William 'Bill' Sweedler

William 'Bill' Sweedler is an American businessman and racing driver, born in 1966, who started his racing career relatively late, in 2007, gaining some success in the sports car racing since then.

In 2015, he was the GTD class champion in the IMSA United SportsCar Championship, driving a Ferrari 458 Italia Grand-Am for Scuderia Corsa alongside Townsend Bell. With the same team in the same year, driving a Ferrari 458 Italia GT2, Sweedler was third in the GTE Am class at Le Mans 24 Hours. A year later, they were Le Mans GTE Am class winners. One more Le Mans podium followed in 2017, when Sweedler was third in the GTE Am class.

In the American endurance races, his greatest successes were class victories at Sebring 12 Hours and Daytona 24 Hours. At Sebring, he won GTC class with Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in 2012. At Daytona, he won GTD class with Level 5 Motorsports Ferrari 458 Italia in 2014.

Bill Sweedler - successful businessman and sports car racer

An established businessman became a racer in 2007

Bill Sweedler started his racing career at the age 40, as an already established businessman whose dream was to become a race car driver. In 2007, a dream became true when he entered the SCCA Mazda MX-5 Cup. In 2008, he switched to the IMSA GT3 Challenge, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 997 for Orbit Racing.

After two seasons in one-make competitions, he was ready for something big in 2009, entering the American Le Mans Series, the North American premier sports car racing series.

ALMS rookie season alongside Ed Brown

In his first season in the American Le Mans Series, Sweedler contested in the Challenge class, driving the #08 Orbit Racing Porsche 997 GT3 Cup and sharing a car with 'Mr. Tequila Patron' Ed Brown. Two businessmen participated together in five races, finishing 5th in the ALMS Challenge standings.

In 2009, Sweedler also participated in the Patron GT3 Challenge, scoring three podiums in ten races to finish 8th in the points.

Joining Alex Job Racing in 2010

For the 2010 ALMS season, Sweedler joined Alex Job Racing to drive the #23 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup in the GTC class. His co-driver for most of the season was Romeo Kapudija. They were second in the class at Sebring 12 Hours, behind teammates in the #81 AJR Porsche. In total, Sweedler collected four podiums during a season to finish fifth in the final standings.

Next year, the results in the #23 Porsche were similar. Sweedler scored four podiums again, finishing fourth in the final classification of the GTC class. His co-driver were Leh Keen, Butch Leitzinger or Brian Wong. In January 2010, Sweedler also participated at Daytona 24 Hours, a part of the Grand-Am Rolex Series driving a Porsche for Chris Smith Racing.

Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler were driving Lotus Evora GTE in 2012

2012 ALMS season with Lotus Evora

In January 2012, Sweedler returned to Daytona in the #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche, but it was just a one-off in the Rolex Series. A month and a half later, the #23 was a victorious car in the ALMS GTC class at Sebring 12 Hours. Sweedler's co-drivers were Townsend Bell and Dion von Moltke.

Sweedler's main job in 2012 was to drive the #23 Lotus Evora GTE in the ALMS GT class, with Townsend Bell as a co-driver. Without wins or podiums, they finished 17th in the points.

Switching to Ferrari in 2013

In 2013, the team switched to Ferrari. Sweedler participated in the American Le Mans Series season in the #23 Ferrari 458 Italia GTC of Team West/AJR/Boardwalk.

Townsend Bell was again his full-time partner. Without wins or podiums, and skipping two races during a season, Sweedler finished 15th in the ALMS GT class standings.

Bill Sweedler (second right) among GTD class Daytona 24h winners in 2014

Class victory at 2014 Daytona 24 Hours

In 2014, ALMS and Rolex Series merged into the IMSA United SportsCar Championship. Sweedler stayed in a Ferrari, but he was driving the #555 Ferrari 458 Italia Grand-Am for Level 5 Motorsports. He won the GTD class in the season-opening Daytona 24 Hours, sharing a car with Scott Tucker, Townsend Bell, Jeff Segal and Alessandro Pier Guidi.

From the second race, the AIM Motorsport was running the #555 car. Sweedler finished second at Sebring 12 Hours and scored one more podium at Watkins Glen to finish 4th in the final standings.

IMSA Champion in 2015

Winning IMSA Championship and reaching Le Mans podium in 2015

For the 2015 IMSA Championship season, Sweedler joined Scuderia Corsa and started his most successful period in a career. Driving the #63 Ferrari 458 Italia Grand-Am alongside Townsend Bell, Sweedler won the championship. Their only race win was at Virginia International Raceway.

In June 2015, Sweedler made a debut at Le Mans 24 Hours, catching a podium in his rookie attempt. He, Townsend Bell and Jeff Segal finished 24th overall and 3rd in the GTE Am class in the #62 Ferrari 458 Italia GTC.

GTE Am class winners at 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours

Le Mans GTE Am victory in 2016

In 2016, Sweedler lost a full-time seat in Scuderia Corsa, participating in just three races of the IMSA Championship with the #11 Lamborghini Huracan GT3. At Daytona, he was driving for O'Gara Motorsport, at Sebring and Laguna Seca, for Change Racing.

Sweedler rejoined Scuderia Corsa for Le Mans race, sharing the #62 Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 with Townsend Bell and Jeff Segal. They won the GTE Am class, beating the AF Corse crew in the similar Ferrari.

Third Le Mans podium in third attempt for Bill Sweedler (right)

One more Le Mans podium in 2017

In 2017, Sweedler again had a part-time schedule in the IMSA Championship and joined Scuderia Corsa at Le Mans. In the North American sports car championship, Sweedler rejoined Alex Job Racing to drive the #23 Audi R8 LMS GT3 in the GTD class. He participated in five races, finishing best in the sixth place at Daytona 24h and Petit Le Mans.

In June 2017, Sweedler was driving again for Scuderia Corsa at Circuit de la Sarthe, scoring his third consecutive podium result at Le Mans 24 Hours. This time, the car was the #62 WeatherTech Ferrari 488 GTE. He, Townsend Bell and Cooper MacNeil finished third in the GTE Am class.

In 2018, he skipped Le Mans and rejoined Scuderia Corsa in the IMSA Championship, driving the #64 Ferrari 488 GT3 in endurance events.

Photos: motorsport.com, racinginfocus.com, weathertechracing.com, imsa.com,