David Pittard

British racing driver
David Pittard
David Pittard in a Ferrari 296 GT3 at the 2023 Nürburgring Endurance Series
NationalityUnited Kingdom British
Born (1992-01-29) 29 January 1992 (age 32)
Hertfordshire, England
IMSA SportsCar Championship career
Debut season2022
Current teamHeart of Racing Team
Racing licence FIA Gold
Car number23
Former teamsNorthwest AMR
Starts4
Wins0
Podiums0
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Previous series
2013
2014–2015
2017
2019–2020		Ginetta GT5 Challenge
Ginetta GT4 Supercup
British GT Championship
Intercontinental GT Challenge
Last updated on: 4 November 2023.

David Pittard (born 29 January 1992) is a British racing driver who competes in the Nürburgring Endurance Series and IMSA SportsCar Championship. He was part of the Frikadelli Racing Team entry which won the 2023 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

Early life

Pittard studied Motorsport Engineering at Brunel University. [1]

Career

Early career

Pittard began his circuit racing career in 2010, taking part in the Britain-based Toyota MR2 Racing Series, which he would return to in 2011. He would add a campaign in the BRSCC Sports 2000 Pinto Championship during the 2011 season, before taking on the Britcar Endurance Series in 2012. Ahead of the 2013 season, Pittard announced that he'd be taking part in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge.[2] In his opening season of competition, Pittard scored his maiden victory in the first race of the weekend at Silverstone,[3] taking two more alongside seven podiums en route to a fifth-place finish in the overall championship. Owing to his performance in the championship, Pittard was elevated to BRDC Rising Star status at season's end.[4] Pittard moved to the Ginetta GT4 Supercup in 2014, driving for SV Racing. After claiming a podium each in the opening two weekends, Pittard took his first victory of the season at Thruxton in May. Pittard doubled up with a victory during the second race as well, elevating him to first in the championship.[5][6] He would claim another victory at Croft before sweeping the Silverstone weekend,[7] eventually finishing second in the championship to Charlie Robertson. Following his strong rookie season, SV Racing team boss Danny Buxton stated that he believed Pittard had a bright future in GT racing.[8] After returning to the Ginetta GT4 Supercup in 2015 for a pair of races, as well as a one-off in the North America-based FARA Endurance Championship,[9] Pittard stepped away from professional racing until 2017.

GT racing

2017 saw Pittard return to pro racing, taking part in the British GT Championship with Lanan Racing. In line with his Ginetta roots, Pittard and co-driver Alex Reed took part in the GT4 class with a Ginetta G55 GT4, taking part in the Silver sub-class.[10] The duo claimed their first and only victory of the season at Oulton Park; one of four podium finishes as they finished third in the class championship. Pittard supplemented his British GT campaign with historic racing, taking part in the FIA Masters Historic Sports Car Championship.

2018 saw Pittard travel to Germany, taking on a drive in the Nürburgring Endurance Series for Walkenhorst Motorsport. In just his third race behind the wheel of a GT3 car, he took pole position for the sixth race of the season. Pittard cited his decision to take up a drive in the series as an effort to attract the attention of a manufacturer for a factory drive.[11] Ahead of the 2019 season, Pittard signed a full-time contract with Walkenhorst, who would employ him in the Nürburgring Endurance Series, Nürburgring 24 Hours, and 24 Hours of Spa.[12] Pittard returned to the Nürburgring in 2019, claiming further victories in the Nürburgring Endurance Series.[13] At the end of the season, he cited his goal in the immediate future as becoming a BMW factory driver.[14]

In 2020, Pittard joined Walkenhorst for their entry into the Intercontinental GT Challenge, joining BMW factory drivers Martin Tomczyk and Nick Yelloly.[15] Although the team didn't participate in the opening round at Bathurst, they claimed a podium at Indianapolis[16] and would finish ninth in the overall championship. The following year, Pittard would join Walkenhorst for a full season campaign in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, taking part in the Pro class.[17] Through five races, the team would finish with just four total points, taking 28th in the championship. At the end of the season, Pittard would take part in both the BMW M Motorsport selected driver test in Spain[18] as well as the WEC Rookie Test, where he would pilot an Aston Martin Vantage GTE.[19] The move would be somewhat of a harbinger for Pittard, who would join Aston Martin for the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship. However, his status was subject to a degree of confusion in the pre-season. After initially being confirmed as a full factory driver,[20] Aston Martin Racing later stated that he was merely contracted to the Northwest AMR team, the customer operation with which Pittard was competing in 2022, to preserve his ranking as an FIA Silver-ranked driver.[21] Paired with Nicki Thiim and Paul Dalla Lana, the trio would claim their sole victory of the season during the opening round at Sebring,[22] but registered two further podiums and finished second in the GTE Am championship. At the end-of-season BRDC awards ceremony, Pittard was handed the Woolf Barnato Trophy, given to the highest-placed British driver in a British car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.[23]

Pittard formed a part of the Frikadelli Racing Team entry that won the 2023 24 Hours of Nürburgring, driving alongside Earl Bamber, Nicky Catsburg, and Felipe Fernández Laser.[24] Pittard's position in the driver lineup wasn't initially confirmed until after the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona, which he had taken part in with the Heart of Racing Team.[25][26]

Racing record

Career summary

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2013 Ginetta GT5 Challenge - G40 SV21 18 3 2 1 7 346 5th
2014 Ginetta GT4 Supercup SV Racing with KX 27 5 2 8 12 633 2nd
2015 Ginetta GT4 Supercup - Pro Privateer 2 0 0 0 0 38 18th
FARA Endurance Championship - MP-1A 2015 1 0 0 1 1 18 19th
2016 Touring Car Endurance Series - A3 Team BRIT
24H Series - A3
2017 British GT Championship - GT4 Lanan Racing 10 1 0 0 4 133 3rd
FIA Masters Historic Sports Car Championship 5 0 0 0 0 39 4th
2018 FIA Masters Historic Sports Cars Post-66 Championship 1 0 0 0 1 9 20th
2019 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Walkenhorst Motorsport 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Intercontinental GT Challenge 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF
FIA Masters Historic Sports Cars Pre-66 Championship 1 0 1 1 0 0 NC
2020 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Walkenhorst Motorsport 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Intercontinental GT Challenge 3 0 0 0 1 26 9th
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 Pro 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 12th
2021 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Walkenhorst Motorsport 5 0 0 0 0 4 28th
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 Pro 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 11th
2022 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Beechdean AMR 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
FIA World Endurance Championship - GTE Am Northwest AMR 6 1 0 0 3 118 2nd
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD 2 0 0 0 0 211 61st
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 Pro TF Sport AMR 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF
2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Pro Heart of Racing Team 3 0 0 0 0 837 10th
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 Frikadelli Racing Team 1 1 0 0 1 N/A 1st
2024 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Walkenhorst Racing
Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP9 Walkenhorst Motorsport

Complete GT World Challenge Europe results

GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pos. Points
2019 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 Am MON SIL LEC SPA
6H
70 		SPA
12H
70 		SPA
24H
Ret 		CAT NC 0
2020 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 Pro IMO NÜR SPA
6H
23 		SPA
12H
18 		SPA
24H
Ret 		LEC NC 0
2021 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 Pro MON
26 		LEC
8 		SPA
6H
11 		SPA
12H
Ret 		SPA
24H
Ret 		NÜR
12 		CAT
21 		28th 4
2022 Beechdean AMR Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Silver IMO LEC SPA
6H
Ret 		SPA
12H
Ret 		SPA
24H
Ret 		HOC CAT NC 0

Complete WeatherTech 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
2022 Northwest AMR GTD Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Aston Martin 4.0 L Turbo V8 DAY
12 		SEB LBH LGA MDO DET WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR PET 61st 211
2023 Heart of Racing Team GTD Pro Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Aston Martin 4.0 L Turbo V8 DAY
7 		SEB
8 		LBH MON WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR IMS PET
4 		10th 837
Source:[27]

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

Year Entrant Class Car Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rank Points
2022 Northwest AMR LMGTE Am Aston Martin Vantage AMR Aston Martin 4.0 L Turbo V8 SEB
1 		SPA
3 		LMS
2 		MNZ
8 		FUJ
5 		BHR
5 		2nd 118
Source:[27]

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2022 Canada Northwest AMR Canada Paul Dalla Lana
Denmark Nicki Thiim 		Aston Martin Vantage AMR GTE
Am 		342 36th 3rd

References

  1. ^ Pittard, David. "CV". David Pittard. David Pittard Motorsport. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  2. ^ Pittard, David (26 March 2013). "David Pittard Blog: An Introduction". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  3. ^ "DAVID PITTARD TAKES MAIDEN WIN IN GINETTA GT5 CHALLENGE". SportsCar Racing News. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  4. ^ "GINETTA RACER DAVID PITTARD AWARDED BRDC RISING STAR STATUS". SportsCar Racing News. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  5. ^ Paice, Simon (3 May 2014). "Pittard Doubles Up To Take Championship Lead". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  6. ^ Paice, Simon (3 May 2014). "Thruxton Star Pittard: "Two In A Row Is Fantastic"". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  7. ^ Paice, Simon (28 September 2014). "Pittard Completes Dominant Silverstone Double". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  8. ^ Paice, Simon (10 November 2014). "Buxton: "Pittard Is A Future GT Superstar"". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  9. ^ "David Pittard Impressed At Miami Homestead With Ginetta USA". Ginetta Cars. 10 June 2015. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  10. ^ Kilshaw, Jake (4 February 2017). "Pittard, Reed Announced in Lanan Ginetta for British GT". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  11. ^ Bosch, Miguel (30 September 2018). "David Pittard: "I came to the Nürburgring to put myself on the map"". GT Report. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  12. ^ Goodwin, Graham (17 January 2019). "David Pittard Signs 2 Year Deal With Walkenhorst Motorsport & BMW". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  13. ^ Bosch, Miguel (17 July 2019). "David Pittard: "That was not an endurance race; It was a full-on sprint race!"". GT Report. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  14. ^ Bosch, Miguel (30 October 2019). "David Pittard: "I would like to wiggle in and be a BMW works driver by 2021"". GT Report. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  15. ^ Bosch, Miguel (3 July 2020). "David Pittard, Pt. II: "I'll be racing in a factory team with factory drivers, there's nowhere to hide"". GT Report. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  16. ^ Goodwin, Graham (5 October 2020). "BMW Score 1-2 At Indy 8 Hours". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  17. ^ Lloyd, Daniel (25 March 2021). "Walkenhorst Names Pro Lineups for Endurance Cup Return". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  18. ^ Goodwin, Graham (11 December 2021). "BMW M Sports Trophy". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  19. ^ Goodwin, Graham (3 November 2021). "18 Cars Listed For Bahrain Rookie Test". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  20. ^ Goodwin, Graham (24 January 2022). "David Pittard Named As New AMR Factory Driver". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  21. ^ Lloyd, Daniel (2 February 2022). "Gaw: Pittard is "NorthWest AMR Driver" Not Factory Driver". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  22. ^ Lloyd, Daniel (18 March 2022). "Alpine Wins Red Flag-Affected 1000 Miles of Sebring". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  23. ^ "WEC Achievements Recognised by BRDC". FIA World Endurance Championship. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  24. ^ Kilbey, Stephen (21 May 2023). "Pittard Holds Off Vanthoor To Score Famous N24 Win For Frikadelli Racing". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  25. ^ "New British king of the 'Ring hits boiling point in 24Hr victory". Motor Sport. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  26. ^ Biegus, Jurek (23 May 2023). "David Pittard says night pace gave N24 win: "The car was lightning fast through the night, that's the cushion we had to bring her home"". GT-Report. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  27. ^ a b "David Pittard Results". motorsportstats.com. Retrieved October 26, 2023.

External links

  • David Pittard career summary at DriverDB.com


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