Jason Bright

Jason Bright
Jason Bright
Born	March 7, 1973 (age 53); Australia
Occupation	Racing driver
Years active	1988–2017
Known for	Competing in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship

Jason Paul Bright (born 7 March 1973) is a former Australian racing driver known for competing in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. Prior to retiring from full-time competition at the conclusion of the 2017 season, he piloted the No. 56 Ford FG X Falcon for Britek Motorsport, a satellite outfit affiliated with Prodrive Racing Australia.

Australia

Bright launched his motorsport journey in 1988 at age 15, swiftly advancing through various karting competitions. By 1991, he had secured the Victorian Go Karting Championship title. The following year, he shifted focus to single-seater racing, finishing fourth in the Victorian Formula Ford Championship and ranking third nationally in karting events.

In 1993, Bright made his debut in the Australian Formula Ford Championship driving a factory-supported Spectrum. His best race result was sixth place, and he earned second position at the Australian Formula Ford Festival. The subsequent year, he placed third overall in the championship and triumphed in the Formula Ford race held as a support event for the Australian Grand Prix.

The year 1995 saw Bright claim victory in the Australian Formula Ford Championship, win the Australian Grand Prix support race again, and take first place in the Lexmark Indy 300 support event. His achievements that season led to nominations for two prominent Australian motorsport awards.

In 1996, Bright finished as runner-up in the Australian Drivers' Championship, securing three wins. He dominated the following year's championship with seven victories. During 1997, he also made his V8 Supercars debut at Symmons Plains, finishing ninth, and achieved a third-place finish at the Sandown 500 co-driving with Alan Jones.

Bright joined Stone Brothers Racing full-time in touring cars for the 1998 season, where he recorded multiple top-six finishes and placed third at Calder Park. Alongside co-driver Steven Richards, he won the Bathurst Classic despite suffering a severe crash during practice and having limited qualifying time.

The 1999 season included six podium finishes for Bright, a victory at Hidden Valley Raceway, and three pole positions. Additionally, he secured third place in class at the Adelaide sportscar race that marked the start of 2000.

Returning to V8 Supercars with Holden Racing Team (HRT) in 2001, Bright won the opening round at Clipsal 500 and ended the season third overall. In 2002, he added two race wins and one pole position while driving for HRT.

Bright transferred to Paul Weel Racing in 2003 and achieved consistent results culminating in fourth place in the championship standings. The following year, he earned three race victories and finished third overall. He also claimed victory in the Bathurst 24 Hour endurance race behind the wheel of a Holden Monaro for Garry Rogers Motorsport.

In 2005, Bright moved to Ford Performance Racing (FPR), concluding the year ninth in points. After a slow start to 2006, his form improved significantly with wins at Sandown 500 and Bahrain's Desert 400 as well as podium placements at Surfers Paradise and Symmons Plains.

Bright departed FPR ahead of the 2007 season to concentrate on managing his own Britek Motorsport team; however, financial difficulties forced him to lease out one of his Racing Entitlement Contracts and collaborate with Stone Brothers Racing for vehicle preparation. This arrangement effectively downsized Britek Motorsport's operations. His results improved after switching to an SBR FG Falcon car, highlighted by a third-place finish at Sydney 500; nonetheless, principal sponsor Fujitsu withdrew their backing.

In December 2009, Brad Jones Racing announced that Bright would join their squad for the 2010 season.

After a decade-long absence from Prodrive Racing Australia, Bright returned to their lineup for the 2017 Supercars Championship season as their fourth driver.

International Experience

Bright's first venture abroad occurred in 1996 when he competed in the US Formula Ford 2000 Championship. During that season, he secured two victories, finished runner-up to Steve Knapp in the overall standings, and was honored as Rookie of the Year. By 2000, he advanced to the Indy Lights series in the United States, where he achieved five podium finishes and placed sixth in the championship. Additionally, Bright made his Champ Car debut at the Lexmark Indy 300 that same year.

In 2006, Bright participated in the Sebring 12 Hour race behind the wheel of an Aston Martin for Prodrive, concluding the event in fourth place. His first appearance at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans came in 2013 with 8 Star Motorsports, where he finished tenth within his class.

Britek Motorsport

In 2005, while still driving for Ford Performance Racing, Bright established his own V8 Supercar outfit named Britek Motorsport. The team operated under the official title Fujitsu Racing, reflecting its primary sponsorship. Initially, Britek faced limitations related to testing opportunities and driver licensing. Bright joined the driving roster in 2007 and narrowly missed victory at the Bathurst 1000 that year due to an unfavorable tyre strategy late in the race.

Beyond circuit racing, Britek briefly managed Ford Australia's campaign in the Australian Rally Championship by running two Super 2000 Ford Fiestas driven by Michael Guest and Darren Windus. Following 2008, the team began scaling back operations; by 2009, one franchise was leased out while Bright continued managing the other as a customer entry under Stone Brothers Racing. The leased franchise was ultimately sold to Brad Jones Racing at the close of 2009.

Brad Jones Racing

Bright transitioned to Brad Jones Racing in 2010, piloting a Holden VE Commodore. Although his season showed variability, it featured notable qualifying results, a fourth-place finish at Bathurst 1000, and a podium at Symmons Plains, culminating in a 14th place championship finish. He earned Brad Jones Racing’s inaugural V8 Supercars victory during Race 8 at Perth and followed up with another win at Winton. These successes briefly elevated him to championship contender status before injuries impacted his subsequent seasons.

With the introduction of Car of The Future regulations in 2013 and driving a Holden VF Commodore alongside teammate Fabian Coulthard, Bright’s performance markedly improved. He secured consecutive wins in Tasmania and triumphed again at Race 4 in Pukekohe Raceway, which earned him the first-ever Jason Richards Memorial Trophy. Despite missing Race 1 at Gold Coast due to practice session car damage, Bright concluded the year seventh overall.

The start of Bright’s 2014 campaign was marred by a significant crash during the Clipsal 500 Adelaide event—the only Did Not Finish (DNF) he recorded that season. While overall results were inconsistent, he captured a victory at the Auckland 500, which stood as his sole podium appearance for that year.

Karting Career Summary

Season	Series	Position
1989	Gippsland Karting Club Championship - Junior	1st
1990	Gippsland Karting Club Championship - Senior	1st
1990	Victorian Karting Championship	2nd
1991	Victorian Karting Championship	1st

Circuit career results

Season	Series	Final standing	Vehicle	Team
1992	Victorian Formula Ford Championship	Champion	Spectrum 05 – Ford
1993	Australian Formula Ford Championship	17th place	Spectrum 05 Ford	Borland Racing Developments
1994	Australian Formula Ford Championship	Third	Swift SC93F – Ford	Jason Bright Racing
1995	Australian Formula Ford Championship	Title winner	Van Diemen RF95 – Ford	Valvoline Australia
1996	United States Formula Ford 2000	Runner-up	Van Diemen RF96 – Ford	Van Diemen USA
	Western States Triple Crown Series	Champion	Van Diemen RF96 – Ford	Van Diemen USA
	Australian Drivers' Championship	Second place	Reynard 91D – Holden	Birrana Racing
1997	Australian Drivers' Championship	Champion	Reynard 91D Holden	Birrana Racing
1997	Australian Touring Car Championship	21st position	Holden VS Commodore	Garry Rogers Motorsport
1998	Australian Touring Car Championship	9th place	Ford EL Falcon	Stone Brothers Racing
1999	Shell Championship Series	8th overall	Ford AU Falcon	Stone Brothers Racing
2000	Indy Lights Series	6th position	Lola B2K/20 – Buick	Doricott Racing
	Champcar World Series	31st overall	Reynard 2Ki – Toyota	Della-Penna Racing
	Shell Championship Series	26th place	Ford AU Falcon	Dick Johnson Racing
	American Le Mans Series	36th position	Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S	Panoz Motor Sports
2001	Shell Championship Series	Third place	Holden VX Commodore	Holden Racing Team
2002	V8 Supercar Championship Series	4th overall	Holden VX Commodore	Holden Racing Team
2003	V8 Supercar Championship Series	4th position	Holden VX Commodore	Paul Weel Racing
2004	V8 Supercar Championship Series	Third position	Holden VY Commodore	Paul Weel Racing
2005	V8 Supercar Championship Series	9th place	Ford BA Falcon	Ford Performance Racing
2006	V8 Supercar Championship Series	5th overall	Ford BA Falcon	Ford Performance Racing
2006	American Le Mans Series-GT1 Class	11th position	Aston Martin DBR9	Prodrive
2007	V8 Supercar Championship Series	21st place	Ford BF Falcon	Britek Motorsport
2008	V8 Supercar Championship Series	19th position	Ford BF Falcon	Britek Motorsport
2009	V8 Supercar Championship Series	19th overall	Ford BF Falcon / Ford FG Falcon	Britek Motorsport
2010	V8 Supercar Championship Series	14th position	Holden VE Commodore	Brad Jones Racing
2011	International V8 Supercars Championship	16th position	Holden VE Commodore	Brad Jones Racing
2011	Australian Production Car Championship	25th place	HSV VXR	Racer Industries
2012	International V8 Supercars Championship	16th overall	Holden VE Commodore	Brad Jones Racing
2013	International V8 Supercars Championship	7th position	Holden VF Commodore	Brad Jones Racing
2014	International V8 Supercars Championship	11th place	Holden VF Commodore	Brad Jones Racing
2015	International V8 Supercars Championship	16th position	Holden VF Commodore	Brad Jones Racing
2016	International V8 Supercars Championship	17th overall	Holden VF Commodore	Brad Jones Racing
2017	Virgin Australia Supercars Championship	20th position	Ford FG X Falcon	Britek Motorsport
2018	Virgin Australia Supercars Championship	48th place	Holden ZB Commodore	Team 18
2019	TCR Australia Series	7th overall	Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR	Melbourne Performance Centre

Full Supercars Championship Results

(legend) (Bolded race numbers denote pole positions) (Italicized race numbers denote fastest laps)

Year	Team	Vehicle	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	Final Position (DC)	Points Accumulated
1997	Garry Rogers Motorsport	Holden VS Commodore	CAL R1	CAL R2	CAL R3	PHI R4	PHI R5	PHI R6	SAN R7	SAN R8	SAN R9	SYM R10 9	SYM R11 9	SYM R12 Ret	WIN R13	WIN R14	WIN R15	EAS R16	EAS R17	EAS R18	LAK R19	LAK R20	LAK R21	BAR R22	BAR R23	BAR R24	MAL R25	MAL R26	MAL R27	ORA R28	ORA R29	ORA R30										21st	24
1998	Stone Brothers Racing	Ford EL Falcon	SAN R1 10	SAN R2 Ret	SAN R3 Ret	SYM R4 7	SYM R5 5 ... [table truncated for brevity] ...

Bathurst 1000 Performance

Year	Team	Vehicle	Co-driver	Final Standing	Completed Laps
1997	Alan Jones Racing	Ford Falcon EL	' Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Alan Jones United States Scott Pruett	11th	153
1998	'Stone Brothers Racing	'Ford Falcon EL'	' Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall Steven Richards	1st	161
1999	'Stone Brothers Racing'	'Ford Falcon AU'	' Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall Craig Baird'	DNF'	145'
2000	'Dick Johnson Racing'	'Ford Falcon AU'	' Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall Paul Radisich'	2nd	161'
2001	'Holden Racing Team'	'Holden Commodore VX'	' Template:Country data CZE Template:Namespace detect showall Tomas Mezera'	DNF'	126'
2002	'Holden Racing Team'	'Holden Commodore VX'	' Template:Country data CZE Template:Namespace detect showall Tomas Mezera'	3rd	161'
2003	' Team Brock'	'Holden Commodore VX'	' Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Paul Weel'	DNF'	44'
2004	'Paul Weel Racing'	'Holden Commodore VY'	' Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Paul Weel'	12th'	159'
2005	'Ford Performance Racing'	'Ford Falcon BA'	' Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall David Brabham'	14th'	152'
2006	'Ford Performance Racing'	'Ford Falcon BA'	' Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Mark Winterbottom'	DNF'	28'
2007	'Britek Motorsport'	'Ford Falcon BF'	' Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Adam Macrow'	DNF'	149'
2008	'Britek Motorsport'	'Ford Falcon BF'	' Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Adam Macrow'	9th'	161'
2009	'Britek Motorsport'	'Ford Falcon FG'	' Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Karl Reindler '	11th '	161 '
2010	'Brad Jones Racing '	'Holden Commodore VE '	' Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall Matthew Halliday (racing driver) '	4th '	161 '
\2011 \|\ Brad Jones Racing \|\ Holden Commodore VE \|\ Template:Flagicon\ Andrew Jones \|\ align\=center \\|\5th \|\ align\=center \\|\161
\2012 \|\ Brad Jones Racing \|\ Holden Commodore VE \|\ Template:Flagicon\ Andrew Jones \|\ align\=center \\|\21st \|\ align\=center \\|\153
\2013 \|\ Brad Jones Racing \|\Holden Commodore VF \|\ Template:Flagicon\ Andrew Jones \|\ align\=center \\|\5th \|\ align\=center \\|\161
\2014 \|\ Brad Jones Racing \|\ Holden Commodore VF \|\Template:Flagicon\ Andrew Jones \|\align\=center \\|\14th \|\align\=center \\|\158
\2015 \|\ Brad Jones Racing \|\ Holden Commodore VF \|\Template:Flagicon\ Andrew Jones \|\align\=center \\|\7th \|\align\=center \\|\161
\2016 \|\ Brad Jones Racing \|\ Holden Commodore VF \|\Template:Flagicon\ Andrew Jones \|\align\=center \\|\DNF \|\align\=center \\|\89
\2017 \|\ Britek Motorsport \|\Ford Falcon FG X \|\Template:Flagicon\Garry Jacobson \|\align\=center \\|\8th \|\align\=center \\|\161
\2018 \|\Team 18 \|\Holden Commodore ZB \|\Template:Flagicon\Lee Holdsworth \|\align\=center \\|\21st \|\align\=center \\|\157

American Open-Wheel

(legend)

Indy Lights results

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Position	Points
2000	Dorricott Racing	LBH 2	MIL 2	DET 18	POR 1	MIC 9	CHI DNS	ROA 3	VAN 14	LS 8	STL 3	HOU 16	FON 14	6th	91

Champ Car

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Position	Points
2000	Della Penna Motorsports	MIA	LBH	RIO	MOT	NZR	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MIC	CHI	MDO	ROA	VAN	LS	STL	HOU	SRF 18	FON	31st	0

Complete American Le Mans Series results

(legend) (Bolded races denote pole position) (Italicized races denote fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Category	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Standing	Points
2000	United States Panoz Motor Sports	LMP	Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S	Élan V8, 6.0L	2000 12 Hours of Sebring	2000 Grand Prix of Charlotte	2000 Silverstone 500 USA Challenge	2000 1000 km of Nürburgring	2000 Grand Prix of Sonoma	2000 Grand Prix of Mosport	2000 Grand Prix of Texas	2000 Rose City Grand Prix	2000 Petit Le Mans	2000 Monterey Sports Car Championships	2000 Grand Prix of Las Vegas	style="background:#dfffdf;" \| 2000 Race of a Thousand Years overall:9 class:3	36th	24

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

Year	Entrant	Category	Vehicle	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Standing	Points
2013	Template:Country data VEN Template:Namespace detect showall 8 Star Motorsports	LMGTE Am	Ferrari 458 Italia GT2	Ferrari V8, 4.5 L	SIL	SPA	LMS 8	SÃO	COA	FUJ	SHA	BHR	41st	1

Bathurst 24 Hour Results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Vehicle	Category	Completed Laps	Overall Ranking	Category Ranking
2003	Australia Garry Rogers Motorsport	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Peter Brock Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall Greg Murphy Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Todd Kelly	Holden Monaro 427C	A	527	1st	1st

12 Hours of Sebring Results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Vehicle	Category	Completed Laps	Overall Ranking	Category Ranking
2006	Template:Country data GBR Template:Namespace detect showall Aston Martin Racing	Template:Country data FRA Template:Namespace detect showall Stéphane Sarrazin Template:Country data POR Template:Namespace detect showall Pedro Lamy	Aston Martin DBR9	GT1	337	4th	2nd

Bathurst 12 Hour Results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Vehicle	Category	Completed Laps	Overall Ranking	Category Ranking
2010	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Action Racing	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Marcus Zukanovic Template:Country data DEN Template:Namespace detect showall Allan Simonsen	Ford Mustang Shelby GT500	I	121	26th	1st
2013	Template:Country data FRA Template:Namespace detect showall Team Peugeot RCZ	Template:Country data FRA Template:Namespace detect showall Stéphane Caillet Template:Country data FRA Template:Namespace detect showall Julien Rueflin	Peugeot RCZ Cup	I1	214	23rd	2nd

24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Vehicle	Category	Completed Laps	Overall Ranking	Category Ranking
2013	United States 8 Star Motorsports	Template:Country data VEN Template:Namespace detect showall Enzo Potolicchio Template:Country data PRT Template:Namespace detect showall Rui Águas	Ferrari 458 Italia GT2	LMGTEAm	294	37th	10th