours of The Glen
The Six Hours of Watkins Glen (currently sponsored as the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen) is a sports car endurance race held annually at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. The race dates from 1948, and has been a part of the ...
, and the Brickyard Grand Prix at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...
. 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.
Keating would participate in the
Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layout ...
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.
American Le Mans Series
In 2013, Keating made the jump into the
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The American Le Mans' hea ...
, competing in the series'
final season. Keating, with co-drivers
Damien Faulkner
Damien Faulkner (born 15 February 1977) is an Irish race car driver from Moville County Donegal. Beginning his professional career in Formula Vauxhall Junior in 1995, he competed in the Formula Ford Festival in 1996 and finished 11th. He f ...
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. 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
Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a Grade 1 FIA-specification motor racing track and facilities located within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Austin, Texas, in the United States. The facility is home to the Formula One United States Grand ...
in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
. 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. Keating and Faulkner followed their first victory up with another winning effort at
Virginia International Raceway
Virginia International Raceway (commonly known as "VIR") is a race track located in Alton, Virginia, near Danville. It is less than a half-mile from the North Carolina/Virginia border just outside Milton, North Carolina, on the banks of the Dan ...
. 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).
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
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
The IMSA SportsCar Championship, currently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under sponsorship, is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IMS ...
season. Keating joined with Dutch siblings
Jeroen Jeroen () is a Dutch male given name originating from the Greek Hieronymus, and is equivalent to the English name Jerome. In the Netherlands, there are around 52,000 people who are named Jeroen, while in Belgium there are around 11,000 people of tha ...
and
Sebastiaan Bleekemolen
Sebastiaan Bleekemolen (born 9 August 1978 in Haarlem) 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 Elite 1 class. His brother ...
in the No. 33 Dodge Viper GT3-R for
Riley Motorsports. Joined by French driver
Emmanuel Collard
Emmanuel Collard (born 3 April 1971) is a French professional racing driver. He is a former member of the Porsche Junioren factory team, but also drives for other marques.
Born in Arpajon, Essonne, Collard is the winner of the Le Mans Serie ...
, Keating and the Bleekemolen brothers competed in the opening event, the
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...
, completing 615 laps over the day-long event, finishing 19th (40th overall). During the subsequent event, the
Twelve Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. The event is the second ro ...
, Keating was driving the No. 33 Viper on the 13th lap when the Viper's driveshaft disconnect from the rear axle, severing a fuel line and starting a fire. After noticing the fire, Keating was able to stop and exit the vehicle without injury, although the team was forced to retire from the race.
The No. 33 car was up and running again under 2 months later for the event at
Laguna Seca Laguna Seca may refer to:
* Laguna Seca Formation, a geologic formation in California
* Laguna Seca (Mexico), see Convention of London
* Laguna Seca (Santa Clara County), a seasonal lake in California
* Laguna Seca, Texas, United States
* Rancho ...
, as Keating and
Jeroen Bleekemolen
Jeroen Bleekemolen (born 23 October 1981 in Heemstede) is a Dutch professional racing driver. In the Chrysler Viper GTS-R he drove in the FIA GT Championship, with great success. He competed in the very competitive German Formula Three Champion ...
completed the 2 hour race. Keating and Jeroen recorded their first win of the series three races later at the
SportsCar Grand Prix. They would go on to record Top Five finishes in the next two races, placing third in the Brickyard Grand Prix (
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...
) and fourth in the
Road America
Road America is a motorsport road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, United States on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Champ ...
500. Keating would record his second win of the season with a win at his home-state event at the
Circuit of the Americas
Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a Grade 1 FIA-specification motor racing track and facilities located within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Austin, Texas, in the United States. The facility is home to the Formula One United States Grand ...
. The two wins, combined with his two top 5 finishes, propelled Keating into 14th place in the final driver points standings, despite his misfortune at Sebring.
Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
On April 16, 2015, the
Automobile Club de l'Ouest
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (English: Automobile Club of the West), sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organ ...
announced that the Viper Exchange.com/Riley Motorsports entry into the 2015
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
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
The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by Street & Racing Technology, SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer Chrysler, FCA US LLC from 1992 until 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from ...
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
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...
and the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
events in the same year. This will be the first
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
for both Keating and Miller, while Jeroen will be earning his 10th consecutive start in the event. 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.
Keating continued to race at Le Mans in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
24 Hours of Le Mans results
Partnership with VLF Automotive
Origins
VLF Automotive is a joint venture between designer
Henrik Fisker
Henrik Fisker (born 10 August 1963) is a Danish automotive designer and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for designing luxury cars including the BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Fisker Karma, G ...
, 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
Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
electric car.
However, VL did away with the Karma's fully electric
powertrain
A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components o ...
and replaced it with the
6.2L V8 GM engine used in the
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.
Eventually
Fisker joined the team, which then became VLF automotive.
VLF then began work on a new automobile built around the
8.4L V10 of the
Dodge Viper
The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer FCA US LLC from 1992 until 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from 2010 to 2012. Production of the two ...
, 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
The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer FCA US LLC from 1992 until 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from 2010 to 2012. Production of the two ...
.
In particular, Keating helped design the
active suspension An active suspension is a type of automotive suspension on a vehicle. It uses an onboard system to control the vertical movement of the vehicle's wheels relative to the chassis or vehicle body rather than the passive suspension provided by large sp ...
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.
As part of the partnership, the first run of the
Force 1 V10, totaling 50 cars, will be sold entirely through Keating's
Viper Exchange dealership.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keating, Ben
1971 births
24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
American racing drivers
Living people
24 Hours of Daytona drivers
24H Series drivers
American Le Mans Series drivers
Rolex Sports Car Series drivers
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers
FIA World Endurance Championship drivers
European Le Mans Series drivers
Murphy Prototypes drivers
JDC Motorsports drivers
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport drivers
Starworks Motorsport drivers
Racing drivers from Houston
Racing drivers from Texas