Jason Priestley, the actor-racer you (probably) didn't know about

When it comes to actors-turned-racers, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Patrick Dempsey always take the spotlight as A-list celebrities who have successfully tested their racing skills. However, shadowed by their on screen and on track success are a number of lesser-known actors. One of them is Jason Priestley.

Versed as both driver and team owner

The Vancouver-born actor and Beverly Hills 90210 star has had a long and diverse racing career, both as a driver and a team owner. In the early and mid ’90s, Jason Priestley raced a Toyota Celica ST 185 in the SCCA Pro Rally Series, but he soon gravitated towards circuit racing.

In 1996, Priestley became involved in the IMSA GTS, USRRC GT1 and Motorola Cup series, driving a Ford Mustang for Multimatic Motorsports, the same team his colleague Dempsey drove for years later, in 2012. However, Priestley’s true love was the IndyCar series — despite being seriously injured in 2002 when his Indy Pro Series car crashed, he returned as the team co-owner.

Jason Priestley during his Indycar years

After the accident, Jason Priestley eventually returned to driving

Together with Jim Freudenberg, his team, called Rubicon Race Team, took part in the 2008 Indianapolis 500 with Max Papis as the driver. Priestley was also involved as the co-owner of FAZZT Race Team, a team which competed in 2010 with Alex Tagliani as its driver.

After his accident, Priestley quit racing professionally and as that day, Priestley’s acting career took over. However, he is often seen backstage in many racing events around the world, especially at those held in the United States of America.