Richard Westbrook announced yesterday his retirement from racing, effective after today’s Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
“Tomorrow’s Petit Le Mans will be my last race,” Westbrook wrote in a post on his social media accounts. “I’ve raced in four decades which has been an incredible career and crazy when I think about it.
“I’ve worked with the best organisations in the world and I’m so grateful to all the wonderful people I have had the privilege to be in a team with.
“I’ve had the best teammates to share a car with which has given me so many fantastic memories that I will keep for life. I’ll miss you all, but first, one last push tomorrow.”
After an up-and-down single-seater career that was cut short due to budget, a loan from a generous friend allowed Westbrook to restart his career. He rose to prominence in Porsche Carrera Cup racing, winning the 2004 Carrera Cup Great Britain title, before progressing to Porsche Supercup – where he won back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007.
In 2009, Westbrook won the FIA GT GT2 Championship driving Prospeed Competition’s Porsche 911 GT3 R, and in 2010 he made his first start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Westbrook’s biggest career victories came across separate stints as a factory driver for Corvette Racing and Ford Chip Ganassi Racing. With Corvette, Westbrook won the GT class at the 2013 12 Hours of Sebring, and with Ford, he won in GTLM at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The 49-year-old made 13 starts at Le Mans with two third-place overall finishes and five class podiums, the most recent of which came in 2022 with Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus and again in 2023 in his final year as a Cadillac Racing works driver.
He also finished third overall three times in 16 career Daytona 24H starts (most recently in 2022 with JDC-Miller MotorSports), and was a three-time IMSA Championship runner-up (2015, 2016, 2018).
Westbrook retires with 16 career wins in IMSA competition (including American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am) across 17 seasons, seven victories in the FIA GT/GT1 World Championship, and four FIA World Endurance Championship podiums.
He will start his final race from sixth on the grid, driving the #85 JDC-Miller Porsche 963 with Tijmen van der Helm and Phil Hanson.
DSC would like to wish Richard the very best in his future endeavours.
Feature image © Juergen Tap / Porsche
