Zakary Challen Brown (born November 7, 1971) is an American businessman and former professional racing driver, currently residing in England. He is chief executive officer of
McLaren Racing
McLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor, the second oldest active team, and the second most successful Formul ...
with overall responsibility for the business, including strategic direction, operational performance, marketing and commercial development.
Born and raised in California, Zak Brown raced professionally around the world for 10 years before developing his skills in motorsport's business and commercial worlds. In 1995, he founded
Just Marketing International (JMI), which grew to become the largest motorsport marketing agency in the world. In 2013 JMI was acquired by CSM, a division of
Chime Communications Limited, and Brown became the company's Chief Executive Officer. He relinquished that post in the winter of 2016 to focus on his responsibilities with McLaren.
Brown has been recognised by a range of industry bodies and publications, including the ''Paddock Magazine'' F1 Power List and his induction into the ''Sports Business Journal'' "Forty Under 40" Hall of Fame, where he has been listed three times. He was named Promo Marketer of the Year by ''PROMO Magazine'', and JMI has appeared five times in ''Inc. Magazine'' "Inc 500" annual list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the United States.
Brown co-founded and co-owns
United Autosports
United Autosports is a sports car racing team, founded by American businessman and entrepreneur Zak Brown and former British racing driver Richard Dean.
In 2020, United Autosports became the first ever team to win the prestigious 24 Hours of ...
, a professional team competing in international sportscar racing and various historic racing events around the world. Through United, he co-owns
Supercars Championship
The Supercars Championship is a touring car racing category in Australia, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport.
Supercars events take place in all Australian ...
team
Walkinshaw Andretti United
Walkinshaw Andretti United is an Australian motor racing team based in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton. The team currently fields two Holden ZB Commodores in the Supercars Championship for Nick Percat and Chaz Mostert, along with a Porsche ...
alongside
Michael Andretti
Michael Mario Andretti (born October 5, 1962) is an American semi-retired auto racing driver and current team owner. Statistically one of the most successful drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing, Andretti won the 1991 CART P ...
and Ryan Walkinshaw, as well as
Extreme E
Extreme E is an FIA-sanctioned international off-road racing series that uses spec silhouette electric SUVs to race in remote parts of the world, such as the Saudi Arabian desert or the Arctic. All racing locations are chosen to raise awareness ...
's Andretti United XE and McLaren XE. He was the non-executive chairman of
Motorsport Network
Motorsport Network is an American media and technology company headquartered in Miami, FL and London, UK. The company's proprietary brands, websites and OTT operations focus on motor racing and consumer automotive content serving and presenting ...
, the global market-leading motorsport and automotive digital platform, between 2016 and 2019.
Brown is an avid collector of historical documents and sporting memorabilia, as well as both road and racing cars. He is married with two sons, McGuire and Maxwell, and lives in Surrey in the United Kingdom.
Racing career
Brown began his racing career in karting in 1986, winning 22 races in 5 seasons from 1986 to 1990. He moved to Europe where his first win was in
Formula Ford 1600
Formula Ford 1600 is a number of championships which cater to 1600cc, Ford Kent powered Formula Ford racing cars. These are cars that were disbanded when the UK national Formula Ford category adopted the 1800cc Zetec engine in 1993. However, it h ...
at England's
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit located near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. The circuit business is now owned by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation, and the surrounding Donington Park Estate, still owned b ...
. In the 1992 Formula Opel-Lotus Benelux Series Brown secured top-ten finishes in each of the season's races. The following year Brown finished 4th in the series.
Brown has competed on both sides of the Atlantic, contesting North America's
Toyota Atlantic Series in addition to the Formula Opel-Lotus Benelux Series and
1994 British Formula Three Championship. Brown made his
Indy Lights
Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as Firestone Indy NXT Series for sponsorship reasons. Indy Lights is the highest step on the Road to Indy, a program ...
debut 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 La ...
in 1995 and competed in a
German Formula Three Championship
The German Formula Three Championship was the national Formula Three championship of Germany, and the former West Germany, from 1950 to 2002, then as Formel 3 until 2014. In 2003, the series had merged with the French Formula Three Championship to ...
race in 1996.
In 1997 Brown finished second in the GT2 category in the 24 Hours at Daytona with
Roock Racing in a factory-supported
Porsche 911 GT2
The Porsche 911 GT2 is a high-performance, track-focused sports car built by the German automobile manufacturer Porsche from 1993 to 2009, and then since 2010 as the GT2 RS. It is based on the 911 Turbo, and uses a similar twin-turbocharged engin ...
. He also finished second in the 1997
12 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 round ...
.
2000 and beyond
Brown took a sabbatical from professional racing between 2001–2005 to concentrate on JMI. In 2006 he returned to the track with an entry in the
Britcar 24 Hours
Britcar is an endurance sports car racing and touring car racing series in the United Kingdom.
It was formed in 1997, as a result of a discussion in a Nürburgring bar between Willie Moore and James Tucker. Folklore has it that James Tucker and J ...
race, winning his class as a member of the driver line-up for Moore International Motorsport. In 2007 he contested the
Ferrari Challenge
The Ferrari Challenge is a single-marque motorsport championship that was created in 1993 for owners of the 348 Berlinetta who wanted to become involved in racing. The series was proposed by Ferrari Club Nederland founder and President Hans ...
Series as part of a six-car stable fielded by
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
of Washington. At his debut in Fontana he started in pole position and led every lap of the race to take victory. The following year Brown returned to full-time competition, with his Ferrari Challenge Series campaign highlighted by a win at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
In 2009 Brown and Richard Dean co-founded
United Autosports
United Autosports is a sports car racing team, founded by American businessman and entrepreneur Zak Brown and former British racing driver Richard Dean.
In 2020, United Autosports became the first ever team to win the prestigious 24 Hours of ...
. In 2010 the team scored a third-place finish in the GT3 category at the
Total 24 Hours of Spa
The 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event for cars held annually since 1924 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium. It is currently sponsored by TotalEnergies.
History
The Spa 24 Hours was conceived by Jules de Their a ...
and recorded its maiden class victory in the
2011 British GT Championship at Snetterton. In 2012, the team raced in both the
Blancpain Endurance Series
The GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, formerly for sponsorship reasons the Blancpain Endurance Series from 2011 to 2015 and Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup from 2016 to 2019, is a sports car racing series developed by SRO Motorsports Gr ...
with a
McLaren MP4-12C
The McLaren MP4-12C, later known simply as the McLaren 12C, is a sports car that was designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. It was the first ever production car wholly designed and built by McLaren, and their first production road ...
and the
British GT Championship
The British GT Championship is a sports car racing series based predominantly in the United Kingdom. The series was originally created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and, for its first two seasons, was known as the National Sports GT ...
with an
Audi R8 LMS
The Audi R8 is a mid-engine, 2-seater sports car, which uses Audi's trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German car manufacturer Audi AG in 2006.
The car is exclusively designed, developed, and manufactu ...
. The team also competed in the Dubai 12 Hour race, the Bathurst 12 Hour, Macau GT Cup and the
Spa 24 Hours
The 24 Hours of Spa is an Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing event for cars held annually since 1924 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium. It is currently sponsored by TotalEnergies.
History
The Spa 24 Hours was ...
. Brown himself won the last round of the British GT Championship at Donington Park with
Álvaro Parente
Álvaro Parente (born 4 October 1984) is a Portuguese professional racing driver.
Career
Early career
After winning the Karting European Junior Championship in 1998, Porto-born Parente made his debut in auto racing in 2001 at the age of 16, ...
as a wild card entry for the team in a
McLaren MP4-12C
The McLaren MP4-12C, later known simply as the McLaren 12C, is a sports car that was designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. It was the first ever production car wholly designed and built by McLaren, and their first production road ...
GT3.
In 2013 Brown competed in a full season of the
British GT Championship
The British GT Championship is a sports car racing series based predominantly in the United Kingdom. The series was originally created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and, for its first two seasons, was known as the National Sports GT ...
with
United Autosports
United Autosports is a sports car racing team, founded by American businessman and entrepreneur Zak Brown and former British racing driver Richard Dean.
In 2020, United Autosports became the first ever team to win the prestigious 24 Hours of ...
in a
McLaren MP4-12C
The McLaren MP4-12C, later known simply as the McLaren 12C, is a sports car that was designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. It was the first ever production car wholly designed and built by McLaren, and their first production road ...
GT3. Brown still races regularly in Historic events, such as the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique.
United Autosports
United Autosports
United Autosports is a sports car racing team, founded by American businessman and entrepreneur Zak Brown and former British racing driver Richard Dean.
In 2020, United Autosports became the first ever team to win the prestigious 24 Hours of ...
, one of the largest motorsport teams in the UK and competing globally in different sports prototype and GT categories across the world, is co-owned by McLaren CEO Zak Brown and racing driver Richard Dean. Founded in 2009, the team has raced in a number of championships using a variety of different cars across several classes and categories, with drivers including
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver currently competing for Alpine in Formula One. He won the series' World Drivers' Championship in and with Renault, and has also driven for McLaren, Ferrari, and Mi ...
,
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born September 20, 1975) is a Colombian racing driver.
He won the International F3000 championship in 1998, the CART FedEx Championship Series in 1999 in his debut year in the series, and the IMSA WeatherTech S ...
,
Lando Norris
Lando Norris (born 13 November 1999) is a Belgian-British racing driver currently competing in Formula One with McLaren, racing under the British flag. He won the MSA Formula championship in 2015, and the Toyota Racing Series, Eurocup Formul ...
and
Paul di Resta
Paul di Resta (born 16 April 1986) is a British racing driver from Scotland, competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Peugeot Sport in their LMH entry. He drove in Formula One for Force India from to , and became a reserve driver ...
. The team currently competes in the
FIA World Endurance Championship
The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series supersedes the ACO's former Intercont ...
,
European Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
,
Michelin Le Mans Cup
The Le Mans Cup, previously the GT3 Le Mans Cup and currently known as the Michelin Le Mans Cup under sponsorship, is an international sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club ...
and
GT4 European Series
The GT4 European Series is a sports car championship created and organised by SRO Motorsports Group. It is a pro/am championship which followed a formula similar to the FIA GT3 European Championship, which was itself derived from the FIA GT Cham ...
. It has also recorded podium success in other events around the world, such as the
Macau GT Cup
The Macau Grand Prix ( pt, Grande Prémio de Macau; ) is a motorsport road race for automobiles and motorcycles held annually in Macau. It is the only street circuit racing event in which both cars and motorcycles participate, and one of on ...
, the
Spa 24 Hours
The 24 Hours of Spa is an Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing event for cars held annually since 1924 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium. It is currently sponsored by TotalEnergies.
History
The Spa 24 Hours was ...
, the Abu Dhabi 12 Hours and the
Bathurst 12 Hour
The Bathurst 12 Hour, currently known as the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour for sponsorship reasons, is an annual endurance race for GT and production cars held at the Mount Panorama Circuit, in Bathurst, Australia. The race was first held in ...
race in Australia.
United Autosports also operates a Historic Division, restoring, preparing and managing a range of historic sportscars and F1 race cars, some from Brown's own collection, as well as for customers. These compete globally at such events as the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the Silverstone Classic, Monaco Historics, Le Mans Classic, Spa Classic, Nürburgring Old Timers, and Goodwood Festival of Speed.
In 2021, United Autosports entered the inaugural
Extreme E
Extreme E is an FIA-sanctioned international off-road racing series that uses spec silhouette electric SUVs to race in remote parts of the world, such as the Saudi Arabian desert or the Arctic. All racing locations are chosen to raise awareness ...
series, pairing with
Andretti Autosport
Andretti Autosport is an auto racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000, and Formula E. The team also has a 37.5% ownership stake in the Australian Supercars Championship touring car team, Walkinshaw Andretti ...
to enter the Andretti United XE team. When McLaren formed its own Extreme E program in 2022, Brown stressed he was a "silent partner" in Andretti United XE and that he would exclusively focus on McLaren.
McLaren Technology Group & McLaren Racing
On November 21, 2016, Brown was announced as executive director of McLaren Technology Group. On April 10, 2018, Brown became the chief executive officer of McLaren Racing as part of an operational restructure of the McLaren Group. As CEO, Brown has overall responsibility for the business, including strategic direction, operational performance, marketing and commercial development.
Personal life
Car collection
Brown's car collection is primarily housed in the workshop of United Autosports, the sports car team Brown jointly owns with Richard Dean.
The collection includes:
*
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva (; 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver who won the Formula One List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions, World Drivers' Championship in , , and . Senna is one of three Formula One drivers fro ...
's 1991 Monaco Grand Prix-winning McLaren MP4/6
* Dale Earnhardt Sr's 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR stock car
*
Porsche 959
The Porsche 959 is a sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Porsche from 1986 to 1993, first as a Group B rally car and later as a road legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring at least 2 ...
modified by Canepa
*
Porsche 962
The Porsche 962 (also known as the 962C in its Group C form) is a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the Europ ...
, chassis 120
*
Jaguar
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
XJR-10
*
McLaren Speedtail
The McLaren Speedtail is a limited-production hybrid sports car manufactured by McLaren Automotive, revealed on October 26, 2018. This car is the fourth edition in the ''McLaren Ultimate Series'', after the Senna, the P1, and the F1. The car ...
Pre-Production 1 (PP1), painted in Sienna Black
*
Ferrari F50
The Ferrari F50 (Type F130) is a mid-engine sports car manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari from 1995 until 1997. Introduced in 1995, the car is a two-door, two seat targa top. The car is powered by a 4.7 L naturally asp ...
, painted in Giallo Modena
* McLaren M8D
*
Mika Hakkinen's
2001 British Grand Prix winning MP4/16
*
Nigel Mansell
Nigel Ernest James Mansell, (; born 8 August 1953) is a British retired racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship (1992) and the CART Indy Car World Series ( 1993). Mansell was the reigning F1 champion when he moved over ...
's 1993 IndyCar title winning Lola T93/00
References
External links
McLaren Racing page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Zak
1971 births
Rolex Sports Car Series drivers
Living people
Racing drivers from Los Angeles
24 Hours of Daytona drivers
American Le Mans Series drivers
FIA GT Championship drivers
German Formula Three Championship drivers
Indy Lights drivers
British Formula Three Championship drivers
Atlantic Championship drivers
EFDA Nations Cup drivers
Formula Ford drivers
British GT Championship drivers
Blancpain Endurance Series drivers
Barber Pro Series drivers
McLaren people
24 Hours of Spa drivers
United Autosports drivers
Meyer Shank Racing drivers