Peter Kox

Peter Kox is a Dutch racing driver whose career lasted for more than 30 years. In that period, he collected many championship titles in different racing disciplines.

Early in a career, while racing with formulas, Kox was Formula Opel Lotus European champion. Later, in touring car racing years, he was German Touring Car Cup vice-champion and European Super Production champion. In GT racing, he was pretty successful at 24 Hours of Le Mans, scoring an overall podium in 1997 with McLaren F1 GTR and GTS class victory in 2003 with Ferrari  550 Maranello. His last championship title was in the 2010 ADAC GT Masters which he won in a Lamborghini Gallardo.

Most recently, Kox was driving RealTime Racing's Acura NSX GT3 in the Pirelli World Challenge and his own Ligier JS P3 prototype in some European-based competitions.

Peter Kox's helmet

Karting champion and Formula Opel Lotus champ early in a career

Born in February 1964 in Eindhoven, Peter Kox spent his teenage years in karting competitions, winning several championship titles between 1978 and 1982. In 1983, he moved to car racing, participating in Formula Ford.

In the following years, he competed in different single-seater competitions with several interruptions, including British Formula 3, International Formula 3000 or German Formula Opel Lotus. The first great success came in 1989 when he won both the Benelux Formula Opel Lotus Championship and in Formula Opel Lotus Euroseries.

Kox stayed in Formula 3 in following years, participating also in the British Formula 2 in 1992 when he finished third in the points, behind Yvan Muller and Jason Elliott.

Peter Kox in 1988

Dutch touring car champion in 1993, Spa 24h winner in 1995

Unable to make a move upon Formula 2, Kox switched his interest to touring car racing in 1993, immediately winning the Dutch touring car championship title in a BMW M3. In 1994, he continued to race with BMW in different championships but his best result was a victory in Supertouring class at Nurburgring 24 Hours.

In 1995, Kox scored an overall victory at Spa 24 Hours, sharing the #8 Fina Bastos BMW 320i with Steve Soper and Joachim Winkelhock. In the same year, he was BMW works driver in the German Supertouring Championship, finishing second behind teammate Joachim Winkelhock.

Victorious BMW at 1995 Spa 24 Hours

Le Mans 24h debut in a McLaren F1 GTR

In 1996, Kox represented BMW Team Schnitzer in three rounds of the British Touring Car Championship but his main job was a development of new McLaren F1 GTR. In June 1996, Kox made a debut at 24 Hours of Le Mans, sharing the #30 McLaren F1 GTR with John Nielsen and Thomas Bscher. They finished fourth overall and third in GT1 class.

Two weeks later, Kox and Bscher triumphed at Nurburgring 4 Hours, the round of the BPR International Endurance Series. In July 1996, Kox finished second at Spa 24 Hours in a BMW 320i, sharing a car with Marc Duez and Steve Soper.

Peter Kox was driving the #43 McLaren F1 GTR at 1997 Le Mans 24 Hours

Third place at 1997 Le Mans in a McLaren F1 GTR

In 1997, Kox spent a season with BMW Motorsport/Schnitzer in the FIA GT Championship, driving the #9 McLaren F1 GTR. He and Roberto Ravaglia were the race winners at Silverstone, finishing sixth in the final standings.

In June, Kox reached an overall podium at Le Mans 24 Hours, finishing third in the #43 McLaren F1 GTR. His co-drivers were Roberto Ravaglia and Eric Helary. Kox was also successful at Spa 24 Hours, driving a diesel-powered BMW 318 to the third place overall and first place in the EcoTech class. His co-drivers were Christian Menzel and Emanuele Naspetti.

Peter Kox was driving a Honda Accord from 1998 to 2000

Honda factory driver from 1998 to 2000

In 1998, Kox returned to touring car racing, becoming Honda factory driver and driving Honda Accord full season in the British Touring Car Championship alongside James Thompson as his teammate. Without wins or podiums, Kox finished 12th in the points. Kox and Thompson raced together at Spa 24 Hours in a Honda Integra Type R, not finishing the race.

In 1999, Kox improved his BTCC results, scoring a victory at Snetterton and podium at Croft to finish seventh in the points. In 2000, Kox participated in just one BTCC round but spent a season with Honda Accord in the European Super Touring Cup. He was a race winner five times, finishing second in the points behind Fabrizio Giovanardi.

Two Le Mans attempts with Konrad Motorsport/Racing for Holland team

While racing with Honda in touring car races, Kox recorded two starts at Le Mans 24 Hours with Konrad Motorsport and Racing for Holland team. In June 1999, he was sharing the #26 Lola B98/10-Ford with Jan Lammers and Tom Coronel, retiring after 213 laps.

A year later, the same trio raced in the #20 Lola B2K/10-Ford, retiring after just 38 laps.

European Super Production champion in 2001

After three seasons with Honda, Kox joined Ravaglia Motorsport in the same championship but raced in the Super Production class with BMW 320i. He was a race winner three times and won the championship with the three-point advantage over Duncan Huisman.

In GT racing, Kox made three starts in the 2001 FIA GT Championship with two teams. He won a race at A1 Ring in the Prodrive Allstars Ferrari 550 Maranello GTS which he was sharing with Rickard Rydell.

Class victory at 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours

In 2002, Kox was combining touring car and sports car commitments. He spent a half of the season in the European Touring Car Championship with Carly Motors Team Isert's BMW 320i. In GT racing, he was driving Ferrari 550 Maranello and Spyker C8 Double -12R in different competitions. A Spyker was also his car at Le Mans, not finishing the race.

At 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours, Kox scored GTS class victory in the #88 Ferrari 550 Maranello GTS. He was sharing Veloqx Prodrive car with Tomaš Enge and Jamie Davies. In 2003, Kox spent a season with Veloqx Prodrive in the American Le Mans Series, scoring GTS class victory at Petit Le Mans and finishing seventh in the final standings.

Peter Kox was driving the #88 Ferrari at 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours

Variety of teams and cars different GT competitions

In 2004, he raced for several different teams and cars, including Prodrive's Ferrari at Le Mans, finishing fourth in GTS class. His other cars were Porsche 996 GT3-R and Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT. At 2005 Le Mans 24h, Kox was a part of Aston Martin Racing's line-up, sharing the #55 Aston Martin DBR9 with Tomaš Enge and  Pedro Lamy. They didn't finish the race. In the 2005 FIA GT Championship, he raced with three different cars, scoring a win at Silverstone with Aston Martin.

In 2006, he added Spyker C8 Spyder GT2R on the list of his cars. At Le Mans 24h, he recorded DNF in a Ferrari 550 Maranello GTS of Convers MenX Team. Driving a Ferrari, he finished second in GT1 class standings of 2006 Le Mans Series.

Lamborghini factory driver from 2007

In 2007, Kox became a works driver for Lamborghini, driving Gallardo in the ADAC GT Masters and Murcielago in the FIA GT Championship. He scored four wins in the ADAC GT Masters with Reiter Engineering's #6 Lamborghini Gallardo LP520 GT3, finishing second in the points together with his co-driver Albert von Thurn and Taxis.

At 2007 Le Mans 24h, Kox rejoined Aston Martin Racing, sharing a DBR9 with Tomaš Enge and Johnny Herbert. They finished fourth in GT1 class. In 2007, he was also driving for Spyker Squadron in the Le Mans Series.

Kox gained lots of success while driving for Lamborghini

Runner-up in the 2009 Lamborghini Super Trofeo

In 2008, Kox was driving Lamborghinis only, driving for Reiter Engineering in the ADAC GT Masters, FIA GT Championship and Le Mans Series. He was an ADAC GT race winner two times in the #2 Gallardo, scoring no wins in other competitions. At 2008 Le Mans 24h, Kox was driving the #55 Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT for Reiter/IPB Spartak Racing, sharing a car with Roman Rusinov and Mike Hezemans.

In 2009, Kox was driving Gallardo in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, finishing second in the points, and Murcielago in the Le Mans Series, finishing second in GT1 class. At Le Mans 24h, he failed to finish the race in Aston Martin Racing's LMP1 prototype, sharing a car with Stuart Hall and Harold Primat.

ADAC GT Masters champion in 2010

In 2010, Kox competed with Reiter's Lamborghini Murcielago in the FIA GT1 World Championship but also returned to the ADAC GT Masters, winning the championship title together with Albert von Thurn und Taxis. They were driving the #24 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3, scoring four race wins.

In June 2010, Kox recorded his last attempt at Le Mans. He was driving the #52 Aston Martin  DBR9, sharing a car with Tomaš Enge and Christoffer Nygaard. They were third in LMGT1 class.

Peter Kox and Albert von Thurn und Taxis - 2010 ADAC GT Masters champions

Driving Lambos in eight different competitions in 2011

In 2011, Kox was driving different Lamborghinis in eight competitions (FIA GT1 Championship, ADAC GT Masters, Blancpain Endurance Series, International GT Open, Italian GT Championship, Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Belcar, 24H Series). He was most successful in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, scoring two wins and finishing second in the points.

In 2012, a list of championships was a little shorter because Kox appeared in seven different competitions with Lamborghinis. His main duty was to drive a Gallardo in the FIA GT1 World Championship.

Australian adventure at Surfers Paradise and Mount Panorama

In 2012, Kox also tried something different besides racing in GT races. In October, he went to Australia to participate in one round of the V8 Supercars Championship, driving a Ford Falcon for Dick Johnson Racing at Surfers Paradise Street Circuit's Gold Coast 600. He was sharing a car with Alex Davison, retiring in both races.

Kox returned to Australia in February 2013, driving a Lamborghini Gallardo for Lago Racing at Bathurst 12 Hour. He was sharing a car with Roger Lago and David Russell, not finishing the race.

Peter Kox is racing with Acura since 2016

Joining RealTime Racing in 2016 and developing a new Acura NSX GT3

Kox occasionally raced with Lamborghinis until 2015 but he was also driving for many other manufacturers all over the world (McLaren, Audi, BMW, Ferrari).

In 2016, Kox joined RealTime Racing to drive for the team in the Pirelli World Challenge and to participate in a development of a new race car Acura NSX GT3. The car made its debut in 2017 and Kox spent a season driving it in the Pirelli World Challenge.

Dutch racing veteran Peter Kox is not ready for a retirement yet

Photos: Peter Kox, ADAC GT Masters, Richard Sloop, Super Touring Register,