Kenny Bräck

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Kenny Bräck
Kenny Bräck at the 2011 Goodwood Festival.jpg
Kenny Bräck at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed
NationalitySwedish
Born (1966-03-21) 21 March 1966 (age 55)
Arvika, Sweden
Retired2005
IRL IndyCar Series
Years active1997–99, 2002–03, 2005
TeamsRahal Letterman Racing
Chip Ganassi Racing
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
Galles Racing
Starts47
Wins4
Poles0
Best finish1st in 1998
Previous series
2000–2002
1994–1995
1993
CART World Series
Formula 3000
Barber Saab Pro Series
Championship titles
1999
1998
1993
Indianapolis 500 winner
Indy Racing League champion
Barber Saab Pro Series champion
Awards
2005
2000
Scott Brayton award
CART Rookie of the Year

Kenny Bräck (born 21 March 1966) is a Swedish former race car driver. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He won the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and was the 1998 Indy Racing League champion.

He survived one of the racing sport's biggest crashes at Texas Motor Speedway in 2003, where he recorded the highest horizontal g-force ever survived by a human being at 214 g0.[1][citation needed]. Eighteen months later he made a comeback at the Indy 500 and set the fastest qualifying time of the field. He retired from IndyCar racing after the race.

In 2009, he made a comeback to rally, competing in Rally X at X-Games 15 and winning Gold. Bräck still drives occasionally and won The Dukerie's Stage Rally in Nottingham, England with co-driver Emil Axelsson in June 2011. The duo also won the Swedish classic The Midnight Sun Rally in July 2011. In September Bräck took pole position and won the RAC Tourist Trophy race at the Goodwood Revival in a Shelby Daytona Coupé 1964 together with 9-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. In September 2013 Bräck won The Whitsun Trophy race at the Goodwood Revival in a Ford GT40 together with Red Bull Racing's Adrian Newey.

Early career[]

Born in Arvika, Sweden, he grew up in the small village of Glava, where his father taught him to drive cars on the lake-ice in the winters. A neighbor introduced Bräck to racing when he was 13 years of age, working in his business one summer, buying him a go-kart. Apart from the beginning of Bräck's career, he has managed his career himself, from finding sponsors, negotiating contracts to winning races.[citation needed]

Formula racing[]

He raced in Britain and Sweden in Formula Ford and Formula 3 (he was Swedish junior Formula Ford Champion in 1986), in Europe in , in Scandinavia and Europe in the Renault Clio Cup (Scandinavian Champion 1992) and in the US in the Barber Saab Pro Series (Champion in 1993).

In 1994 he competed in the International Formula 3000. In 1995 he finished third in the International F3000 championship for Madgwick Racing. In 1996 he was Arrows Formula One test driver but decided to leave the team after mid season concentrating on his European F3000 campaign. Despite winning the last race on the road, after a controversial Clerk of the Course decision he eventually was disqualified from the event and had to settle for the runner-up position in the championship, driving for the British team Super Nova. Had he not been disqualified, Bräck would have been champion.

First IRL stint[]

Bräck debuted in the IRL in 1997, making his first start for Galles Racing at Phoenix, replacing Jeff Ward, and finishing 11th after an accident. Over seven starts, he had two top-5 finishes at Charlotte and New Hampshire.

Leading up to his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1997, he showed initial promise early in May. He posted the fastest time on the second day of Rookie Orientation, posting a lap speed of 205.597 mph.[2] He ended up qualifying 15th for the race, in a unique year in which 35 cars formed the starting grid. Unfortunately, on Race Day, in the final pace lap before the green flag, Bräck was caught up in an accident with Stéphan Grégoire and Affonso Giaffone and finished 33rd after being unable to continue.

In 1998, he moved to drive for American racing legend A. J. Foyt. The new team paid dividends, as he won three consecutive races on his way to the IRL championship in 1998. In his 1999 title defense, he finished runner-up to Greg Ray, including a win at the 1999 Indianapolis 500. After the 1999 season, he left Foyt's team to compete in the CART FedEx Championship Series.

CART career[]

Kenny Bräck
CART World Series
Years active2000-2002
TeamsTeam Rahal
Chip Ganassi Racing
Starts59
Wins5
Poles7
Best finish2nd in 2001
Awards
2000CART Rookie of the Year
Kenny Bräck in 2002.

In 2000 he switched to the CART series, joining Team Rahal and being awarded the Rookie of the Year. He finished 2nd in the driver's championship in 2001, winning a season-high 4 victories and 6 pole positions. However, he did not have much success on road circuits which is what ultimately cost him that year's title to Gil de Ferran.

In 2001 Bräck also had a minor role in the Hollywood motion picture Driven, which starred Sylvester Stallone and Burt Reynolds.

In 2002, Bräck raced for Chip Ganassi Racing, and he ended the season by winning the CART season finale Mexico City G.P., which turned out to be his only win in major North American open-wheel racing on a road or street circuit.

IROC[]

In 2001 he competed in the International Race of Champions series in the season called IROC XXV. The series is a stock car invitational in the United States. He finished third in the championship, the highest points position for a non-stock car driver.

Return to IRL[]

Bräck moved back to the IRL in 2003 with previous CART team owner, Bobby Rahal and his Rahal Letterman Racing team. Bräck scored 2nd place at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan. In the final race at Texas Motor Speedway, he suffered a serious crash that almost cost him his life. His car locked wheels with Tomas Scheckter's, flew into the catch fencing, and broke apart. Bräck's crash saw the highest recorded g-forces since the introduction of crash violence recording systems, peaking at 214 g.[3][4] (While death may occur at >50 g). This was the highest recorded g-force ever survived. He suffered multiple fractures, breaking his sternum, femur, shattering a vertebra in his spine and crushing his ankles. He spent eighteen months recovering from his injuries. Though Bräck would return for one additional race, the Texas wreck essentially ended his racing career in IRL.

Bräck made his comeback at the 2005 Indianapolis 500, replacing an injured Buddy Rice (who, coincidentally, had replaced Bräck in 2004). He set the fastest qualification time in the field with an average speed of 227.598 mph (366.283 km/h), but started 23rd due to not qualifying on the first day. He retired from the race with a mechanical problem.

Retirement[]

As of 2011, Bräck lives in England and has retired from open wheel racing. Since 2015 Bräck has helped McLaren Automotive working with dynamic car development for their road cars. In May 2018 he took the role as chief test driver. In May 2017 Kenny set the lap record for road legal cars at the Nürburgring Nordschleife with a lap time of 6'43.22, in a McLaren P1 LM, a project he helped develop with Team Lanzante.

For a time he managed future Formula One and IndyCar driver Marcus Ericsson. He continued to occasionally drive in rallying.

Bräck also spends his time currently as the lead member and songwriter of his rock band "Bräck", together with lead singer Franc Aledia. At the 2007 Indianapolis 500 the band Bräck cooperated with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in celebrating American racing legend A. J. Foyt as part of his 50th anniversary at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In May 2007 the band released its first album "Greatest hits, volume 1" featuring the song "Legend of the Speedway". A rock video, featuring Foyt's Indianapolis winning cars including the car Bräck won the race with in 1999 while driving for Foyt was also recorded. The video was directed by Allen Farst of Niche Productions, Dayton, Ohio.

Bräck is also on the board of directors of Mekonomen, Scandinavia's biggest distributor of car spare parts, listed on the Swedish stock exchange.[5]

In July 2013, Autosport named Bräck one of the top 50 greatest drivers to have never raced in Formula One.

Other racing[]

Bräck was employed by Lanzante Motorsport to drive one of the most prestigious cars, a 1964 Shelby Daytona Coupé, in the RAC Tourist Trophy race at the Goodwood Revival in September 2011. Only six original cars exist. Sharing the driving duties with 9-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, Bräck qualified the car on pole position. The duo also won the race. In September 2013 Bräck, in partnership with Red Bull F1 Racing's Adrian Newey won the Goodwood revival 50 year anniversary The Whitsun Trophy, where Bräck performed a rain qualifying that became a YouTube sensation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jF__B1xpJY. The duo went on to win the race. Also in September Bräck co-drove Christian Glaesel's Ford GT40 in the Spa 6-Hours race, together with the owner and Olivier Ellerbrock. Bräck qualified the car on pole. Eventually the car finished in 5th place.

X Games[]

In 2009, four years after retiring from IndyCar racing Bräck made a surprise return to the wheel after receiving a special invitation to compete in the annual ESPN X Games 15 in Los Angeles. Bräck drove a Ford Fiesta prepared by Swedish team Olsbergs MSE. Bräck was the fastest qualifier and went on to win the competition outright in a head-to-head final against previous Rally Gold Medal winner and nine time overall X-Games Gold Medal winner Travis Pastrana. Bräck became the first specially invited driver to win the Rally Gold Medal. The late WRC star Colin McRae previously held the top spot with a second-place finish.

Rally[]

In 2011 Bräck won his second stage rally in his career, Dukerie's Rally outside Nottingham, England, in a Ford Escort Mk II BDG with Swedish co-driver Emil Axelsson. In July 2011 the duo won the Swedish classic The Midnight Sun Rally in the same car, in front of the previous year's winner Kenneth Bäcklund and rally world champion Björn Waldegård.

Racing record[]

Complete International Formula 3000 results[]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DC Points
1994 SIL
12
PAU
DNS
CAT
11
PER
11
HOC
9
SPA
3
EST
6
MAG
10
11th 5
1995 SIL
5
CAT
13†
PAU
4
PER
Ret
HOC
2
SPA
Ret
EST
3
MAG
1
4th 24
1996 Super Nova Racing NÜR
1
PAU
2
PER
Ret
HOC
1
SIL
1
SPA
5
MAG
2
EST
3
MUG
3
HOC
DSQ
2nd 49

American open–wheel results[]

(key)

IndyCar Series[]

Year Team Chassis No. Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points
1996–1997 Galles Racing G-Force GF01 4 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 NHM LVS WDW PHX
11
INDY
33
TXS
18
PPIR
14
CLT
5
NH2
5
LV2
20
19th 139
1998 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Dallara IR8 14 WDW
13
PHX
14
INDY
6
TXS
3
NHM
18
DOV
10
CLT
1
PPIR
1
ATL
1
TX2
5
LVS
10
1st 332
1999 Dallara IR9 WDW
22
PHX
24
CLT
C
INDY
1
TXS
13
PPIR
7
ATL
3
DOV
3
PPI2
10
LVS
2
TX2
16
2nd 256
2002 Chip Ganassi Racing G-Force GF05C 22 Chevrolet Indy V8 HMS PHX FON NZR INDY
11
TXS PPIR RIR KAN NSH MIS KTY STL CHI TX2 42nd 19
2003 Team Rahal Dallara IR-03 15 Honda HI3R V8 HMS
11
PHX
5
MOT
2
INDY
16
TXS
4
PPIR
7
RIR
7
KAN
5
NSH
6
MIS
18
STL
19
KTY
19
NZR
5
CHI
21
FON
20
TX2
16
9th 342
2005 Rahal Letterman Racing Panoz GF09C Honda HI5R V8 HMS PHX STP MOT INDY
26
TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MIS KTY PPIR SNM CHI WGL FON 34th 10

CART[]

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Rank Points
2000 Team Rahal Reynard 2Ki Ford XF V8 t MIA
18
LBH
17
RIO
10
MOT
5
NZR
3
MIL
4
DET
24
POR
6
CLE
2
TOR
10
MIS
22
CHI
4
MDO
5
ROA
3
VAN
9
LS
5
STL
11
HOU
15
SRF
2
FON
13
4th 135
2001 Team Rahal Lola B01/00 Ford XF V8 t MTY
5
LBH
25
TXS
NH
NZR
2
MOT
1
MIL
1
DET
9
POR
11
CLE
6
TOR
20
MIS
17
CHI
1
MDO
20
ROA
14
VAN
8
LAU
1
ROC
2
HOU
7
LS
25
SRF
5
FON
26
2nd 163
2002 Chip Ganassi Racing Lola B02/00 Toyota RV8F V8 t MTY
18
LBH
5
MOT
17
MIL
8
LS
3
POR
15
CHI
18
TOR
2
CLE
4
VAN
18
MDO
6
ROA
14
MTL
18
DEN
7
ROC
8
MIA
13
SRF
4
FON
12
MEX
1
6th 114

Indianapolis 500[]

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
1997 G-Force GF01 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 15 33 Galles Racing
1998 Dallara IR8 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 3 6 A.J. Foyt Enterprises
1999 Dallara IR9 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 8 1 A.J. Foyt Enterprises
2002 G-Force GF05C Chevrolet Indy V8 21 11 Chip Ganassi Racing
2003 Dallara IR-03 Honda HI3R V8 6 16 Team Rahal
2005 Panoz GF09C Honda HI5R V8 23 26 Rahal Letterman Racing

Complete FIA European Rallycross Championship results[]

Division 1[]

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ERX Points
Kenny Bräck Citroën C4 T16 GBR
POR
FRA
HUN
AUT
SWE
10
BEL
GER
POL
CZE
27th 7

References[]

  1. ^ Glick, Shav (14 October 2003). "Brack Stable After Crash". The Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^ "Daily Trackside Report - Monday May 5, 1997". Motorsport.com. 5 May 1997. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Feel the G's: The Science of Gravity and G-Forces - by Suzanne Slade (page 37)
  5. ^ Meknomen AB (2011). "Board of Directors". Mekonomen AB. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2012.

External links[]

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Barber Saab Pro Series Champion
1993
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Tony Stewart
Pep Boys Indy Racing League Champion
1998
Succeeded by
Greg Ray
Preceded by
Eddie Cheever
Indianapolis 500 Winner
1999
Succeeded by
Juan Pablo Montoya
Preceded by
Juan Pablo Montoya
CART Rookie of the Year
2000
Succeeded by
Scott Dixon
Awards
Preceded by
Hélio Castroneves
Scott Brayton Award
2005
Succeeded by
Sam Hornish, Jr.
Retrieved from ""