Johnny O'Connell

Johnny O'Connell (born July 24, 1962) is the most successful GM factory racing driver from the United States. He currently drives for Cadillac in the Pirelli World Challenge, winning the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 GT driver's championship.

Johnny O'Connell
O'Connell at Road America in 2014
Born (1962-07-24) July 24, 1962
Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2013 position65th
Best finish65th (2013)
First race2013 Johnsonville Sausage 200 (Road America)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
IndyCar Series career
4 races run over 2 years
Best finish9th (1996)
First race1996 Indy 200 (Orlando)
Last race1996-97 Las Vegas 500K (Las Vegas)
Wins Podiums Poles
0 0 0
Statistics current as of November 16, 2013.
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years1994, 1998–2010, 2016
TeamsClayton Cunningham Racing, Panoz Motorsports, Corvette Racing, Team AAI
Best finish5th (1994, 2000)
Class wins4 (1994, 2001, 2002, 2009)

Career
1990s IMSA car

Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, O'Connell started racing in the Formula Atlantic series in 1987, winning the Championship and Rookie of the Year. He also spent 1996 in the Indy Racing League, racing in the Indianapolis 500 and finishing in the top 10 in half of his 4 starts. He has seven class wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring, more than any other driver, and an overall title in 1994 when racing for Nissan. Driving for Corvette Racing, he has also won a number of class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. With his teammate Ron Fellows he won the 2003 GTS class driver's championship.

O'Connell was also featured in Chevy's 2007, Super Bowl ad, "Ain't We Got Love" also featuring Mary J. Blige, rapper T.I., Big & Rich, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

In 2013, O'Connell competed in the Johnsonville Sausage 200 at Road America in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro;[1] he finished 12th in the event.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Nationwide Series
NASCAR Nationwide Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 NNSC Pts
2013 JR Motorsports 5 Chevy DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX RCH TAL DAR CLT DOV IOW MCH ROA
12		 KEN DAY NHA CHI IND IOW GLN MOH BRI ATL RCH CHI KEN DOV KAN CLT TEX PHO HOM 65th 32

1 Ineligible for series points

24 Hours of Le Mans results
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1994 Clayton Cunningham Racing Steve Millen
John Morton		 Nissan 300ZX Turbo IMSA
GTS		 317 5th 1st
1998 Panoz Motorsports
DAMS		 Éric Bernard
Christophe Tinseau		 Panoz Esperante GTR-1 GT1 236 DNF DNF
1999 Panoz Motorsports Jan Magnussen
Max Angelelli		 Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S
Ford		 LMP 323 11th 9th
2000 Panoz Motorsports Hiroki Katoh
Pierre-Henri Raphanel		 Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S-Élan LMP900 342 5th 5th
2001 Corvette Racing Ron Fellows
Scott Pruett		 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 278 8th 1st
2002 Corvette Racing Ron Fellows
Oliver Gavin		 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 335 11th 1st
2003 Corvette Racing Ron Fellows
Franck Fréon		 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 326 12th 3rd
2004 Corvette Racing Ron Fellows
Max Papis		 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 334 8th 2nd
2005 Corvette Racing Ron Fellows
Max Papis		 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1 347 6th 2nd
2006 Corvette Racing Ron Fellows
Max Papis		 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1 327 12th 7th
2007 Corvette Racing Jan Magnussen
Ron Fellows		 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1 342 6th 2nd
2008 Corvette Racing Jan Magnussen
Ron Fellows		 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1 344 14th 2nd
2009 Corvette Racing Jan Magnussen
Antonio García		 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1 342 15th 1st
2010 Corvette Racing Jan Magnussen
Antonio García		 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT2 225 DNF DNF
2016 Team AAI Oliver Bryant
Mark Patterson		 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R GTE
Am		 306 39th 9th

Indy Racing League results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank Points
1996 Cunningham Racing Lola T941
Reynard 95i2		 Ford XB V8t WDW
7		 PHX
5		 INDY
29		 9th 192
1996–97 Treadway Racing Reynard 95i Ford XB V8t NHA
Wth		 40th 23
Reynard 94i Ford XB V8t LVS
12		 WDW PHX
A.J. Foyt Enterprises G-Force GF01 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 INDY
DNQ		 TXS PPIR CLT NHA LVS

Indy 500 results
Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
1996 Reynard Ford-Cosworth 29th 29th Byrd-Cunningham Racing


Heritage

The O'Connell family, principally of Derrynane, are a Gaelic Irish noble family of County Kerry in Munster. O'Connell comes from the Irish word "O'Conaill," meaning 'strong as a wolf'. Johnny O'Connell is related by blood to the Belanger Family, including Jackson Belanger.

References
  1. Kallmann, Dave (May 30, 2013). "GM's Johnny O'Connell joins Road America NASCAR field". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Milwaukee, WI. Retrieved 2013-06-23.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Ted Prappas		 North American Formula Atlantic
Pacific Division Champion
1987		 Succeeded by
Dean Hall
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