Richard Dean (racing driver): Difference between revisions

 

Line 2: Line 2:

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}

[[File:Richard_Dean.jpg|thumb]]

[[File:Richard_Dean.jpg|thumb]]

”’Richard Antony Dean”’ is a former British Racing Driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 class in 2006.<ref name=”auto9″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/track-record/driver/richard-dean-1051|title=Richard Dean – Prize list & statistics|website=24h-lemans.com}}</ref> In 2010, Richard Dean founded the sports car racing team [[United Autosports]] with [[Zak Brown]].<ref name=”auto”>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorsport.com/general/news/united-autosports-parades-former-british-grand-prix-race-winner-in-silverstone-classic-801062/801062/|title=United Autosports parades former British Grand Prix race winner in Silverstone classic|website=www.motorsport.com}}</ref>

”’Richard Antony Dean”’ is a former British Racing Driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 class in 2006.<ref name=”auto9″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/track-record/driver/richard-dean-1051|title=Richard Dean – Prize list & statistics|website=24h-lemans.com}}</ref> In 2010, Richard Dean founded the sports car racing team [[United Autosports]] with [[Zak Brown]].<ref name=”auto”>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorsport.com/general/news/united-autosports-parades-former-british-grand-prix-race-winner-in-silverstone-classic-801062/801062/|title=United Autosports parades former British Grand Prix race winner in Silverstone classic|website=www.motorsport.com}}</ref>

==Racing career==

==Racing career==

===Early career===

===Early career===

Richard Dean started his competitive racing career in [[karts]] as a teenager.<ref name=”auto5″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.speedsport-magazine.com/race-driver-database/biography/richard-dean_-_203.html|title=Richard Dean: Racedriver biography – career and success|first=Speedsport|last=Magazine|website=www.speedsport-magazine.com}}</ref> In 1985, Richard progressed to car racing in [[Formula Ford 1600]].<ref name=”auto5″/> After multiple seasons in FF1600<ref name=”auto6″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/richard-dean/|title=Richard Dean &#124; Racing career profile &#124; Driver Database|website=www.driverdb.com}}</ref> with multiple race wins,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://motorsportwinners.com/defunct/formula-ford-1600-brdc-championship/|title=Motorsport Winners|website=motorsportwinners.com}}</ref> and finishing sixth in the 1987 Formula Ford Festival,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/championships/standings/formula-ford-festival/1987/|title=Formula Ford Festival 1987 standings &#124; Driver Database|website=www.driverdb.com}}</ref> he moved up to contest the 1989 British F3 Championship.<ref name=”auto6″/> 1990 saw a move to [[Formula 3000]] for the next two seasons, scoring top 6 results in the International F3000 series<ref name=”auto4″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/drivers/richard-dean/|title=Richard Dean • Career & Character Info &#124; Motorsport Database|website=Motorsport Database – Motor Sport Magazine}}</ref> and winning the [[Oulton Park International Gold Cup|Oulton Park Gold Cup]] race in the 1990 British F3000 series with Cobra Motorsport.<ref name=”auto4″/>

Richard Dean started his competitive racing career in [[karts]] as a teenager.<ref name=”auto5″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.speedsport-magazine.com/race-driver-database/biography/richard-dean_-_203.html|title=Richard Dean: Racedriver biography – career and success|first=Speedsport|last=Magazine|website=www.speedsport-magazine.com}}</ref> In 1985, Richard progressed to car racing in [[Formula Ford 1600]].<ref name=”auto5″/> After multiple seasons in FF1600<ref name=”auto6″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/richard-dean/|title=Richard Dean &#124; Racing career profile &#124; Driver Database|website=www.driverdb.com}}</ref> with multiple race wins,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://motorsportwinners.com/defunct/formula-ford-1600-brdc-championship/|title=Motorsport Winners|website=motorsportwinners.com}}</ref> and finishing sixth in the 1987 Formula Ford Festival,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/championships/standings/formula-ford-festival/1987/|title=Formula Ford Festival 1987 standings &#124; Driver Database|website=www.driverdb.com}}</ref> he moved up to contest the 1989 British F3 Championship.<ref name=”auto6″/> 1990 saw a move to [[Formula 3000]] for the next two seasons, scoring top 6 results in the International F3000 series<ref name=”auto4″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/drivers/richard-dean/|title=Richard Dean • Career & Character Info &#124; Motorsport Database|website=Motorsport Database – Motor Sport Magazine}}</ref> and winning the [[Oulton Park International Gold Cup|Oulton Park Gold Cup]] race in the 1990 British F3000 series with Cobra Motorsport.<ref name=”auto4″/>

===Japan===

===Japan===

Line 17: Line 17:

===24 Hours of Le Mans===

===24 Hours of Le Mans===

The same year, in 2006, Dean won the 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 class.<ref name=”auto3″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/other-sport/yorkshireman-richard-dean-out-to-bring-the-holy-grail-of-le-mans-back-to-wakefield-for-united-autosports-3354852|title=Le Mans is motor-sport’s holy grail and title could be heading back to Wakefield|date=August 21, 2021|website=www.yorkshirepost.co.uk}}</ref> He was racing with fellow British co-drivers Lawrence Tomlinson and [[Tom Kimber-Smith]] as part of Team LNT.<ref name=”auto9″/> Dean started the race ninth-in-class and 24 hours later took the checkered flag first-in-class.<ref name=”auto7″>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailysportscar.com/archive/free/teams/lnt/06_lemans3.htm|title=dailysportscar.com|website=www.dailysportscar.com}}</ref> Dean and the team made history that day as the only car to have beaten a Porsche in the GT2 class at Le Mans.<ref name=”auto7″/>

The same year, in 2006, Dean won the 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 class.<ref name=”auto3″>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/other-sport/yorkshireman-richard-dean-out-to-bring-the-holy-grail-of-le-mans-back-to-wakefield-for-united-autosports-3354852|title=Le Mans is motor-sport’s holy grail and title could be heading back to Wakefield|date=August 21, 2021|website=www.yorkshirepost.co.uk}}</ref> He was racing with fellow British co-drivers Lawrence Tomlinson and [[Tom Kimber-Smith]] as part of Team LNT.<ref name=”auto9″/> Dean started the race ninth-in-class and 24 hours later took the checkered flag first-in-class.<ref name=”auto7″>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailysportscar.com/archive/free/teams/lnt/06_lemans3.htm|title=dailysportscar.com|website=www.dailysportscar.com}}</ref> Dean and the team made history that day as the only car to have beaten a Porsche in the GT2 class at Le Mans.<ref name=”auto7″/>

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.

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.

Former British racing driver

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 the sports car racing team United Autosports with Zak Brown.^[2]

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]

In 1992, Richard Dean moved to Japan, prompted by the offer of a test by the LeMans 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 LeMans in the 1993 Formula 3 Japan and 1994 All-Japan GT Championship.^[4] In 1994, he raced with Tomei Sport Open 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 Kristensen, the most successful Lemans driver in history, was also racing in Japan at that time and became an acquaintance of Dean.^[8]

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 in 2001.^[4] In 2002, he was set to compete in the British Touring Car Championship in a Lexus IS200 with Total Motorsport, but this never eventuated.^[12] In 2006, Dean came second in the GT2 team championship standings with Team LNT.^[4]

The same year, in 2006, Dean won the 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 class.^[13] 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.^[14] Dean and the team made history that day as the only car to have beaten a Porsche in the GT2 class at Le Mans.^[14]
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.

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.^[13]

In the early years, Dean and Brown raced for United Autosports.^[15] The team’s first race was in the 2010 British GT Championship at Oulton Park.^[15] 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.^[15]
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.^[16]

United Autosports is now a championship-winning sports car racing team,^[17] competing in sports prototype and GT categories across the world including the European Le Mans Series,^[18] World Endurance Championship,^[17] Asian Le Mans Series^[19] and GT4 European Series.^[20]

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).^[21]

United Autosports also has a dedicated historic team who race in classic events around the world including the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion,^[22] Silverstone Classic,^[23] Velocity Invitational^[24] and Estoril Classic.^[25] Richard Dean has raced at a number of these events in cars from Zak Brown’s personal collection.^[26]

Richard Dean lives in Yorkshire with his wife, former professional tennis player Alice Mackenzie,^[27] and dogs.^[28]

He is the son of former racing driver Tony Dean^[29] and he has one daughter, Ashleigh, who was born in 1992.