Guy Smith (racing driver)

Guy Smith
Guy Smith
Born	September 12, 1974 (age 52); Beverley, United Kingdom
Occupation	Professional race car driver
Years active	1986–2013
Known for	Victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2003; 2011 American Le Mans Series champion

Guy James Mutlow Smith (born 12 September 1974) is a British professional race car driver, recognized primarily for his victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2003 and for securing the championship title in the American Le Mans Series during the 2011 season.

Early career

Originating from Beverley, Smith embarked on his karting journey in 1986, swiftly achieving championships in the British Junior, Protrain Junior, and Scottish Open categories. By 1988, he had claimed the Belgian Junior karting championship and in 1991 earned second place at the Senior World Championship. That same year marked his transition into car racing, where he finished as runner-up in the Formula First Winter Series, competed in the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship, and was honored as McLaren Autosport Young Kartist of the Year.

In 1992, Smith competed in Formula Vauxhall Junior, securing second place overall with five victories. The subsequent year saw him finish as runner-up in the British Formula Ford championship and achieve fourth at the Formula Ford Festival, driving for Swift Racing Cars. In 1994, he participated in both the British Formula Vauxhall Championship—where he placed fourth overall—and the Formula Opel Lotus Nations Cup, finishing sixth.

Smith’s significant breakthrough occurred in 1995 when he captured the British Formula Renault Championship title and placed fourth in the Formula Renault Eurocup, both campaigns undertaken with Manor Motorsport. His performance earned him a test session in a Williams FW17 Formula One car. Progressing to British Formula 3 with Fortec Motorsport in 1996, Smith won his debut race and ended the season sixth in the standings. That year also included appearances at the Macau Grand Prix, where he finished tenth, and at the Masters of Formula 3.

Continuing in British Formula 3 during 1997, Smith’s ranking dropped to ninth overall while simultaneously making his debut in the FIA GT Championship, piloting Cirtek Motorsport’s GT2-class Saleen Mustang at Spa. In 1998, he relocated to the United States to compete in Indy Lights with Johansson Motorsports, achieving two wins and third place overall, which earned him Rookie of the Year honors. He stayed on in Indy Lights for 1999, racing for Forsythe Racing, concluding fifth overall and completing his first test run in a Champ Car.

2000–2002

Smith transitioned to the American Le Mans Series in 2000, taking part in ten races for Johansson-Matthews Racing within the LMP1 category and finishing fifteenth in class standings. Additionally, he competed in the Rolex Sports Car Series, achieving a fourth-place class finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona. That year also marked his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Johansson-Matthews Racing; although engine failure forced retirement, Smith was awarded "Rookie of the Year."

In 2001, Smith entered the inaugural European Le Mans Series organized by IMSA, driving an Audi R8 for Johansson Racing and completing three races to finish ninth overall. He also took part in the FIA Sportscar Championship event at Monza for Redman Bright, securing pole position but ending last among classified finishers. During that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, Smith raced for Team Bentley; however, a fire forced their withdrawal from competition.

The 2002 season saw reduced activity from Smith but included notable results such as second place at the Daytona 24 Hours and third at Sebring’s 12-hour race while driving for Jim Matthews Racing. Primarily serving as Bentley’s official test driver that year, Smith was involved during a season when Bentley entered only one car at Le Mans.

2003–2005

In 2003, Smith took part in the 12 Hours of Sebring representing Bentley in the American Le Mans Series, achieving a fourth-place overall finish during Bentley's first North American competition in more than seven decades. He then secured an overall victory at the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans, sharing driving duties with Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello in the Bentley Speed 8. Following Le Mans, Smith competed at the Spa 24 Hours with Team Maranello Concessionaires, piloting a Ferrari 360 Modena in the N-GT category, and also participated in the FIA GT Championship event held at Donington Park. That year marked his only appearance in the Race of Champions, along with testing a rally-spec Peugeot 206 XS for ProSpeed Motorsport.

In 2004, Smith contested two prototype endurance events, finishing third overall at Sebring with Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx and securing second place at Le Mans alongside teammates Johnny Herbert and Jamie Davies. Midway through the season, he debuted in the Champ Car World Series, driving for Paul Gentilozzi's Rocketsports outfit, where he achieved two ninth-place finishes and concluded the year 18th in the standings.

During 2005, Smith participated in the opening seven rounds of the Grand Am Rolex Series, driving a Riley Mk XI Pontiac for Orbit Racing and ending 36th in class; his best result was eighth at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. Additionally, he raced in the American Le Mans Series’ marquee endurance events—the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans—behind the wheel of a Dyson Racing Team MG-Lola EX257, earning second place overall at Petit Le Mans. He also secured a runner-up finish in LMP2 at the 2005 1000km of Istanbul for Chamberlain Synergy Motor, driving a Lola B05/40 powered by Advanced Engine Research.

2006–2008

Smith commenced the 2006 campaign with a 14th place overall (10th within class) at the Daytona 24 Hours, competing for Howard-Boss Motorsports in a Crawford DP03 Pontiac. Throughout that season, he appeared in ten more races split between the Rolex Sports Car Series (four events) and American Le Mans Series (seven events), representing HBM and Dyson Racing respectively. His standout results included seventh place at the Linder-Komatsu Grand Prix of Miami (Rolex Series) and second place at Mosport’s Grand Prix (ALMS). Despite only contesting approximately 70% of ALMS races, Smith secured sixth place in the championship standings.

In 2007, Smith returned to Daytona with Howard Motorsports; however, the team retired after completing 295 laps. He then committed to a full ALMS season with Dyson Racing, now campaigning the Porsche RS Spyder. His highest achievement was third overall and second within LMP2 at Petit Le Mans, finishing fourth in that category’s championship.

Smith remained with Dyson Racing for 2008, continuing to pilot the Porsche RS Spyder. Although aiming to capture the team’s inaugural victory, he managed only one podium finish in class during the 12 Hours of Sebring and concluded sixth in the championship rankings. That year also saw Smith return to Le Mans with Quifel ASM Team driving a Lola B05/40 AER alongside Miguel Amaral and Olivier Pla; they finished 20th overall and fifth within their class.

2009–2011

In 2009, Smith remained with Dyson Racing, now piloting the updated Lola B09/86 Mazda vehicles in the LMP2 category. He achieved a fourth-place overall finish and operated a biofuel-powered car during the final two events, which rendered him ineligible for championship points. That year also marked his return to the Le Mans Series after several years, competing at the 1000 km of Spa in a Team LNT-entered GZ09S LMP1 machine, where he placed sixteenth overall and eleventh within his class. At the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, Smith drove the Quifel ASM Team’s Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S/2 LMP2 entry but was forced to retire due to a fuel line malfunction followed by a crash.

Continuing with Dyson Racing for the 2010 American Le Mans Series season, Smith participated in eight out of nine rounds and secured sixth place overall. He notched both his and Dyson Racing’s inaugural ALMS victory at the 2010 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge. In early 2010, it was confirmed that he would join Rebellion Racing for the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans, competing in an LMP1-class Lola B10/60. Although the team targeted an overall win, their efforts ended prematurely after Jean-Christophe Boullion’s crash caused retirement. Smith also achieved third place overall at the 2010 8 Hours of Castellet with Rebellion and entered the RAC Rally behind the wheel of a Ford Escort Mk 1, though he did not finish.

For a seventh straight year, Smith continued with Dyson Racing in the American Le Mans Series alongside teammate Chris Dyson. The duo clinched the championship title with one round remaining at the 2011 American Le Mans Monterey, concluding the season as runners-up overall. They experienced a narrow defeat at the 2011 Road Race Showcase, losing by only 0.112 seconds to Muscle Milk Racing. Smith returned to Rebellion Racing for the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans, but another accident involving Boullion led to early retirement. Additionally, he competed in the 2011 24 Hours of Nürburgring with RJN Motorsport and made another appearance at the RAC Rally.

2012–2013

In 2012, Smith remained committed to Dyson Racing, driving the newly introduced Lola B12/60 Mazda in an effort to defend his ALMS crown; however, he finished as runner-up, trailing by nine points. He was involved in what became the closest finish in series history at the 2012 Road Race Showcase, securing victory by a mere 0.083 seconds over Muscle Milk Racing. Although initially slated to compete in Dyson’s inaugural appearance at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, financial constraints led to the team's withdrawal and Smith did not participate. That year, he showcased various Bentleys—including the new Continental GT Speed—at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. He also took part in a parade lap driving a Continental GT Speed during the 2012 24 Hours of Nürburgring and marked his third consecutive entry at the RAC Rally.

Smith extended his streak with Dyson Racing into a ninth season during the 2013 American Le Mans Series season. Mechanical difficulties forced him to retire early from the 2013 12 Hours of Sebring after completing 81 laps. Furthermore, he competed in the 24H Dubai event with Ram Racing behind the wheel of a Ferrari 458 GT3.

2014–2018

During his tenure as a Factory Driver for Bentley, Guy participated in the 2014 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup with Bentley Team M-Sport, collaborating with Steven Kane and Andy Meyrick. The team secured a runner-up position overall and clinched a win at Silverstone. The following year, 2015, the trio once again finished second in the championship standings and placed fourth at the Bathurst 12 Hours.

In 2016, Smith remained with Bentley competing in the Blancpain GT Series, achieving third place at the Bathurst 12 Hours and seventh at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. He repeated a third-place finish at Bathurst in 2017 before stepping down as a factory driver in 2018. That same year, he claimed victories in single-stage rallies such as the Cadwell Park Stages and Dukeries Rally.

2019–2022

Smith made a return to the FIA World Endurance Championship during the 2019–20 season with Team LNT, piloting a Ginetta G60-LT-P1 and participating in the initial four rounds. In 2021, he joined United Autosports for the IMSA SportsCar Championship, securing third place in LMP2 at the Watkins Glen 6 Hours and fourth at Petit Le Mans, while also competing in Road to Le Mans events within the LMP3 category.

In 2020, alongside Andy Meyrick, Smith co-established Greenlight Sports Management, focusing on supporting racing drivers through career guidance and opportunity management.

Continuing with United Autosports in LMP2 during 2022, he finished sixth at the 24 Hours of Daytona and fifth at the Sebring 12 Hours. Additionally, he triumphed at the Donington Park Rally alongside Patrick Walsh driving a Ford Fiesta R5. That year also saw Smith discuss his involvement with Greenlight Sports on the mental health platform Wobbling About And Rocking Out.

Complete American open–wheel racing results

(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole positions; those in italics indicate fastest laps)

Indy Lights

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Rank	Points
1998	Johansson Motorsports	MIA	LBH	NAZ	GAT	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MCH	TRO	VAN	LAG	FON	3rd	110
1999	Forsythe Championship Racing	MIA	LBH	NAZ	MIL	POR	CLE	TOR	MCH	DET	''CHI 2	LAG < br > 4	FON < br > 19			9th	71

Champ Car World Series

(Wikipedia:WikiProject American Open Wheel Racing/Driver results legend#key)

Year	Team	No.	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Rank	Pts
2004	Rocketsports Racing	17	(Lola) B02/00	(Ford) XFE V8 Turbo	2004 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach	2004 Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey	2004 Time Warner Cable Road Runner 250	2004 Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland	2004 U.S. Bank Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland	2004 Molson Indy Toronto	2004 Molson Indy Vancouver	2004 Grand Prix of Road America 10	2004 Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver 18	2004 Molson Indy Montreal 16	2004 Bridgestone Grand Prix of Monterey 9	2004 Bridgestone 400 17	2004 Lexmark Indy 300 9	2004 Gran Premio Telmex/Tecate 17	18th	53

Complete American Le Mans Series results

(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key) (bold denotes pole position; italics signify fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Class	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Rank	Points

|-

|(2000)
! nowrap | Johansson-Matthews Racing  
! LMP  
! nowrap | Reynard 2KQ  
! nowrap | Judd GV4 V10 (4.0 L)  
|
Ret  
|
|
Ret  
|

12

7

4†

7

5

Ret

5

|
|
|

|} |-

|(2001)
! nowrap | Johansson Motorsport / Arena Motorsport  
! LMP900  
! nowrap | Audi R8  
! nowrap | Audi Turbo V8 (3.6 L)  
|
|

4

3

|
|
|
|
|
|
}

|-

|(2002)
! nowrap | Riley & Scott Racing / Jim Matthews Racing  
! LMP900  
! nowrap | Riley & Scott Mk III C  
! nowrap | Élan V8 (6.0 L)  
|

3

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
}

|-

|(2003)
! nowrap | Team Bentley   
! LMGTP   
! nowrap | Bentley Speed 8   
! nowrap | Bentley Turbo V8 (4.0 L)   
|

2

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
}

|-

|(2004)
! nowrap | Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx   
! LMP1   
! nowrap | Audi R8   
! nowrap | Audi Turbo V8 (3.6 L)   
|

3

| | | | | | } |-

|(2005)
! nowrap | Dyson Racing   
! LMP1   
! nowrap | MG-Lola EX257   
! nowrap | MG (AER) XP20 Turbo I4 (2.0 L)

| 4† | | | | | | 2 |} |- ... [Table continues similarly for subsequent years] ...

^† Classified despite not finishing, having completed over seventy percent of race distance.

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Template:24hLM entries from years including:

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps Completed	Overall Position	Class Position

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key) (bold indicates pole position; italics represent fastest lap)

2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship season: United Autosports fielded Smith in LMP2 class driving Oreca07 powered by Gibson GK428 V8 engine. Results included fifth place at Sebring, third at Watkins Glen, and fourth at Petit Le Mans. Final standing was eighth with a total of nine hundred twenty points. 2022 IMSA SportsCar Championship: Continued with United Autosports in LMP2 category using Oreca07 chassis with Gibson GK428 V8. Finished sixth at Daytona and fifth at Sebring. Ranked twentieth overall with two hundred eighty-four points.

Year	Team	Class	Vehicle Make	Engine Type	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	...additional races...	...standings...	...points...	-Ref-

^† Points earned counted exclusively towards Michelin Endurance Cup standings rather than overall LMP2 championship.

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key) (bold denotes pole positions; italics indicate fastest laps)

2019–20 season: Competed for Team LNT driving Ginetta G60-LT-P1 powered by AER P60C turbocharged V6 engine. Finished twelfth at Silverstone, ninth at Fuji, fifth at Shanghai, retired at Bahrain opening round. Subsequent rounds included Circuit of the Americas, Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans, and Bahrain endurance events. Concluded season ranked nineteenth overall accumulating twelve and a half points.

- Year - Entrant - Class - Chassis - Engine - Round1 - Round2 - Round3 - Round4 - Round5 - Round6 - Round7 - Round8 - Rank - Points -

External links