Blancpain Drivers

Matt Bell (GB)

DOB: 11/05/89
Born: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne & Wear, England
Lives: Barningham nr Richmond, North Yorkshire, England
Weight: 75kg
Height: 1.85m
Status: Single
Hobbies: Rugby, Karting
Favorite Street Car: Audi R8
Favorite Driver: Valentino Rossi
Biggest Influence: Rob Bell
Co-Drivers: Alvaro Parente, David Brabham

2011 - FIA GT3 European Championship, British GT Championship & Spa 24 Hours - all Audi R8 LMS for United Autosports
2010 - 7th= Audi Manufacturer’s Cup; 24th= FIA GT3 European Championship (United Autosports) Audi R8 LMS (two top-10 finishes inc one podium); 12th= British G4 Championship (Ginetta G50) one race, one win; 13th 2010 Michelin Formula Renault Winter Cup (Altech GP)
2009 - Ginetta G20 Cup (two podiums, 8 races); Ginetta G20 European Championship (one podium, one race)
2007/8 - Played rugby football for Newcastle Falcons (academy) and Blaydon RFC. Back injury forced retirement from the sport
2006 - British Formula A Karting Championship (contested only half season due to education commitments); Qualified for ICA European Finals & World Cup
Prior - Competed in a mix of professional open-wheel series

Mark Blundell (GB)

DOB: 08/04/66
Born: Barnet, London, England
Lives: Royston, Hertfordshire, England
Weight: 80kg
Height: 1.78m
Status: Married to Deborah, two children (Mark Jr. & Callum)
Hobbies: Game Shooting, Arsenal F.C. soccer club supporter, collecting watches
Favorite Street Car: Range Rover, McLaren MP4- 12 and Bentley SuperSport GT, Suzuki pick-up
Favorite Driver: Ayrton Senna & Ronnie Peterson
Biggest Influence: Father & Grandfather in shaping my aspirations and supporting me during my career
Co-Drivers: Zak Brown, Mark Patterson

Winner and 2nd at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 3rd at the 12 Hours of Sebring (Bentley)
2010 - 3rd in GT3, 9th overall at Total 24 Hours of SPA with United Autosports
2011 - 4th at the Rolex 24 at Daytona with United Autosports with Michael Shank Racing in Ford-Riley
2001-08 ITV Television F1 Analyst
1996-2000 - 5 year career in CART World Series – 81 starts, 3 wins
1995 - 10th FIA Formula One Championship (McLaren-Mercedes) (nine top-10 inc 5th Spa); 4th Le Mans 24 Hours.
4 year career in Formula 1 – 61 starts, 32 points and 3 podiums
1994 - 12th FIA Formula One Championship (Tyrrell-Yamaha) (six top-10 inc 5th Spa)
1993 - 10th FIA Formula One Championship (Ligier-Renault) (eight top-10 inc two thirds)
1992 - McLaren F1 Test Driver; 1st Le Mans 24 Hours
1991 - 19th FIA Formula One Championship (Brabham-Yamaha) (two top-10 inc 6th Spa); Williams F1 Test Driver
Prior – Contested Motocross and several junior single-seater categories including Formula Ford 1600, taking several titles, 1st Esso FF1600 Championship; 1st Champion of Snetterton FF1600 Series; 1st BBC Grandstand Formula Ford 2000 Championship, 1st European FF2000 Championship

David Brabham (Aus)

DOB: 05/09/65
Born: Wimbledon, England
Lives: Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire, England
Weight: 70kg
Height: 176cm
Status: Married to Lisa. Children Jayson, Sam, and Finn.
Youngest son of Sir Jack Brabham, triple Formula One World Champion (1959, 1960 and 1966), the first driver to win an F1 title in a car of his own construction (’66) and to be knighted for services to British motorsport. Brothers Geoff and Gary are both successful drivers in their own right.
Hobbies: Tennis, golf, fitness, reading self-help/spiritual guidance books
Favorite Street Car: Audi R8
Biggest Influence: Geoff Brabham
Co-Drivers: Alvaro Parente, Matt Bell

2011 - Four podium finishes scored in début FIA GT1 World Championship season with Sumo Power GT.
2009/2010- Back-to-back American Le Mans Series Champion with Highcroft Racing.
2009 - outright victory in Le Mans 24 Hours with Team Peugeot Total in 2009.
2007/2008 - Triple Le Mans 24 Hours class winner, double GT1 titles with Aston Martin Racing.
Since 1999 - Achieved two championship titles, 24 race wins, 60 class podiums and 13 pole positions in 101 ALMS starts.
The only driver to take pole positions and wins across all ALMS categories of LMP1, LMP2, GT1 and GT2.
Since 1991, Brabham has recorded an unprecedented collection of multiple sportscar crowns; Japanese GTC GT500 Championship, USA Professional Sportscar Championship, Spa 24 Hours, Daytona 24 Hours, Sebring 12 Hours, Petit Le Mans, Bahrain GT Festival and Bathurst 1000.
Nearly 30 years of racing experience gained from karting through single-seaters to F1 and across the sportscar echelons.

Zak Brown (USA)

DOB: 07/11/71
Born: Los Angeles, California, USA
Lives: Indianapolis, USA
Weight: 90kg
Height: 1.77m
Status: Married to Tracy. Two children, McGuire and Maxwell
Hobbies: Collecting historical memorabilia, baseball cards and game-used baseball bats
Favorite Street Car: Ferrari 599
Favorite Driver: Ayrton Senna
Biggest Influence: Richard Dean
Co-Drivers: Mark Patterson, Mark Blundell

2011 - 4th Daytona 24 Hours (United Autosports with Michael Shank Racing) Riley-Ford. FIA GT3 European Championship & Spa 24 Hours both United Autosports Audi R8 LMS
2010 - In the first year of United Autosports Brown - with team mates Mark Blundell, Eddie Cheever and Richard Dean - scored a podium at the Total 24 Hours of SPA and Brown followed up with a podium in the GT3 European Challenge (Portugal).
2009 - Brown had eight podiums, 3 poles and fastest lap in the Ferrari Challenge.
2008 - Brown scored a dominating win at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Took lead on the first lap and won on the same circuit that hours later hosted the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Canada.
2007 - Zak Brown made his North American Ferrari Challenge début at Fontana, qualified on pole and led every lap to win.
Prior - Competed in a mix of professional open-wheel series

Alvaro Parente (POR)

DOB: 04/10/84
Born: Porto, Portugal
Lives: Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal
Weight: 69 Kgs
Height: 1.73 m
Status: Single
Hobbies: Surfing, gym, watching movies
Favorite Street Car: My Wrangler Jeep, McLaren MP4-12C
Favorite Driver: Ayrton Senna
Biggest Influence: Father and family
Co-Drivers: David Brabham, Matt Bell

2011 - Alvaro joined McLaren GT for development programme of the new MP4-12C GT3 in Blancpain Endurance Series.
2010 - GP2 Series, GP2 Asia: 8th, Le Mans Series
2009 - GP2 Series: 8th, 1 race win, GP2 Asia: 8th
2008 - GP2 Series: 8th, 1 race win
2007 - Champion of the World Series by Renault, 2 wins Monaco and Spa-Francorchamps, 2 pole positions, five podiums
2006 - Formula Renault 3.5 World Series by Renault, 3 victories, 7 podiums, rookie driver with the most victories.
2005 - F3 British Champion with Carlin Motorsport, 11 wins from 18 races.
2004 - Alvaro competed in the F3 British Championship with Carlin Motorsport.
2003 - contested F3 Euro Series Championship with Ghinzani team, participating also in the prestigious F3 Marlboro Masters
2002 – Spanish Formula 3, 4th overall
2001 – Spanish Formula 3 , 2nd best rookie, 12th overall
1994 – 1999 – Parente won 3 major karting titles including ICA Junior European.

Mark Patterson (USA)

DOB: 16/12/51
Born: Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Lives: Bronxville, NY, USA
Weight: 79kg
Height: 1.85m
Status: Married to Elena, two children (Luke & Morgan)
Hobbies: Motorsport, shooting, kayaking, golf, caricatures, playing the guitar
Favorite Street Car: Mini station wagon
Favorite Driver: Felipe Massa
Biggest Influence: Nelson Mandela
Co-Drivers: Zak Brown, Mark Blundell

2011 - 4th Daytona 24 Hours (United Autosports with Michael Shank Racing) Ford-Riley. FIA GT3 European Championship & Spa 24 Hours all United Autosports in Audi R8 LMS
2010 - 7th Daytona 24 Hours. (DP) Maiden season in the GT3 European Championship driving an Audi R8 LMS. Scored a magnificent 4th in class at the Total 24 Hours of SPA alongside team mates, Emil Assentato, Stefan Johansson and Alain Li.
2009 - 8th Rolex Grand American Road Racing Series (DP), one podium. Winner of Jim Trueman Award. 7th in Daytona 24 Hours. (GT3)
2008 - 7th Daytona 24 Hours (DP)
Prior - Competed in a mix of professional open-wheel series