Johnny O'Connell

Johnny O'Connell
O'Connell at Road America in 2014
Born	(1962-07-24) July 24, 1962 (age 62) Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2013 position	65th
Best finish	65th (2013)
First race	2013 Johnsonville Sausage 200 (Road America)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
IndyCar Series career
4 races run over 2 years
Best finish	9th (1996)
First race	1996 Indy 200 (Orlando)
Last race	1996-97 Las Vegas 500K (Las Vegas)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0
Statistics current as of November 16, 2013.
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	1994, 1998–2010, 2016
Teams	Clayton Cunningham Racing, Panoz Motorsports, Corvette Racing, Team AAI
Best finish	5th (1994, 2000)
Class wins	4 (1994, 2001, 2002, 2009)

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.

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	Ref
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	[2]

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	No.	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Rank	Points	Ref
1996	Cunningham Racing	Lola T941 Reynard 95i2	75	Ford XB V8t	WDW 7	PHX 5	INDY 29								9th	192	[3]
1996–97	Treadway Racing	Reynard 95i	10	Ford XB V8t	NHA Wth										40th	23	[4]
		Reynard 94i	6	Ford XB V8t		LVS 12	WDW	PHX
	A. J. Foyt Enterprises	G-Force GF01	1	Oldsmobile Aurora V8					INDY DNQ	TXS	PPIR	CLT	NHA	LVS

Indianapolis 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 Louis Belanger the First.

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.
2. "Johnny O'Connell – 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
3. "Johnny O'Connell – 1996 Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
4. "Johnny O'Connell – 1997 Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 7, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• Johnny O'Connell driver statistics at Racing-Reference

Sporting positions
Preceded by Ted Prappas	North American Formula Atlantic Pacific Division Champion 1987	Succeeded by Dean Hall