Timo Bernhard

Le Mans drivers
Name = Timo Bernhard


Nationality = flagicon|GER German
Years = 2002-2003, 2005
Team(s) = The Racer's Group, Peterson Motorsports/White Lightning Racing
Best Finish =
Class Wins = 1 (2002)

Timo Bernhard (born February 24 1981 in Homburg, Saarland, Germany) is a sports car racer. He is currently a Porsche factory driver competing in the American Le Mans Series for Penske Racing.

Early career

Bernhard began his career at the age of 10, in karts in the Rhineland-Palatinate championship. He won the German junior karting championship in 1994 and 1995, and would also place 5th in the Junior World Championship in 1995. Bernhard moved to cars in 1998, taking two wins and 6th in the championship in German Formula Ford, and also 6th in the Formula Ford Eurocup. The next year, he finished 3rd in German Formula Ford, and won a seat as a Porsche Junior factory driver.

ports cars

For 2000, Bernhard drove in Porsche Supercup as a UPS Porsche Junior driver, finishing 3rd in the championship. In 2001, he made his American Le Mans Series debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring, where he finished 2nd in the GT class with Randy Pobst and Christian Menzel, driving for Alex Job Racing. He also made four other ALMS starts, and won the Porsche Carrera Cup championship.

2002

2002 proved to be a breakout year for Bernhard. He began the season with a class win in the 24 Hours of Daytona for The Racer's Group. He then finished second overall at the 24 Hours Nürburgring driving for Alzen Motorsport. The crowning achievement of the year was winning the GT class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Kevin Buckler and Lucas Luhr. He also finished 3rd in the Carrera Cup, and won his first ALMS race (with Jörg Bergmeister) and finished 4th in the championship.

2003

Bernhard began the season by winning the 24 Hours of Daytona outright in a Porsche 911 GT3-RS, driving with Buckler, Michael Schrom, and Bergmeister. Bernhard and Bergmeister won 3 ALMS races, including Petit Le Mans, and finished second in the championship. He also finished 3rd at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

2004

In 2004, Bernhard again partnered with Jörg Bergmeister in the ALMS. The duo took six wins from nine starts and won the GT class driver's championship. Their successes included class wins at Sebring and Petit Le Mans, both time joined by Sascha Maassen. Bernhard also finished 4th overall and 2nd in class in the Spa 24 Hours. He finished on the podium at the Nürburgring 24 Hours for the 3rd straight year, finishing in third in a Manthey Racing Porsche.

2005

Bernhard joined Romain Dumas in the ALMS for 2005. They scored four class wins, and Bernhard won four poles, but finished second in the championship. Dumas also finished 2nd in the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving with Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Long.

2006

In 2006, Bernhard moved to Penske Racing and the new Porsche RS Spyder in the LMP2 class of the ALMS, again partnering Dumas. After a frustrating start to the season, Bernhard and Dumas took advantage of the Audi R10's absence from the series to take the overall win at Mid-Ohio. This was the first overall win for an LMP2 class car, and the first win for an under-class car since 2003. Bernhard also won the LMP2 class at Petit Le Mans (with Sascha Maassen and Emmanuel Collard), and took four class victories in total and finished 3rd in the championship. He also won the 24 Hours Nürburgring outright, partnering Lucas Luhr, Marcel Tiemann, and Mike Rockenfeller.

Accolades

*ALMS GT class champion: 2004
*24 Hours of Le Mans GT class winner: 2002
*12 Hours of Sebring GT class winner: 2004
*12 Hours of Sebring overall winner: 2008
*Petit Le Mans LMP2 class winner: 2006
*Petit Le Mans GT class winner: 2003, 2004
*24 Hours of Daytona overall winner: 2003
*24 Hours of Daytona GT class winner: 2002, 2003
*24 Hours Nürburgring winner: 2006, 2007, 2008
*Porsche Carrera Cup champion: 2001

External links

* [http://www.timo-bernhard.de/index_e.php Official site]
* [http://www.porsche.com/usa/eventsandracing/motorsport/philosophy/worksdrivers/timobernhard/?gtabindex=2 Porsche bio]