Stephen Simpson

Stephen Simpson
Born	(1984-01-08) January 8, 1984 Poole, Dorset, England
Nationality	South African-American
Occupation	Professional racing driver
Years active	2000–present
Known for	IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, A1 Grand Prix, Champ Car Atlantic Championship, Indy Pro Series

Stephen Simpson (born 8 January 1984) is a professional racing driver of South African-American nationality, actively participating in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. His racing background encompasses involvement in series such as the A1 Grand Prix, Champ Car Atlantic Championship, and the Indy Pro Series.

Biography

Born in Poole, Dorset, England, Simpson relocated to South Africa during infancy. After completing his education at South African College High School in 2002, he moved to the United States in 2006 to further his motorsport ambitions and obtained US citizenship in 2018.

Early career

Simpson began karting at the age of eight, securing several regional and national championships within South Africa. At 16, in 2000, he became the youngest driver to claim the South African Formula Ford Championship title. The subsequent year saw him compete in the UK’s Slick 50 Formula Ford Zetec Championship, where he surpassed better-funded factory outfits and received the Motorsport News Race Ace accolade for his performance at Donington Park.

In 2002, Simpson drove for Durango in both the European and Italian Formula Renault series but encountered challenges due to restricted testing opportunities and unfortunate circumstances. Early 2003 brought a sponsor withdrawal that left him without a seat, prompting a focus on physical conditioning while pursuing new racing prospects.

In 2004, he joined Richard Dean’s Team JLR for the British Formula Renault Championship Winter Series, concluding the season second overall with two victories and five podium finishes.

2005–2008

During 2005, Simpson took part in the inaugural A1 Grand Prix World Cup of Motorsport, contributing to A1 Team South Africa’s 17th place in the overall standings. Notable achievements included a third-place finish in Dubai’s Feature Race and fifth at his home round. Concurrently, he continued competing with Team JLR in British Formula Renault.

In 2006, Simpson signed with Gelles Racing to contest the Champ Car Atlantic Series but departed after three events, with a best result of fifth place. Later that year, he impressed during testing sessions with Mi-Jack Conquest Racing from the Champ Car World Series.

For the 2007 season, he joined Kenn Hardley Racing in the Indy Pro Series, demonstrating strong performances on road and street circuits, highlighted by a third-place finish at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, ultimately securing ninth position in the championship. Following Kenn Hardley Racing’s closure, Simpson competed for Creation/AIM LMP1 teams across Europe and North America until the economic downturn led to the team’s discontinuation.

2014 to date

After several seasons without a full-time contract, Simpson made a comeback in 2014 with JDC–Miller MotorSports in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship, achieving a podium finish with third place at Road America. In 2015, he participated selectively within the series, earning third at the 2015 24 Hours of Daytona, second place at Detroit, and securing pole position at Lime Rock Park. Additionally, he raced for LAP Motorsport, representing MINI USA’s factory team.

Simpson claimed victory in the PC category at the 2016 24 Hours of Daytona, part of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar.

Advancing to the premier prototype division with his team in 2017 resulted in multiple podium finishes. Continuing with JDC-Miller MotorSports into 2018 within IMSA WeatherTech Championship’s top Prototype class alongside teammates Misha Goikhberg and Chris Miller, he piloted an Oreca equipped with a Gibson LMP2 power unit and secured victory at the Sahlens 6 Hours of The Glen. He also competed in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge alongside Michael Johnson driving an Audi RS3 TCR.

American open–wheel racing results

(key) (Entries shown in bold denote pole positions)

Indy Pro Series

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Final standing	Points scored
2007	Kenn Hardley Racing	HMS 11	STP1 4	STP2 20	INDY 14	MIL 22	IMS1 5	IMS2 11	IOW 19	WGL1 12	WGL2 13	NSH 7	MOH 3	KTY 11	SNM1 4	SNM2 5	CHI 12	9th	312

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Pole positions shown in bold, fastest laps in italics)

References

• A1 GP South Africa website – Biography of the driver

External links

• Official website of Stephen Simpson