Brian Redman to be honored by RRDC at Long Beach

HILLIARD, Ohio - Brian Redman, whose internationally-acclaimed career as a sports-car, Formula One and F5000 racer has spanned more than 40 years, will be honored by the Road Racing Drivers Club at the "RRDC Evening with Brian Redman" in Long Beach, Calif., on Thursday, April 18, prior to the running of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. This is the RRDC's fifth consecutive annual banquet honoring the legends of the sport.

Brian Redman

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Born in Burnley, Lancashire, England, in 1937, Redman was a member of World Championship for Makes winning teams in 1968, ‘69, ‘70 and ‘72, a three-time U.S. F5000 champion (1974-76), and the 1981 IMSA Camel GT and 1971 South African Springbok champion. But those accomplishments are just a few recorded by this affable competitor who continues to give back to the sport beyond his retirement from professional racing.

He drove for Shadow Racing Cars, McLaren and Cooper in Formula One. He participated in 15 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on January 1, 1968, achieving one podium finish in the '68 Spanish Grand Prix, taking third place behind F1 World Champions Graham Hill and Denny Hulme.

Redman was a Porsche works driver in 1969-70, driving a Porsche 917K and a Porsche 908/03 for John Wyer. He won eight World Manufacturers Championship races with Jo Siffert, including the grueling Targa Florio in Sicily. He co-drove with Clay Regazzoni and Jacky Ickx for Ferrari before moving to the United States, where he won three straight F5000 championships (1974-76) driving a Jim Hall/Carl Haas Lola. In 1977 he had a serious accident in St. Jovite (Canada), which took him six months to recover from a broken neck, sternum and ribs. In his first race after the accident, he won the '78 12 Hours of Sebring in a Porsche 935. He then went on to claim the '81 IMSA GT championship.

Redman's last year of pro racing was in 1989 at the age of 52, driving for the works Aston Martin team in the World Sportscar Championship. He will race the AMR 1 at The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in August.

Today, Redman, who is a past RRDC president, lives in Florida where he is active in historic racing and is a motorsports consultant. He often drives a Porsche 908/03 for the Collier Collection and organizes historic events under the Targa Sixty Six banner. He started this organization in 1991 for owners of vintage and modern high-performance and collector cars who do not necessarily wish to race them, but who like to drive at speed under controlled conditions in the company of others who share their interests. He is a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, the Sebring Hall of Fame, the Talladega Hall of Fame and the Long Beach Walk of Fame.

“Brian Redman is a true icon in the world of sports-car and F5000 racing” said Bobby Rahal, president of the RRDC. “This humble man has accomplished so much in this sport and continues to share his expertise with others. And he does it with incredible grace and humor. The members of the RRDC are privileged to honor him during the ‘RRDC Evening with Brian Redman.’”

The dinner's proceeds will help support the RRDC’s young driver initiatives, including its groundbreaking SAFEISFAST.com program and the Team USA Scholarship, which the RRDC has backed since 1997.

The RRDC Evening with Brian Redman will be held on Thursday, April 18, at the Hilton Hotel, 701 West Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, Calif., with cocktails at 6 p.m., and dinner at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person, if purchased in advance, and space is limited. Sponsor packages are also available. This event is expected to sell out quickly. Early reservations are recommended. Please contact Jeremy Shaw at rrdc2@cox.net.

About the RRDC: The Road Racing Drivers Club was formed in 1952 as a way to give champion drivers a say in their sport, particularly in the areas of safety, and has evolved to serve the future of road racing by mentoring new drivers on both amateur and professional levels. The Club’s membership includes leading industry professionals, race officials and motorsports journalists, in addition to prominent racing names.

Road Racing Drivers Club