Richard Dean (racing driver)

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Richard Antony Dean is a former British racing driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 class in 2006.[1]. In 2010, Richard Dean founded sports car racing team United Autosports with Zak Brown[2].

Racing career

Early career

Richard Dean started his competitive racing career in karts as a teenager[3]. In 1985 Richard progressed to car racing in Formula Ford 1600[3]. After multiple seasons in FF1600[4] with multiple race wins[5], and finishing sixth in the 1987 Formula Ford Festival[6], he moved up to contest the 1989 British F3 Championship[4]. 1990 saw a move to Formula 3000 for the next two seasons, scoring top 6 results in the International F3000 series[7] and winning the Oulton Park Gold Cup race in the 1990 British F3000 series with Cobra Motorsport[7].

Japan

In 1992, Richard Dean moved to Japan, prompted by the offer of a test by the Le Mans company in F3[8]. He stayed in Japan until 1995, racing in F3, F300, GT and Touring Cars[8]. Following the test, Richard Dean raced with Team Le Mans in the 1993 Formula 3 Japan and 1994 All-Japan GT Championship[4]. In 1994, he raced with Tomei Sport Opei in the Formula 3 Macau GP and Formula 3 Japan, placing 4th[4]. In the same year, he raced with Team 5Zigen in the 1994 Formula 3000 Japan[4]. In his final year of racing in Japan, 1995, Richard Dean contested the Japanese Touring Car Championship with Trans Global[4]. Tom Kirstensen, the most successful Le Mans driver in history, was also racing in Japan at that time and became an acquaintance of Dean[8].

1996-2006

After returning to Europe, Dean won the 1996 Dunlop Rover Turbo Cup[9] scoring 9 wins in 16 races and winning the title by more than 100 points[10]. In 1998 he won the British GT Championship driving an Oreca prepared Dodge Viper[11] In 1999, Dean began racing in the American Le Mans Series – firstly in the prototype class (1999), then the GT class (2000 & 2002), LMP900 class (2001) and GT2 class (2005 & 2006)[4]. Dean also raced in the European Le Mans Series from 2001[4]. In 2006, Dean came second in the GT2 team championship standings with Team LNT[4].

24 Hours of Le Mans

The same year, in 2006, Dean won the 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 class[12]. He was racing with fellow British co-drivers Lawrence Tomlinson and Tom Kimber-Smith as part of Team LNT[1]. Dean started the race ninth-in-class and 24 hours later took the checkered flag first-in-class[13]. Dean and the team made history that day as the only car to have beaten a Porsche in the GT2 class at Le Mans[13]. Dean raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice more, both with Team LNT. In 2007, he placed 5th in the GT class while in 2009, the team had a DNF.

United Autosports

In 2009, Richard Dean and long-term friend Zak Brown founded United Autosports[2], an Anglo-American motorsport race team and business based in West Yorkshire, UK[12].

In the early years, Dean and Brown raced for United Autosports[14]. The team’s first race was in the 2010 British GT Championship at Oulton Park[14]. They had a two-car entry, with Mike Guasch and Mark Patterson in the #22 car and Richard Dean and Zak Brown in the #23 car[14]. The same year, United Autosports entered the 2010 Spa 24 Hours. Dean, together with co-drivers Zak Brown, Eddie Cheever and Mark Blundell, placed third in the GT3 class[15].

United Autosports is now a championship-winning sports car racing team[16], competing in sports prototype and GT categories across the world including the European Le Mans Series[17], World Endurance Championship[16], Asian Le Mans Series[18] and GT4 European Series[19].

In 2020, United Autosports became the first team to win three prestigious endurance accolades in the same year – the European Le Mans Series, World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (LMP2 class)[20].

United Autosports also has a dedicated historics team who race in classic events around the world including the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion[21], Silverstone Classic[22], Velocity Invitational[23] and Estoril Classic[24]. Richard Dean has raced at a number of these events in cars from Zak Brown’s personal collection[25].

Personal life

Richard Dean lives in Yorkshire with his wife, former professional tennis player Alice Mackenzie[26], and dogs[27].

He is the son of former racing driver Tony Dean[28] and he has one daughter, Ashleigh, who was born in 1992[8].

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Richard Dean - Prize list & statistics". 24h-lemans.com.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "United Autosports parades former British Grand Prix race winner in Silverstone classic". www.motorsport.com.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Magazine, Speedsport. "Richard Dean: Racedriver biography - career and success". www.speedsport-magazine.com.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 "Richard Dean | Racing career profile | Driver Database". www.driverdb.com.
  5. ↑ "Motorsport Winners". motorsportwinners.com.
  6. ↑ "Formula Ford Festival 1987 standings | Driver Database". www.driverdb.com.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Richard Dean • Career & Character Info | Motorsport Database". Motorsport Database - Motor Sport Magazine.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Richard Dean: Memories of Racing in Japan". www.fiawec.com.
  9. ↑ "1996 Miscellaneous Championship Results". www.dlg.speedfreaks.org.
  10. ↑ "PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions". www.pressreader.com.
  11. ↑ "Privilege Insurance British GT Championship - GT2 1998 standings | Driver Database". www.driverdb.com.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Le Mans is motor-sport's holy grail and title could be heading back to Wakefield". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. August 21, 2021.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 https://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Oulton_Park-2010-04-05-19729.html
  15. ↑ https://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Spa-2010-08-01.html
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Autosports, United. "United Autosports Confirmed As Fia World Endurance Lmp2 Champions At Bahrain". United Autosports.
  17. ↑ Autosports, United. "United Autosports Win Third European Le Mans Series Lmp3 Championship". United Autosports.
  18. ↑ Autosports, United. "United Autosports Win 2021 Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 Championship With 1-2-3 Podium Lockout". United Autosports.
  19. ↑ Autosports, United. "UNITED AUTOSPORTS 2021 EUROPEAN GT4 CHAMPIONS IN SEASON FINALE". United Autosports.
  20. ↑ "Weekly News Round-up". www.fiawec.com.
  21. ↑ Autosports, United. "CALIFORNIA DREAMING: ZAK BROWN AND UNITED AUTOSPORTS GET READY FOR MONTEREY CAR WEEK". United Autosports.
  22. ↑ Autosports, United. "United Autosports Parades Former British Grand Prix Race Winner In Silverstone Classic". United Autosports.
  23. ↑ "Exciting historic race calendar for United Autosports to end the year - automobilsport.com". www.automobilsport.com.
  24. ↑ "Ex-Williams team manager Stanford joins United Autosports". October 5, 2020.
  25. ↑ Autosports, United. "United Autosports Makes Annual Forray To Monterey Historic Racing Festival". United Autosports.
  26. ↑ "Tour History".
  27. ↑ Autosports, United. "About United Autosports | Global Motorsport Company". United Autosports.
  28. ↑ {{Cite web|url=http://vscracing.com/indycar-legend-danny-sullivan-joins-zak-brown-richard-dean-and-united-autosports-for-the-classic-24-hour-at-daytona-presented-by-imsa/

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