Johnny Mowlem

Johnny Mowlem is a British racing driver who achieved the most in sports car racing. After winning two titles in Porsche Cup Great Britain early in a career, he competed in different sports car championships all over the world. He managed to win only one championship title, winning GTE class of the European Le Mans Series in 2013.

Mowlem participated nine times at 24 Hours of Le Mans, scoring one podium in all those attempts. He was second in GT class in 2000. He was also GT class winner at Daytona 24 Hours (2004) and Sebring 12 Hours (2007).

Johnny Mowlem

Porsche Cup GB winner for two years in a row

Born in February 1969, Johnny Mowlem started a racing career in the late 1980s, participating in Formula Ford and Formula Vauxhall Lotus. His next competition was the Formula 3 and then he switched to sports car racing, entering the Porsche Cup Great Britain in which he was driving a Porsche 993.

He was the champion for two years in a row, in 1996 and 1997. His performance in 1997 was especially impressive as he won all seventeen races during a season. He also entered a couple of rounds of the British GT Championship in a Porsche 993.

Early in a career, Mowlem was successful in the Porsche Cup

Moving to North America in 1999

In 1998, Mowlem participated in the Porsche Supercup and then he moved his career to North America in 1999, participating both in the American Le Mans Series and the United States Road Racing Championship with Reiser/Callas Rennsport's Porsche 993 Carrera RSR.

He made a debut both at Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours, two greatest American endurance races, but without notable results. He and David Murry were the race winners in the USRRC race at Mid-Ohio and ALMS race at Laguna Seca.

Mowlem was driving the #82 Porsche in his Le Mans debut

GT class podium at Le Mans 24h debut in 2000

In 2000, Mowlem joined Australian team Skea Racing International both in the ALMS and Grand-Am Road Racing Championship, driving a Porsche 996 GT3-R. He and David Murry scored two ALMS podiums, finishing 8th in GT class final standings.

In June 2000, Mowlem made a debut at 24 Hours of Le Mans. In his first outing at Circuit de la Sarthe, he reached a podium, finishing second in GT class. His co-drivers in the #82 Porsche 996 GT3-R were David Murry and Sascha Maassen.

Second Le Mans attempt in a Saleen S7-R

In 2001, Mowlem was driving Porsches in three different competitions with four different teams. He spent most of the time in the American Le Mans Series but also recorded one-off attempts in the European Le Mans Series and FIA GT Championship.

His original co-driver in the American Le Mans Series was Bob Wollek.They were sharing Petersen Motorsports' Porsche at Grand Prix of Texas and Wollek then lost s life in a road accident, so the team withdrew from Sebring 12h race. Timo Bernhard later joined him as a teammate.

At 2001 Le Mans 24 Hours, Mowlem joined Ray Mallock Limited (RML) to share the #62 Saleen S7-R with Bruno Lambert and Ian McKellar. They retired after 175 laps.

Johnny Mowlem as Risi Competizione's driver

2003 – podiums at Daytona and Sebring, DNF at Le Mans

In 2002, Mowlem started a season driving a Crawford SSC2K prototype at Daytona 24 Hours, not finishing the race. Later in the season, he had a double programme in the American Le Mans Series and FIA GT Championship.

In 2003, GT cars dominated at Daytona 24 Hours, taking first three overall places ahead of prototypes. Mowlem finished second in the race, sharing the #35 Risi Competizione Ferrari 360 Modena GT with Ralf Kelleners and Anthony Lazzaro. He was also second in GT class at Sebring 12 Hours, sharing the #31 White Lightning Porsche 996 GT3-RS with Niclas Jonsson and Craig Stanton.

At 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours, Mowlem was a part of Risi Competizione crew in the #95 Ferrari 360 Modena GT, sharing a car with Shane Lewis and Butch Leitzinger. They retired after 138 laps.

GT class winners of 2004 Daytona 24 Hours

GT class victory at 2004 Daytona 24 Hours

In 2004, Mowlem started a season with a class victory at Daytona 24 Hours. He was sharing the #44 Orbit Racing Porsche 996 GT3-RS with Mike Fitzgerald, Robin Liddell, Joe Policastro and Jay Policastro Jr. They finished second overall and the first in GT class.

Later in 2004, Mowlem spent a season in the American Le Mans Series with ACEMCO Motorsports, driving the #63 Saleen S7-R. His full-time co-driver was Terry Borcheller and they finished third in final standings of GTS class. Mowlem and Borcheller spent one more year with ACEMCO Saleen in the ALMS, finishing third in GT1 class.

Second place overall at 2006 Petit Le Mans

In 2006, Mowlem was driving a variety of cars in five different competitions plus Le Mans 24 Hours. The highlight of the season was a victory for him Stephane Ortelli in the ALMS race at Mosport, where they were sharing the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GTC.

He finished in the second place at Petit Le Mans, driving the #15 Zytek 06S prototype together with Stefan Johansson and Haruki Kurosawa. At Le Mans, he was sixth in GT1 class in ACEMCO Motorsports' Saleen, sharing a car with Terry Borcheller and Christian Fittipaldi.

Mowlem's victorious car at 2007 Sebring 12 Hours

GT2 class victory at 2007 Sebring 12 Hours

In 2007, Mowlem's main ride was a Ferrari F430 GTC. He was driving it for two teams, for Risi Competizione (ALMS and Le Mans 24h) and for GPC Sport (Le Mans Series and International GT Open).

The highlight of the season was GT2 class victory at Sebring 12 Hours. He was sharing the #62 Ferrari F430 GTC with Jaime Melo and Mika Salo. The same trio participated in the same car at Le Mans 24 Hours, not finishing the race.

2008 Le Mans attempt in LMP1 class

In 2008, Mowlem was driving two different cars for Corsa Motorsports in the American Le Mans Series, a Ferrari F430 GTC and Zytek 07S LMP1 prototype. He was also at the wheel of LMP1 prototype at Le Mans 24 Hours, driving the #14 Creation CA07 for Creation Autosportif. Sharing a car with Stuart Hall and Marc Goossens, he finished 11th in LMP1 class.

Mowlem stayed with Corsa Motorsports and continued to race in a Ginetta-Zytek 09S Hybrid in the 2009 ALMS season, sharing a car with Stefan Johansson.  In the 2010 ALMS season, Mowlem was driving Lola B06/10 for Autocon Motorsports and Oreca FLM09 for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports. The highlight of the season was third place at Mosport for him and Tony Burgess in the #12 Lola.

Johnny Mowlem as Lotus driver

Two seasons in a Lotus Evora

In October 2010, Mowlem joined Team Lotus to drive a Lotus Evora Cup GT4 at Silverstone 24 Hours. Next month, he scored GT4 class win with the same car at Vallelunga 6 Hours.

Then, in 2011, Mowlem joined Lotus Jetalliance team to compete with the Lotus Evora GTE car in the Le Mans Series and American Le Mans Series. He was also driving that car at Le Mans 24 Hours, sharing it with James Rossiter and Jonathan Hirschi. They finished 22nd overall and 7th in GTE Pro class.

Mowlem stayed in a Lotus Evora GTE in 2012, driving for Lotus Giudici Racing in the International GT Open and for Lotus/Alex Job Racing in one ALMS round (Petit Le Mans).

Matt Griffin and Johnny Mowlem - 2013 European Le Mans Series GTE class champions

Joining RAM Racing to win European Le Mans Series GTE class

In 2013, Mowlem joined RAM Racing to drive the #52 Ferrari 458 Italia GTC in the European Le Mans Series. He won three races in GTE class, winning the championship trophy. His partner in the victorious season was Matt Griffin.

Outside ELMS, Mowlem participated at Le Mans 24 Hours in a Lola LMP2 prototype of HVM Status GP team, not finishing the race. He was also driving Lola-Mazda LMP1 prototype for Dyson Racing in the ALMS round at Virginia, finishing in the second place together with Guy Smith.

In 2014, Mowlem was representing RAM Racing at Le Mans 24 Hours. Sharing the #53 Ferrari 458 Italia GTC with Mark Patterson and Archie Hamilton, he finished 12th in GTE Am class. It was Mowlem's last participation at Le Mans.

Johnny Mowlem as a driver of BAR1 Motorsports' Oreca

Driving an Oreca FLM09 for BAR1 Motorsports

In 2014, Mowlem also participated in two rounds of the IMSA United SportsCar Championship, driving an Oreca FLM09 for BAR1 Motorsports in the Prototype Challenge class. A cooperation had been continued in 2015 with two more rounds and two podiums.

Then, in 2016, Mowlem spent a full season with BAR1 Motorsports in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, finishing sixth in the PC class standings. He was third at Daytona 24h and sixth at Sebring 12h. Mowlem's last race with BAR1 Motorsports was 2017 Daytona 24 Hours. He finished in the second place.

Johnny Mowlem

Three seasons in an FF Corse Ferrari

In recent years, Mowlem was also driving Ferrari 458 for FF Corse team in different championships, starting with GT Cup UK in 2015. In 2016, he was FF Corse's driver in the Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup and Britcar Endurance Championship.

In 2017, Mowlem's main duty was to drive a Ferrari 458 for FF Corse in the International GT Open and GT Cup Championship. He and Bonamy Grimes finished second in GTC class of the GT Cup Championship. Mowlem also had several successful races in a Ligier JS P3 prototype, driving for United Autosports at LMP3 Cup and Gulf 12 Hours.

He slowed down his racing activities in 2018, participating only in a couple of races with FF Corse. At the end of the year, he joined Red River/TF Sport to drive an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the 2018-2019 season of the Asian Le Mans Series.

Photos: Johnny Mowlem, John Thawley,