- Nick Leventis
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Nick Leventis 
Image from the Strakka Racing Photograph Archive, February 2010Born January 31, 1980
LondonResidence Notting Hill Nationality English Occupation Professional racing driver Spouse Sophie Leventis Website nickleventis.com Nick Leventis (born 31 January 1980) is a British professional racing driver and founder of Strakka Racing. In 2010, the Strakka team of Leventis, Danny Watts, and Jonny Kane won the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 category. In August Leventis and Strakka secured their first overall victory in the Le Mans Series, winning the 1000 km of Hungaroring.[1][non-primary source needed]
Leventis is also an ambassador for Global Angels, an international charity. He recently raised £100,000 for the charity by skydiving over Mount Everest on 19 October 2010.[2]
Contents
Early life
Nick Leventis was born in Kensington, London and educated at Harrow School. Leventis initially competed in downhill alpine skiing until a serious back injury in 2003 forced him to quit the sport at a professional level. From here he turned his focus to motorsports.
Racing
In 2001 Leventis began his career in motor racing while still alpine skiing. Following his back injury, he raced in the BMW LMA Euro Saloon Championship and finished as runner-up. Leventis also competed in endurance racing and achieved a class win and sixth overall in the first-ever Britcar Silverstone 24 Hours.[1][non-primary source needed] Leventis also took up historic racing, winning the Roy Salvadori Trophy at the Silverstone Classic meeting with a 1957 Aston Martin DBR1 in both 2006 and 2007.
In 2006 and 2007 Leventis competed in Belgian Touring Car Series and Italian Superturismo Championship, earning several podiums, as well as two class victories at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. In endurance racing he won the Vallelunga Silver Cup two years in a while, while also finishing second in the Vallelunga Gold Cup.[1][non-primary source needed] During 2007 Leventis founded Strakka racing.[citation needed]
Leventis and Strakka began their international debut in the Le Mans Series in 2008 after purchasing an Aston Martin DBR9 for the GT1 category. The team earned two fourth place finishes, but failed to finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For 2009 Strakka moved to the LMP1 category with a Ginetta-Zytek sports prototype. Professional racing driver Danny Watts was hired to partner Leventis and Peter Hardman. The trio claimed pole position for the opening round of the Le Mans Series, but failed to challenge for the season championship. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans the team's car finished 21st.[1]
In 2010 the Strakka team competed changed cars once more, purchasing an HPD ARX-01 for the LMP2 category of sports prototypes. The team won their class on three occasions during the Le Mans Series season, including taking the overall race win at the 1000 km of Hungaroring, but failed to secure the Teams Championship after two retiresments. At Le Mans the team successfully won their class and set several new records for the category including the greatest distance covered and highest overall finishing position for the class.[3]
Extreme sports
After his skiing accident sidelined his ability to compete in the sport, Leventis began to develop an interest in extreme sports and is a regular surfer and wake boarder. In 2007 Nick joined the Relentless Artist stable.[4]
In October, 2010 Nick completed a 30,000ft tandem skydive over Mount Everest with jump partner Tom Noonan in what was a new Himalayan record.[5] The jump was made in aid of the Global Angels foundation, a children's charity working with disadvantaged children [2] The Everest jump is considered to be the most dangerous in the world, given the high altitude and thick air.[6] Nick Leventis will be attempting to create solo skydive records in the New Year (2011).[7] Leventis' skydiving has been part of an effort to raise funds for his personal charity, Global Angels.
24 Hours of Le Mans results
Year Class No Tyres Car Team Co-Drivers Laps Pos. Class
Pos.2008 GT1 53 M Aston Martin DBR9
Aston Martin 6.0L V12
Vitaphone Racing Team
Strakka Racing Peter Hardman
Alexandre Sarnes Negrão82 DNF DNF 2009 LMP1 23 M Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S
Zytek ZJ458 4.5L V8 Strakka Racing Peter Hardman
Danny Watts325 21st 14th 2010 LMP2 42 M HPD ARX-01C
HPD AL7R 3.4L V8 Strakka Racing Danny Watts
Jonny Kane367 5th 1st 2011 LMP2 42 M HPD ARX-01d
HPD HR28TT 2.8L Turbo V6 Strakka Racing Danny Watts
Jonny Kane144 DNF DNF References
- ^ a b c d "Strakka Racing \\ Professional Racing Team \ Silverstone". Strakkaracing.com. 2010-12-31. http://www.strakkaracing.com. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
- ^ a b "Nick Leventis – ‘Aiming High’". Globalangels.org. http://www.globalangels.org/news/angels-news/nick-leventis-aiming-high. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
- ^ "Audi celebrate 1-2-3 in the Le Mans 24 hour race" The BBC. London 13 June 2010. Retrieved on 2010 - 06 - 13
- ^ "Artists | Relentless". Relentlessenergy.com. 2007-02-20. http://www.relentlessenergy.com/artists/view/mickey-smith. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
- ^ "EVEREST SKYDIVE 2011". Everest-skydive.com. http://www.everest-skydive.com. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
- ^ " A new high for Nick Leventis World Record Skydive" Daily Sports Car. London October 2010. Retrieved on 2010 - 10
- ^ "Nick Leventis sets a new skydiving record" "Explore Himalaya". London October 2010. Retrieved on 2011 - 02
External links
Categories:- 1980 births
- Living people
- Le Mans Series drivers
- 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
- English racecar drivers
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