Andrew Howard

Andrew Howard is a British racing driver and an owner of the racing team Beechdean Motorsport. He's a two-time British GT Champion, in 2013 and 2015, and the European Le Mans Series GTE champion in 2016.

Andrew Howard is leading Beechdean Motorsport since 2006

Starting a career in a Ferrari

Born in November 1963, Andrew Howard started his racing career in 2006. As an established businessman, he founded his own team Beechdean Motorsport, naming it after his ice cream manufacturing company. Howard's first race car was a Ferrari 360 Modena Challenge, which he was using in the GTC class of the British GT Championship. In three rounds, he had three different co-drivers in the #99 Ferrari, finishing best in the 13th place at Rockingham.

In 2007, Howard spent a full season in the #99 Ferrari 360 Modena, sharing a car with Aaron Scott. They won five races and finished second in the GTC class.

Andrew Howard was driving Ferrari 360 Modena for two seasons

Switching to Aston Martin in 2008

In 2008, Andrew Howard started his long-standing relationship with Aston Martin Racing. In his first year with Aston Martin, he was driving a Vantage V8 N24 in the GT4 class of the British GT Championship, sharing the #99 car with Jamie Smyth. Scoring just one podium, they were 13th in the final GT4 class standings.

They also participated in Silverstone's round of the GT4 European Cup, winning one race and finishing 12th in another. The highlight of the season was second place overall and class victory in the Britcar 24 hours of Silverstone.

Andrew Howard Beechdean Motorsport is running Aston Martins since 2008

Three seasons with Aston Martin DBRS9

In the 2009 British GT Championship, Beechdean Motorsport switched to an Aston Martin DBRS9 in the GT3 class. Jamie Smyth stayed with Howard in a car. Without wins or podiums in the #07 Aston Martin, they finished 11th in the points.

In 2010, Howard had a limited schedule, participating in just two British GT Championship rounds in the #9 Aston Martin DBRS9, sharing a car with Darren Turner at Silverstone (3rd) and with Leo Machitski at Brands Hatch (5th). In 2011, Andrew Howard and Jonny Adam spent a full season in the #007 Aston Martin DBRS9, scoring two wins (Rockingham and Silverstone) to finish fifth in the final standings.

Spa 24 Hours debut in 2012

In 2012, Andrew Howard and Jonny Adam stayed in the #007 car, switching from DBRS9 to Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3. They were race winners just once, at Nürburgring, adding two podiums and finishing 8th in the points.

In Jula 2012, Howard made a debut at Spa 24 Hours, the greatest endurance race for GT cars, a part of the Blancpain Endurance Series. He was sharing the #107 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with Jonny Adam, Phil Dryburgh and John Gaw, not finishing the race.

Andrew Howard takes his first championship title in 2013

2013 - British GT Champion for the first time

In 2013, Andrew Howard became the British GT3 champion, sharing the #007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 with Jonny Adam. Jonny Adam wasn't a champion because he lost some points due to a penalty. They were race winners just once, at Brands Hatch, but it was enough for Howard to win a championship trophy.

In 2013, he also expanded his Blancpain Endurance Series commitment, participating in four races with Jonny Adam and Daniel McKenzie. At Spa 24 Hours, they started from the front row but ended a race 23rd.

Andrew Howard in 2014

2014 - one victory in the #1 Aston Martin

In 2014, Andrew Howard and Jonny Adam were trying to defend championship title in the #1 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3. They scored just one victory, at Snetterton, finishing fifth in the final standings.

In the Blancpain Endurance Series, Howard recorded two starts, at Silverstone 3 Hours and Spa 24 Hours. He didn't manage to finish the race at Spa.

Andrew Howard and Jonny Adam - 2015 British GT champions

2015 - one more championship title in the #007 Aston Martin

In 2015, Andrew Howard and Jonny Adam were back in the #007 car, opening the season with a victory in the first round at Oulton Park. They added two more wins later, taking the championship title.

Howard wasn't successful just in the British GT championship, he won the Britcar 24 hours of Silverstone in an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 but also the race at the Aston Martin Le Mans Festival. In October 2015, Howard made a debut in the European Le Mans Series, participating in the season's finale at Estoril as a member of the Aston Martin Racing's crew.

European Le Mans Series champion in 2016

In 2016, the European Le Mans Series became his main competition. He spent a season in the #99 Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE, sharing a car with Darren Turner and Alex MacDowall. They were race winners two times, in the opening round at Silverstone and last round at Estoril, winning the ELMS title in the GTE class.

In the British GT Championship, he was sharing the #1 Aston Martin with Ross Gunn, finishing ninth in the points at the end of the season.

2016 ELMS champions: Alex MacDowall, Darren Turner and Andrew Howard

Le Mans 24h debut in 2016

In June 2016, Howard made a debut at 24 hours of Le Mans, sharing the #99 Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE with Liam Griffin and Gary Hirsch. They contested in the GTE Am class, finishing in the seventh place.

In 2017, Howard returned to Le Mans in the #99 Aston Martin, sharing a car with Ross Gunn and Oliver Bryant. They nearly missed a podium, finishing 4th in the GTE Am class.

In 2017, Howard wasn't returning to British GT Championship, driving an Aston Martin in the European Le Mans Series only. He and Darren Turner participated in all six rounds, with Ross Gunn as co-driver in five races and Immanuel Vinke in one race. Scoring three podiums, Howard ended fifth in the points. In 2018, he was fifth in the British GT Championship after spending a season in the #99 Aston Martin which he was sharing with Darren Turner.

Short cooperation with Nigel Mansell

Since its foundation, the Beechdean Motorsport was running cars for Andrew Howard mostly but there was also one short attempt in the LMP1 class of the Le Mans Series in 2010.

Howard co-operated with F1 legend Nigel Mansell and they created Beechdean Mansell Motorsport, running a Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S LMP1 prototype in the 2010 Le Mans Series. The team even scored one class victory, with Leo Mansell and Greg Mansell driving at Hungaroring, finishing the season seventh in the points. The team closed its doors at the end of the season.

Two British GT4 titles for Beechdean AMR

In the British GT Championship, from 2006 to 2013, the Beechdean Motorsport was running a single car for Andrew Howard. In 2014, the team added the second car, the #407 Aston Martin Vantage GT4, in which Ross Wylie and Jake Giddings became GT4 champions.

Next year, the team took both titles, in the GT3 class with Howard/Adam in the #007 car and in the GT4 class with Ross Gunn and Jamie Chadwick in the #407 car. In 2016, the team expanded to three cars in some races, with Jack Bartholomew finishing second in the GT4 class.

Photos: beechdeanmotorsport.co.uk,