Colin Braun

Colin Braun

Braun at Road America in 2010
Nationality United States American
Born (1988-09-22) September 22, 1988
Ovalo, Texas, U.S.
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship career
Debut season 2014
Current team CORE Autosport
Car no. 54
Engine Chevrolet
Codriver United States Jonathan Bennett
Starts 20
Championships 2
Wins 7
Poles 4
Best finish 1st in 2015
Finished last season 1st (2015)
Previous series
2017,2011–2013
2005–2013
2012
2007–2010
2007–2011
2007		 American Le Mans
Rolex Sports Car Series
Pirelli World Challenge
Nationwide Series
Camping World Truck Series
ARCA Racing Series
Championship titles
2014–2015 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Awards
2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
31 races run over 4 years
2010 position 23rd
Best finish 23rd (2010)
First race 2007 Sam's Town 250 (Memphis)
Last race 2010 Ford 300 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 6 2
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
53 races run over 4 years
2011 position 50th
Best finish 5th (2009)
First race 2007 Kroger 200 (Martinsville)
Last race 2011 Good Sam Club 200 (Atlanta)
First win 2009 Michigan 200 (Michigan)
Last win 2009 Michigan 200 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles
1 23 5

Colin Braun (/ˈkɒlᵻn braʊn/; born September 22, 1988)[1] is an American racing driver. He is the 2015 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Prototype Challenge Champion[2] and currently drives the No. 54 Flex-Box/Composite Resources ORECA FLM09 for CORE autosport.[3] He formerly competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series.

Racing career

Braun started out his racing career at 6, racing quarter midgets. At 8 he went international, competing for factory kart racing teams in countries such as Monaco, Spain, France, and Japan. At 14 he moved to cars, winning championships in Formula Renault TR 1600 and Formula TR 2000 Pro Series.

2006–2007

At 16, Braun was part of the Team 16 squad and made his road racing debut in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with a Porsche 996 GT3, teammate to future NASCAR driver Brad Coleman.[4] Braun made history as the youngest Daytona Prototype driver at 17, driving an Essex Racing Ford Crawford. In 2006 he joined Krohn Racing's No. 75 team, teamming with Jörg Bergmeister. Braun became the youngest winner of a major auto race on North American soil with his win at the Brumos Porsche 250 in Daytona.[5] Due to the Master Settlement Agreement, was barred from participating in three races but still finished fourth in points while Bergmeister won the overall championship. He also became the youngest driver to stand on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a second-place finish in his class in a Ferrari F430.[5] He stayed on with Krohn for 2007, but was teamed with Max Papis. The team ended up in the top five in points, despite Braun being suspended for an incident at the Crown Royal 200 at Watkins Glen International.[6]

In 2007, Braun signed a driver development contract with Roush Fenway Racing.[7] Braun made his stock car debut in the ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Gateway International Raceway, where he finished 13th.[8] Braun later made his NASCAR debut in the Camping World Truck Series (was Craftsman Truck Series), driving the No. 50 RSC Equipment Rental Ford for Roush Fenway. He was running in the top 20 before a flat tire sent him into the wall and a 34th-place finish.[9] He would also drive the No. 16 3M Ford at the Sam's Town 250 where he had a 30th-place finish. In November 2007, he was announced as the full-time driver of the No. 6 Ford, succeeding Travis Kvapil.[10]

2008–2011

Braun assumed full-time duties in 2008 in the Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 6 Con-way Ford F-150 with veteran crew chief Mike Beam. He earned three top-five and eight top-10 finishes, and won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award.[11] Braun became the sixth Roush Fenway Racing driver to claim the rookie title in the truck series. He also made five Nationwide Series starts including one top-five finish and two poles.

Braun's 2010 Nationwide car

After turning a lap of 177.441 mph on Thursday evening in qualifying to earn his first career Camping World Truck Series Pole award,[12] Braun led the field to the green flag Friday night at Daytona International Speedway for the 2009 season opener. He led the first 10 laps of the race, fell as far back as 15th and with luck, in the end, Braun crossed the finish line in ninth place to score his ninth career top 10. On June 13, he scored his first career Truck Series win at Michigan.[13]

In 2010, Braun was promoted to the Nationwide Series, and Con-way would be his sponsor for 18 races. However, by midseason, Bruan was removed from the No. 16 car in certain races in which they did not have a sponsor, but returned to the No. 16 car in races when Con-way is the sponsor.[14] Braun had a tough rookie year in the Nationwide Series, making 24 starts with 5 top 10s but also had 7 DNFs. Braun was released by Roush on December 1 after Roush's Nationwide program turned its focus to getting sponsorship for Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne, and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

Braun joined Robertson Racing in the American Le Mans Series for part of the 2011 season.[15] Braun returned to NASCAR with Billy Ballew Motorsports, driving their No. 51 Ford at Michigan.[16]

2012–2014

On January 21, 2012, he announced that he wouldn't compete in NASCAR during the 2012 season, but would drive for CORE Autosport in the 2012 American Le Mans Series season.[17] Partnered with team owner Jon Bennett, Braun helped CORE win the ALMS Prototype Challenge Class Teams Championship. Braun also joined the Kia Racing team[18] as part of Kinetic Motorsports Pirelli World Challenge GTS Class No. 38 Kia Optima entry. After four races were he was able to achieve 2 podium finishes, Bruan was removed from the team after he caused a collision with his team mate Michael Galati in the #36 Kia Optima.[19]

Braun partnered with Bennett for the first two races of the 2013 Rolex Sports Car Series season running with Doran Racing in a Ford Dallara to gain insight into the Daytona Prototype category.[20] Braun returned to CORE autosport for the full 2013 American Le Mans Series season, competing in the Prototype Challenge class. After driving the No. 05 with Bennett for the first eight races, Braun switched to the team's GT entry, driving the No. 06 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with Porsche factory driver Patrick Long.[21]As a result of the late-season switch, Braun finished fifth in the PC Drivers' Championship, but made significant contributions to CORE's 2013 PC Team Championship by scoring five podium finishes (including two wins) with Bennett.[22]

On October 9, 2013, Braun joined Michael Shank Racing at Daytona International Speedway to set a new speed record on the track's oval course using a Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype car, powered by a twin-turbocharged Ford V-6 engine; the existing record was 210.364 miles per hour (338.548 km/h), set in 1987.[23] Braun successfully broke the record, setting a fastest single lap at a speed of 222.971 miles per hour (358.837 km/h).[24]

In 2013 Braun began coaching Team CrowdStrike in the NARRA Radical Cup Series to many wins and an overall championship. He remained Team CrowdStrikes coach for 2014 and is focused on helping them win another championship.

Braun returned to CORE autosport in 2014, in the new United SportsCar Championship, driving the No. 54 PC car with Bennett.[25] He and co-drivers Bennett, James Gué and Mark Wilkins won the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona in the PC class[26] followed by the 12 Hours of Sebring.[27] Braun and Bennett went on to win races at Kansas Speedway and Watkins Glen International, propelling them to the 2014 PC Drivers' Championship and PC Team Championship as well as the newly created Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.[28] Braun received the TOTAL Pole Award for winning more PC pole positions than any other driver.[29] Braun and Bennett's success continued into 2015, where once again they claimed the PC Driver Championship in conjunction with CORE's PC Team Championship.[30]

Braun continues to drive for CORE autosport with Bennett in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship PC class in 2016.[31]

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

Camping World Truck Series

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2007 United States Risi Competizione
United States Krohn Racing		 United States Tracy Krohn
Sweden Niclas Jönsson		 Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 314 19th 2nd

References

  1. ↑ Colin Braun Career Statistics
  2. ↑ "2015 Champions crowned - Michelin Alley". Michelin Alley. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  3. ↑ "IMSA: CORE Autosport Finalizes 2016 Driver Lineup; Braun and Bennett to Return Full-Time". Race Chaser Online. 2015-12-18. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  4. ↑ "Team 16 One Year Later - MRN.com". www.mrn.com. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  5. 1 2 "Beyond the Cockpit: Colin Braun On the Future, Le Mans, and…Signing Babies?". Frontstretch. 2009-08-18. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  6. ↑ "Watkins Glen II: Colin Braun suspended". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  7. ↑ "Roush Fenway signs sports car standout Braun". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  8. ↑ "Braun, 18, making grand transition to stock cars - USATODAY.com". usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  9. ↑ "Martinsville II: Ford team race quotes". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  10. ↑ "Braun To Pilot No. 6 Truck - MRN.com". www.mrn.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  11. ↑ cobramotorsports (2008-11-24), 11-23-2008 - Colin Braun Rookie of The Year, retrieved 2016-05-05
  12. ↑ "Colin Braun Wins Pole For NextEra Energy Resources 250 - Daytona International Speedway". www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  13. ↑ "Braun Scores First Win - MRN.com". www.mrn.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  14. ↑ Sports, Fox. "Colin Braun taking hiatus from NASCAR Nationwide Series". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  15. ↑ ACO. "Colin Braun joins Robertson Racing". www.24h-lemans.com. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  16. ↑ "Colin Braun to run truck race at Michigan for Billy Ballew Motorsports". Sporting News. 2011-08-18. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  17. ↑ Pockrass, Bob (January 21, 2012). "TRUCKS: Braun Shifts Out Of Series". Speedtv.com. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  18. ↑ "KIA RACING ANNOUNCES DRIVER LINEUP FOR 2012 PIRELLI WORLD CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIPS SEASON". www.kiamedia.com. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  19. ↑ Phillips, Drew. "Kia teammates ruin 1-2 finish in Pirelli World Challenge race". Autoblog. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  20. ↑ "dailysportscar.com – Catching Up With Jon Bennett". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  21. ↑ Dagys, John. "CORE Shuffles Driver Lineup for COTA, VIR". Sportscar365.com. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  22. ↑ "Colin Braun Career Statistics - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  23. ↑ Kelly, Godwin (October 8, 2013). "Team hopes to beat Daytona International Speedway speed record with Ford EcoBoost car". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Daytona Beach, FL. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  24. ↑ DiZinno, Tony (October 9, 2013). "Braun, Ford, set fastest laps at Daytona with EcoBoost DP". MotorSports Talk. NBC Sports. Retrieved 2013-10-10.
  25. ↑ DiZinno, Tony. "TUSC: Braun, Huff earn PC class rides". NBC Sports. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  26. ↑ "Inside CORE’s Double Rolex 24 Win - Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  27. ↑ "Ganassi Wins Twelve Hours of Sebring - Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  28. ↑ "Complete list of 2014 season champions: IMSA Tudor United SportsCar Championship". Autoweek. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  29. ↑ "TUDOR 'Night Of Champions' In NYC celebrates inaugural victors". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  30. ↑ "IMSA Celebrates 2015 Season At TUDOR Night Of Champions". International Motor Sports Association. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  31. ↑ "Braun, Bennett back for CORE". www.highlandstoday.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.

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