Corvette Racing Driver Profile: Johnny O'Connell

Johnny O'Connell Birthdate: July 24, 1962
Birthplace: Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Residence: Flowery Branch, Ga.
Family: Children Canaan, Kelly
Notable: Two-time ALMS GT1 champion, 28 career ALMS wins, six Sebring 12-hour class victories, holds ALMS records for most starts (84), most podium finishes (63), most top-five finishes (76) and most top-10 finishes (82)
Web site: www.johnnyoconnell.com

American Le Mans Series Career Record
Year Starts Wins Fast
Qualifier		 Notes
1999 7 1 0 Panoz LMP1
2000 11 0 0 Panoz LMP1
2001 7 5 0 First season with Corvette Racing, won Daytona and Le Mans 24-hour races
2002 10 7 0  
2003 9 3 0 GTS driver co-champion (with Fellows)
2004 9 5 0 GTS driver co-champion (with Fellows)
2005 10 3 1 Runner-up in GT1 championship
2006 10 1 1 Fourth in GT1 championship
2007 11 3 0 Second in GT1 championship
Total 84* 28 2 *ALMS record for career starts


24 Hours of Le Mans Record
Year Finish Class Car Co-drivers
1994 1st GTS Nissan 300ZX Morton, Miller
1998 Rtd. GT1 Panoz Bernard, Tinseau
1999 11th LMP900 Panoz Magnussen, Angelelli
2000 5th LMP900 Panoz Kato, Raphanel
2001 1st GTS Corvette C5-R Fellows, Pruett
2002 1st GTS Corvette C5-R Fellows, Gavin
2003 3rd GTS Corvette C5-R Fellows, Freon
2004 2nd GTS Corvette C5-R Fellows, Papis
2005 2nd GT1 Corvette C6.R Fellows, Papis
2006 7th GT1 Corvette C6.R Fellows, Papis
2007 2nd GT1 Corvette C6.R Fellows, Magnussen


Career Highlights
  • 1984-85: Jim Russell School champion
  • 1987: Formula Atlantic West champion and Rookie of the Year (5 wins)
  • 1988: Formula Atlantic West (1 win)
  • 1989: American Racing Series (1 win)
  • 1991-1993: Two wins in IMSA GTO (Nissan)
  • 1993: GTS class winner in 12 Hours of Sebring (Nissan)
  • 1994: Two wins in IMSA GTS, overall win in 12 Hours of Sebring (Nissan)
  • 1995: GT-1 class winner in 12 Hours of Sebring (Nissan)
  • 1996: Indy Racing League (Reynard)
  • 1997-98: One win in PSCR World Sports Car Championship (Hawk, Panoz)
  • 1999-2000: One win in American Le Mans Series (Panoz)
  • 2001: Overall winner in 24 Hours of Daytona, five ALMS wins (Corvette)
  • 2002: Seven ALMS wins (Corvette)
  • 2003: American Le Mans Series GTS co-champion, three ALMS wins (Corvette)
  • 2004: American Le Mans Series GTS co-champion, five ALMS wins (Corvette)
  • 2005: Runner-up in ALMS GT1 championship, three ALMS wins (Corvette), first ALMS pole
  • 2006: Runner-up in ALMS GT1 championship, three ALMS wins (Corvette), first ALMS pole
  • 2007: unner-up in ALMS GT1 championship, three ALMS wins, second in GT1 at 24 Hours of Le Mans (Corvette)

Fast, funny and fearless, red-haired Johnny O'Connell is as quick with a quip as he is with a race car. Born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., this transplanted Yankee now lives in Georgia. He began his career in open-wheel cars, but he found a home at Corvette Racing. He shared the ALMS GT1 drivers championship with Ron Fellows in 2003-04, and was on board for Corvette Racing's historic overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona and its first Le Mans class victory in 2001.

O'Connell is recognized as one of North America's most talented and versatile racing drivers. His racing career began in single-seaters. Competing professionally for the first time in the Formula Atlantic series in 1987, he won five races en route to the championship and Rookie of the Year honors. Success followed in the road racing arena, where O'Connell scored a class victory in the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1993, an overall win in 1994 and another class victory in 1995. He also won his class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1994 in his first outing in the prestigious endurance race.

O'Connell subsequently ran a season of Indy Cars and then returned to sports car racing with Panoz in the late '90s. He joined the factory Corvette effort in 2001, scoring an overall victory in the 24 Hours of Daytona in his first race behind the wheel of the Corvette C5-R, followed by Corvette Racing's first class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Since then, he has helped GM's factory team capture seven straight manufacturers titles and shared the drivers championship for the GTS class with teammate Fellows in 2003-04. O'Connell scored the Corvette C6.R's historic first victory at Road Atlanta in April 2005 after winning his first ALMS pole.

At the conclusion of the 2007 season, O'Connell held numerous ALMS records, including the most career starts (85), the most career top-five finishes (77); the most career top-10 finishes (83), and the most wins at one venue (five at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.).

O'Connell conducts an annual charity auction at Road Atlanta to benefit senior citizens and research on Alzheimer's disease. A black belt in karate, O'Connell practices martial arts as part of his fitness training regimen. He appeared as a rapper in a Chevy commercial that was first televised during the 2007 Super Bowl, and threw out the first pitch at a Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees baseball game before the inaugural ALMS Detroit Sports Car Challenge.