Russell Ward (racing driver)

Russell Ward
Nationality	American
Born	(1989-08-22) August 22, 1989 (age 35) United States
IMSA SportsCar Championship career
Debut season	2021
Current team	HTP Winward Motorsport
Racing licence	FIA Silver
Car number	57
Starts	25
Wins	4
Podiums	6
Poles	3
Fastest laps	3
Previous series
2018–2019 2018 2017–2021 2017–2020	International GT Open GT World Challenge Asia Michelin Pilot Challenge 24H Series
Last updated on: 8 December 2023.

Russell Ward (born March 8, 1992) is an American racing driver who currently competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for HTP Winward Motorsport.^[1] Ward also serves as Winward Racing's team principal.

Career

Ward began his racing career in 2016 following several years competing in various track days alongside the ChampCar Endurance Series and 24 Hours of Lemons.^[2] For 2016, he embarked on a full season campaign in the Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA with Kelly-Moss Road and Race, taking a podium finish in the final round at Circuit of the Americas.^[3] For 2017, Ward made his debut in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, pairing with Damien Faulkner in a GS-class Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport fielded by CJ Wilson Racing.^[4] In the duo's opening race at Daytona, they finished third in the Grand Sport class; Ward's first podium in IMSA-sanctioned competition.^[3] Through ten races that season, Ward and Faulkner captured just the one podium, finishing 8th in the Grand Sport classification.

2018 saw Ward take part in a variety of series, with a particular focus on the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. Near the end of 2017, Winward joined forces with HTP Motorsport, paving the way for the team's transition to Mercedes-AMG machinery for 2018.^[5] Driving alongside Faulkner once again, the team claimed one podium through eight races, finishing 20th in the GS class standings. Ward also made one-off appearances in the Blancpain GT Series Asia, claiming a class victory and a podium finish,^[6] as well as the Pirelli World Challenge, International GT Open, DMV Gran Turismo Touring Car Cup, and 24H Series. In 2019, Ward scored his first victory in the renamed Michelin Pilot Challenge, pairing with Mercedes-AMG factory driver Dominik Baumann in the penultimate round of the season at Laguna Seca.^[7] Ward had missed the round at Road America following a crash in practice, relegating him to 16th in the overall standings. Two races in the 24H Series and a select few races in the International GT Open accompanied Ward's primary commitment in IMSA for 2019.

With Winward Racing's merger with HTP Motorsport at the end of 2019,^[8] Ward was set for a wide variety of racing opportunities in 2020. Launching another full-season campaign in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, Ward collected a pair of podiums, alongside his first pole position in the series at VIR,^[9] en route to his best ever points finish in the championship. Ward also took part in a part-time campaign in the GT World Challenge America, starting in the Pro/Am class with his father, Bryce,^[10] before jumping into the Silver Cup class for the rounds at Road America and Circuit of the Americas. Despite making just four starts in the Silver Cup, the lack of entries meant Ward was scored second in the season-long class championship. Ward also made his debut at the 24 Hours of Spa in October, taking second in the Silver Cup class alongside co-drivers Indy Dontje and Philip Ellis.

Ward competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2022

Ward began 2021 with his debut in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, joining Maro Engel, Indy Dontje, and Philip Ellis in the team's Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.^[11] In the team's first ever race in the championship, the 2021 24 Hours of Daytona, the quartet claimed class victory, taking Mercedes-AMG's first ever GTD class victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona.^[12] Ward also took part in a full-season effort for the 2021 GT World Challenge America, alongside a rotating driver lineup of Ellis and Mikaël Grenier. Grenier and Ward claimed the entry's sole race victory of the season, taking overall honors in the second race at VIR.^[13] Eight podium finishes was only enough to see Ward finish fourth in the Pro class championship, six points adrift of the Turner Motorsport duo of Robby Foley and Michael Dinan in third. A full-season effort in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup also featured in Ward's driving lineup, in which he claimed one podium through five races in the Silver Cup. As a result of his extensive exploits in Mercedes-AMG machinery during the 2021 calendar year, he was deemed the winner of the Pro-Driver GT3 category of the marque's brand-internal customer racing championship.^[14]

In October 2021, Ward announced Winward's plans to conduct a full-season campaign in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for 2022.^[15] After a slow start to the season, which included finishes outside of the top ten at Sebring, Long Beach, and Laguna Seca, the team initially believed that they'd claimed victory at Watkins Glen in June. However, the team ran afoul of IMSA's drive time restrictions and were demoted to 11th in class.^[16] The team suffered another near miss at Lime Rock, suffering a fuel pump failure on the final lap while leading.^[17] However, following three podiums in four races, two of which were back-to-back victories at Road America and Virginia International Raceway,^[18] the team entered the final round with an outside chance at scoring the GTD class championship.^[19] However, after an 11th-place finish at Petit Le Mans, Ward and season-long co-driver Philip Ellis settled for fifth in the points classification.

Ward complemented his IMSA endeavors with a part-time drive in the GT World Challenge America. After claiming a class victory at Watkins Glen, Ward and Ellis swept the weekend at Road America, marking three race victories in a row.^[20] At the end of 2022, Ward won Mercedes-AMG's Pro-Driver GT3 award, given to the most successful FIA-Platinum, Gold, or Silver rated driver in Mercedes-AMG's GT3 machinery over the course of the calendar year.^[21]

2023 saw Ward return full-time to the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, joining Ellis and Dontje in one of the team's two Gold Cup entries.^[22] The team claimed a sole Gold Cup podium at Barcelona, finishing seventh in the class championship. In IMSA competition,^[23] Ward claimed a GTD class victory at Indianapolis^[24] and an additional podium at VIR, finishing tenth in the championship.

Racing record

Career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
2016	Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA	Kelly-Moss Road and Race	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
2017	Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge - GS	CJ Wilson Racing	10	0	0	0	1	231	8th
	24H Series - SP2	Mercedes-AMG Testteam Winward Racing/HTP Motorsport	1	0	0	0	0	?	?
2018	Blancpain GT Series Asia - GT4	GruppeM Racing Team	2	1	1	2	2	40	12th
	Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge - GS	Winward Racing/HTP Motorsport	8	0	0	0	1	151	20th
	International GT Open		2	0	0	0	0	0	NC†
	Pirelli World Challenge SprintX - GTS Pro-Am	Winward Racing	2	0	0	0	0	14	44th
	DMV Gran Turismo Touring Car Cup - Class 1	HTP Motorsport	4	0	0	0	3	?	?
	24H GT Series - GT4	Team RACE SCOUT by Winward/HTP Motorsport	2	0	0	0	0	?	?
2019	International GT Open	Winward Racing	6	0	0	0	0	14	22nd
	24H GT Series - GT4		1	0	0	0	0	?	?
	Michelin Pilot Challenge - GS	Winward Racing/HTP Motorsport	8	1	0	0	1	147	16th
	24H GT Series - A6-Am		1	0	0	0	0	?	?
2020	GT World Challenge America - Silver	Winward Racing	4	0	1	1	4	72	2nd
	GT World Challenge America - Pro-Am		3	0	1	0	0	28	10th
	Michelin Pilot Challenge - GS	Winward Racing/HTP Motorsport	10	0	1	0	2	224	7th
	GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup - Silver	HTP Motorsport	1	0	0	1	1	27	15th
	Intercontinental GT Challenge		1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	24H GT Series - GT3-Pro	HTP Winward Motorsport	1	0	0	0	0	?	?
2021	GT World Challenge America - Pro	Winward Racing	13	1	2	3	8	151	4th
	Michelin Pilot Challenge - GS		8	0	0	1	2	1890	12th
	Intercontinental GT Challenge		2	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup - Silver	Winward Motorsport	5	0	0	0	1	32	15th
	IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD	HTP Winward Motorsport	3	1	0	0	1	598	36th
2022	IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD	Winward Racing	12	2	3	2	3	2714	5th
	GT World Challenge America - Pro		7	3	2	2	6	154	6th
	GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup		1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	Intercontinental GT Challenge		2	0	1	0	1	15*	12th*
2023	IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD	Winward Racing	11	1	0	1	2	2562	10th
	GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup		5	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup - Gold Cup			0	1	0	1	49	7th
	Le Mans Cup - GT3		2	0	0	0	1	0	NC†
	Intercontinental GT Challenge		1	0	0	0	0	1	30th
2024	IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD	Winward Racing

† Guest driver ineligible to score points.
^* Season still in progress.

Complete GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results

Year	Team	Car	Class	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pos.	Points
2020	HTP Motorsport	Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo	Silver	IMO	NÜR	SPA 6H 36	SPA 12H 27	SPA 24H 21	LEC		15th	27
2021	Winward Racing	Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo	Silver	MON 7	LEC 20	SPA 6H 21	SPA 12H Ret	SPA 24H Ret	NÜR 24	CAT 29	15th	32
2022	Winward Racing	Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo	Gold	IMO	LEC	SPA 6H 42	SPA 12H 32	SPA 24H 40	HOC	CAT	21st	12
2023	Winward Racing	Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo	Gold	MNZ 23	LEC Ret	SPA 6H 56	SPA 12H 37	SPA 24H 38	NÜR Ret	CAT 15	7th	49

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Team	Class	Make	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Rank	Points
2021	HTP Winward Motorsport	GTD	Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo	Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8	DAY 1	SEB	MDO	DET	WGL	WGL	LIM	ELK	LGA	LBH	VIR	PET 11	36th	598
2022	Winward Racing	GTD	Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo	Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8	DAY 6	SEB 12	LBH 14	LGA 14	MDO 5	DET 10	WGL 11	MOS 2	LIM 5	ELK 1	VIR 1	PET 11	5th	2714
2023	Winward Racing	GTD	Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo	Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8	DAY 13	SEB 18	LBH 5	MON 12	WGL 20	MOS 10	LIM 9	ELK 15	VIR 3	IMS 1	PET 9		10th	2562
2024	Winward Racing	GTD	Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo	Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8	DAY	SEB	LBH	LGA	WGL	MOS	ELK	VIR	IMS	PET

References

1. "Russell Ward – IMSA". imsa.com. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
2. "Winward Racing – Drivers". winwardracing.com. Retrieved December 12, 2021. After starting in Chump Car in the 24 Hours of Lemons and taking part in multiple club/track days, Russell and his father Bryce took the next step into the racing world.
3. "Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Preparation Pays Off for Russell Ward with Daytona Podium". planetporsche.org. February 14, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
4. "CTSC: CJ Wilson Racing partners with Winward Racing in 2017". racer.com. January 3, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
5. "Winward Joins Forces with HTP for Two-Car Mercedes-AMG GT4 Effort". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. October 11, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
6. "Russell Ward makes winning debut in the Blancpain Asia Series". winwardracing.com. May 2, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
7. Kish, Ryan (September 15, 2019). "Winward AMG Takes The Win At Laguna Seca". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
8. "Winward Increases Involvement with HTP Motorsport". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. November 14, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
9. "Ward Scores Shock First Pole in Winward Mercedes GT4". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. August 23, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
10. "DRIVER DOWNLOAD: Bryce Ward & Russell Ward". gt-world-challenge-america.com. SRO Motorsports Group America. May 15, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
11. "HTP Winward Names Lineup for GTD Debut at Daytona". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. January 8, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
12. "HTP Winward Leads Home Mercedes-AMG 1-2 in GTD". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. January 31, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
13. "Redemption for Winward in Race 2 at VIR". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. June 6, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
14. "Mercedes-AMG Honours Top Customer Racers". dailysportscar.com. December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
15. "Winward Set for Petit Le Mans Ahead of 2022 Full-Season Plans". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. October 19, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
16. Dagys, John (June 27, 2022). "Watkins Glen Post-Race Notebook". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
17. "Fuel Pump Failure at Lime Rock Latest Near-Miss for Winward". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. July 22, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
18. Dagys, John (August 28, 2022). "Ellis Went "All In" With Strategic GTD Win for Winward". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
19. Euwema, Davey (August 17, 2022). "Winward "Still Holding Breath" in GTD Title Battle". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
20. Allaway, Phil (August 21, 2022). "Winward Racing Claims Road America GT World Challenge America Weekend Sweep". frontstretch.com. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
21. "AMG Awards". dailysportscar.com. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
22. Euwema, Davey (March 1, 2023). "Winward Expands to Two-Car Endurance Cup Effort". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
23. Dagys, John (December 19, 2022). "Winward Confirms GTD Lineup, Pilot Challenge Return". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
24. James, Richard S. (September 17, 2023). "Winward Mercedes takes double GT victory at Indianapolis". Racer. Retrieved December 8, 2023.

External links

• Russell Ward at Speedsport Magazine