Johnny Mowlem CV

Le Mans Series Stats 1999-2014:  101 races: 8 wins, 7 poles, 7 lap records, 32 top 3 Qualifiers, 32 podiums, 44 top five, 8 DNF.

2016 Competed in IMSA United Sportscar Championship / North American Endurance Championship for the BAR1 Motorsports team in the Prototype Challenge division in an Oreca. Setting second consecutive Daytona 24 LMPC Pole Postion by 1.7 seconds in the wet, and also the overall Prototype fastest qualifier by 0.05 seconds.

2015: Competed in the IMSA United Sportscar Championship / North American Endurance Championship for the BAR1 Motorsports team in the Prototype Challenge division in an Oreca.

Set Pole Position at the Daytona 24 hours season opener, finishing second in the race. Qualified front row and finished 3rd in the season finale Petit Le Mans Championship race.

2014: Competed in the World Endurance Championship, for the current European champion Ferrari satellite team: RAM Racing. Selected United Sportscar Championship races in the USA and European Le Mans Series in LMP2.

2013: European Le Mans GT Champion for Satellite Ferrari team RAM Racing campaigning a Ferrari F458 GTE.

Won the the European GTE championship with 3 victories and 2 second places and 2 pole positions.

Also competing in selected American Le Mans Series endurance races in Dyson Racing LMP1 Lola B12/60. Competed in season opener Dubai 24 hours in Ferrari F458 GT3 alongside Guy Smith and Gunnar Jeanette.

**Pole position in LMP1 at VIR ALMS race with GUY Smith, leading 31 laps and finishing 2nd overall.

2012: Renewed as Lotus Factory test / race driver and Lotus Ambassador to compete in factory GT Lotus Evora program in International GT championship and assist with promoting the Lotus brand image worldwide. Main development driver for Lotus Evora GT4, GTC, GX and GTE chassis models.

2012: Also competed with 2011 championship winning team; Dyson Racing alongside Guy Smith and Chris Dyson with the LMP1 Lola B12/60 in the American Le Mans Series endurance races

2011: Placed by Lotus as factory driver along with James Rossiter in the Jetalliance GTE Pro Lotus Evora in the GTE Pro class in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Finished 7th in class at the Le Mans 24, and 3rd in the ILMC GTE pro category of the race.

2011: Raced factory Lotus GT Endurance Evora in Dubai 24 hours with Leo and Greg Mansell, Gianni Giudicci and Stefano D’Aste. Placed third in class and set a new GT4 lap record.

2010: LMPC class in the American Le Mans Series at Long Beach and Laguna Seca. Pole position and NEW lap record at Laguna Seca in May 2010. (Record will stand forever as LMPC class was retired in 2018)

Competed back in the LMP1 class in a Lola AER, leading the race overall for the first hour at Road America until gear selection problems and following that up with 3rd place overall at Mosport, Toronto September 2010.

Competed his first races as a works Lotus driver in the factory Lotus GT Evora at the Silverstone 24 hours, setting the fastest race lap in class. Also raced the Lotus Evora to victory in the Vallelunga 6 hours in GT4, setting pole position and fastest GT4 race lap.

2009: Corsa Motorsports/Ginetta Zytek LMP1 hybrid. Races the ground breaking first ever petrol/electric hybrid engine sportscar  in international motorsport. Teamed with Stefan Johansson, they deliver the first ever podium for a hybrid engine at the American Le Mans series Lime Rock race, New York, in July.

2009: Mowlem also is the first driver to ever place a hybrid engined sportscar fastest in an official practice session at the ALMS Mid Ohio race in August. Finished 4th in LMP1 drivers championship.

2009: Le Mans 24hrs: Creation LMP1 (Stuart Hall, Marc Goossens) – finished 10th LMP1.

2009: Corsa Motorsports: 3 races in Ferrari 430, two 4th places at St Petersburg and Long Beach. Switched to factory supported Zytek LMP1 07S. Petit Le Mans ran 2nd in LMP1 before DNF Stefan Johansson suffered a suspension failure. 3rd in LMP1 at Laguna Seca, again with Stefan Johansson.

2007: Factory Ferrari Team Risi Competizione ALMS Sebring 12 hours GT2 winner, teammates Mika Salo and Jaime Melo

2006: Factory Zytek LMP1: 2nd LMP1 and overall at Petit Le Mans. Laguna Seca: Started from Pole position with Teammate Stefan Johansson, 5th LMP1

2006: Risi Ferrari 430 Mosport ALMS. Pole position and GT winner. First ever one/two finish for Ferrari in the American Le Mans Series.

2006: Raced GT3 Aston Martin DBR9S in the World Challenge championship.

2005: Saleen S7R with Team ACEMCO Motorsports. 3rd in GT1 driver’s championship in Le Mans Series. 6 podiums from 10 races. IMSA Cup winner 2005.

2004: Saleen S7R with Team ACEMCO Motorsports. 3rd in GT1 driver’s championship in Le Mans Series. 7 podiums from 9 races. IMSA Cup winner 2004.

2003: Porsche Petersen Motorsports Team. Porsche GT3RS in ALMS GT Championship. 1 win at Road America and 2nd at Sebring 12 hours. Two other podiums. 4th in the GT team/drivers championship.

2002: Daytona 24hrs. Factory Crawford P1 prototype. Teammates Tony Stewart and Jan Lammers. Porsche Petersen Motorsports Porsche GT3RS in ALMS. 2nd in GT at Petit Le Mans 10hrs ALMS GT championship finale.

2001: Porsche Petersen Motorsports partnering Bob Wollek and subsequently Timo Bernhard in ALMS in factory Porsche GT3RS.

Le Mans in factory Saleen S7R. Led the race in GT1 and 8th Overall until engine failure after 17 hours. Sets fastest race lap in GT1.

2000: Le Mans 2000 in Factory Porsche Australia GT3R; with Sascha Maassen and David Murry. Skea Racing International in ALMS. 2nd in GT @ Le Mans 24hrs, Sebring 12hrs and Nurburgring 1000kms.

1999: Reiser Callas Rennsport; Porsche 911RSR. 1st in GT @ Laguna Seca and new lap record. 1st in GT @ Mid-Ohio and new qualifying record.

Le Mans Experience

2014: RAM Racing Ferrari F458 GTE (Patterson, Hamilton) – 12th GTE Pro/Am (ran 2nd for first 6 hours).

2013: HVM Status GP Lola LMP2 (Jonathan Hirschi, Tony Burgess) - DNF

2011: Lotus Jetalliance GTE Pro (James Rossiter, Jonathan Hirschi) – 7th GTE

2009: Creation LMP1 (Stuart Hall, Marc Goossens) – 11th LMP1

2007: Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 (Mika Salo/ Jaime Melo) – DNF (Leading by 3 laps at 17 hours)

2006: ACEMCO Saleen S7R (T. Borcheller/C. Fittipaldi) – 6th GT1, 10th overall

2003: Risi Competizione Ferrari F360 (S. Lewis/B. Leitzinger) – DNF (Leading class until engine failure)

2001: RML Saleen S7R (McKellar/Lambert) – DNF (valves) Fastest GT1 lap

2000: Skea Racing Porsche 911 GT3 (Murry/Maassen) – Podium; 2nd in GT

Other Motorsport highlights

Rolex Daytona 24: Competed 10 times, 1 victory (2004) GT Champion, twice second overall, 3 podiums and five top ten finishes.

Sebring 12 hours: Competed 10 times, 5 class podiums in GT2 and GT1. 2007 GT Champion with Factory Ferrari Team: Risi Competizione. Teammates Mika Salo and Jaime Melo

2004: BRDC Gold star awards. 4th position behind winner, F1 driver; David Coulthard.

 FIA GT Series: (selected races 2001-2006): 5 podiums

 International GT Open Series: (12 races 2005-2012): 8 podiums.

Porsche Cup: British Champion 1996 & 1997. Won all 17 races contested in 1997 to win the Gregor Grant Award at the International Autosport Awards for “outstanding achievement in motor sport”.

British Formula 3 (1995): 4 National wins, 6 podiums and one lap record. 4th in championship.

British Formula Vauxhall Lotus: chosen personally by Jackie Stewart with team mate Dario Franchitti for Paul Stewart Racing “staircase of talent”, alongside Gil De Ferran and Kelvin Burt.

British Formula Ford 1600: Champion of Brands and Dunlop Junior National championships. 3 wins. 3rd in championship.

Analysis of Development Work

Johnny throughout his career has been involved with GT factory programs at Porsche, Saleen, Zytek, Ferrari and Lotus. During that time he has helped develop the first Porsche 996 GT3R chassis including their first sequential gearbox, the Saleen S7R working for the RML racing team, the Ferrari F360 and F430 including the very first GT paddle shift system, the new aerodynamic package for the Zytek 09S as well as being at the heart of developing their KERS Hybrid system, the first to compete in an international sports car event. And developing from the very beginning the Lotus Evora GT4, GTC championship winning cars as well as the GX and GTE version and the Lotus T125 Formula One concept car.

2010 - 2012 factory driver for Lotus: developed the Lotus Evora GT4, GTC, GX and GTE race cars, the Lotus Exige S Rally car and also the Lotus T125 Formula 1 concept car. Involved with all of these projects from their inception working on areas such as Seat ergonomics, pedal box arrangements, dash and control panel visibility, cockpit cooling, Brake system development and back to back brake package evaluation with both Brembo and AP. Also worked with YCOM who did complete design of the Lotus GTE chassis and bodywork. Worked with their technical director Nicola Scimeca and ex Mclaren and Benetton engineer Tim Wright on developing additional aero  packages to try and complement their aero model designed in CFD, along with chassis and suspension geometry modification (rear sub frame development, torsional stiffness, roll centre changes, anti-squat, anti-dive, castor, yaw centres etc.)

At Lotus I worked closely with Cosworth on engine development: air box, throttle pedal progression and throttle maps, ignition retard, driveability, etc. Knock control settings, gearshift and shift cut, ignition and fuel retard timings for optimising performance and durability. Also worked closely with them on methods to improve fuel economy. 

On the Lotus T125 : I tested and helped to develop the F1 concept car, working directly with the car’s designer and Lotus engineering consultant Paolo Catone, (chief engineer and chassis designer for the Le Mans-winning Peugeot 908 HDi FAP).

Developing Traction Control, general set up development, engine mapping working again with Cosworth, aerodynamic improvements, 3rd damper/element system development + torsion bars and inertia dampers.

2006, 2008 - 2009 drove for factory Zytek team helping develop their LMP1: principle driver developing their pioneering Zytek KERS hybrid system. Worked closely with Zytek designer and engineer Tim Holloway and hybrid and data engineer Pete May. Hybrid system incorporated 3 sections, an inverter housed in the left side pod, the motor in the bell housing between the engine/gearbox and the battery in the cockpit next to the driver. A lot of development was required to progress the hybrid system. But also required was a re-development of the car's handling due to the hybrid systems’ impact. Aero work was required, along with different mechanical weight distributions, changes to roll centres and centres of gravity, traction control work, differential work for more progressive ramps, brake bias shift control during brake zones, etc.

2003 - 2007 Drove for factory Ferrari team Risi Competizione. initially with F360, generally developing the set-up package but specifically their first GT paddle shift system. Followed then with the new Ferrari 430 working on driver ergonomics (race seat and seating position) as well as general reliability testing; driveshafts, gearbox reliability work, suspension geometry assessment (anti-squat, anti-dive, first use on GT of blow-off dampers etc.) Also big push on fuel economy, working with the F430 engine direct-injection. Also worked with evaluating different fuels in the ALMS, for example E85 etc.

 1999 - 2003 Porsche with satellite factory team Petersen Motorsports driving with Bob Wollek and latterly Timo Bernhard helping to develop various updates to body aerodynamics, sequential gearbox, as well as engine development (smaller fly wheels), plus fuel economy work with Bosch management system.

TYRES: In many cases, especially with Porsche and Ferrari I also undertook a lot of tyre testing with different tyre manufacturers (Pirelli, Yokohama, Dunlop and Michelin) to develop compounds and constructions to suit each chassis characteristic and maximise performance and durability.

2001 - 2002 drove for Ray Mallock Ltd developing the brand new GT1 Saleen S7R working with RML chief engineer Phil Barker. General aero work. Differential work and engine reliability work alongside suspension geometry development, (anti-squat, anti-dive, castor, yaw centres etc.)