Kuno Wittmer

Kuno Wittmer is a Canadian racing driver who achieved the most in sports car racing. The highlight of his career was a championship title in GTLM class of the IMSA United SportsCar Championship in 2014 when he was driving an SRT Viper GTS-R for SRT Motorsports.

Kuno Wittmer pictured in 2018

Honda Michelin Challenge champion early in a career

Born in September 1982 in Montreal, Kuno Wittmer started his racing career in the early 2000s in open-wheel competitions.

After spending some time in Toyota Atlantic Championship and Formula Renault, Wittmer gained his first success in 2005 in Honda Michelin Challenge, the one-make touring car series with Honda Civic cars, in which he won the championship title. In 2006, Wittmer stayed in touring car racing, competing with Mercedes C230 in TC class of the SCCA World Challenge.

Racing with RealTime's Acura from 2007 to 2009

For the 2007 SCCA World Challenge season, Wittmer joined RealTime Racing to race with Acura RSX Type-S. Not scoring wins, just one podium, he finished third in TC class, behind Mazda drivers Jeff Altenburg and Randy Pobst. In the same season, Wittmer also raced in the Grand-Am Koni Challenge with Chevrolet Kobalt SS.

One more season with RealTime's Acura TSX followed in 2008. Wittmer has won three races but he was again third in the TC class standings, behind teammates Peter Cunningham and Pierre Kleinubing. He was also third in ST class of the Grand-Am Koni Challenge, where he was also driving an Acura TSX. In 2009, his last season with RealTime Racing's Acura TSX, Wittmer was a race winner once and he finished sixth in the points of the SCCA World Challenge TC class.

Kuno Wittmer is a successful GT and touring car racer

SCCA World Challenge GT class vice-champion in 2010

In 2010, Wittmer made a step up into the GT class of the SCCA World Challenge, driving a factory-entered Dodge Viper CC. At the wheel of the #13 car, he won two races at Long Beach and Miller Motorsports Park to finish second in the points, behind Randy Pobst.

In 2011, Wittmer slowed down his racing activities, recording just one start in the Dodge Viper Cup and making a guest appearance in the German-based ADAC GT Masters with Vulkan Racing at Assen.

Joining SRT Motorsports in 2012

In 2012, Wittmer joined SRT Motorsports to drive the #91 SRT Viper GTS-R in three races of the American Le Mans Series. He was sharing a car with Dominik Farnbacher and Ryan Hunter-Reay was the third driver at Petit Le Mans. Their best result was the ninth place in GT class at Road America.

In 2013, he expanded his commitments to a full season in the American Le Mans Series, driving the #93 SRT Viper GTS-R. In ten races, sharing a car with Jonathan Bomarito, Kuno reached to podiums to finish ninth in GT class standings.

In June 2013, Wittmer made a debut at 24 Hours of Le Mans, racing with SRT Viper GTS-R in GTE Pro class. Sharing a car with Jonathan Bomarito and Tommy Kendall, he finished 31st overall and ninth in class.

Kuno Wittmer at the Night of Champions

Champion in the first season of the IMSA United SportsCar Championship

In 2014, American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series merged into the IMSA United SportsCar Championship and Wittmer entered the competition with SRT Motorsports' Viper GTS-R.

He spent the most of the season in the #93 Viper, except one race in the #91 car, scoring two wins (Indianapolis, Austin) and five more podiums to win the championship title in GTLM class. He was sixth at Daytona 24h and second at Sebring 12h.

Class victory at 2015 Daytona 24 Hours

In 2015, Wittmer started a season with GTD class victory at Daytona 24 Hours in #93 Dodge Viper GT3-R of Riley Motorsports, sharing a car with Ben Keating, Dominik Farnbacher, Al Carter and Cameron Lawrence.

After that win, he was out of racing for five months, returning in June at Watkins Glen 6 Gours with TRG-AMR. He was a co-driver to Christina Nielsen in the #007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 in six races, scoring three GTD class podiums and helping Christina to finish second in the final standings.

Kuno Wittmer as BMW driver

Two seasons as an endurance co-driver with BMW

In 2016, Wittmer made a switch to BMW, participating in three IMSA Championship endurance races with BMW Team RLL's #100 BMW M6 GTLM and several races of the Pirelli World Challenge with Mills Racing's BMW Z4 GT3. He was 11th in GTLM class at Daytona, sixth at Sebring and sixth at Petit Le Mans, as a co-driver to John Edwards and Lucas Luhr.

Wittmer stayed with BMW Team RLL as an endurance co-driver in 2017, driving the #24 or #25 BMW M6 GTLM in three races. He was 11th at Daytona, sixth at Sebring and then scored a victory at Petit Le Mans, sharing the #25 BMW M6 GTLM with Bill Auberlen and Alexander Sims.

Outside the US, Wittmer participated in a couple of VLN races at Nurburgring Nordschleife with Schubert Motorsport, and also at 24 Hours of Nurburgring. Sharing the #20 BMW M6 GT3 with Jorg Muller, Jesse Krohn and Bruno Spengler, he finished 11th at Green Hell's 24-hour race.

Kuno Wittmer's Audi RS3 LMS TCR

Finding new challenges in 2018

In February 2018, Kuno travelled to Australia to participate at Bathurst 12 Hour at Mount Panorama Circuit. He was driving the #13 BMW M4 GT4 for MARC Cars Australia, finishing fourth in C class. In March, Wittmer joined CJ Wilson Racing to drive the #36 Acura NSX GT3 at Sebring 12 Hours, finishing 16th in GT class.

Kuno's next endurance classic in 2018 was the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May. He raced there with Renault RS 01 of GTronix 360 Team, finishing 23rd overall and second in SPX class.

In the regular season, Wittmer joined Compass Racing in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, driving the #74 Audi RS3 LMS TCR in Touring Car class. His partner was Rodrigo Sales and they won three races over the season, finishing the season second in the points. In 2019, Wittmer stayed in the IMSA Sports Car Challenge, driving a McLaren 570S GT4 for Compass Racing

Kuno Wittmer

Photos: motorsportimages.com, Audi,