The Simeone Museum’s Spirit of Competition Award is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions in the world of motorsports. This year’s recipient, Brian Redman, has won nine sports-car road-racing championships over his 60 years of competition. He will be honored at the Spirit of Competition Award ceremony on December 1 at the Simeone Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mr. Redman was chosen for his achievements on behalf of the sport and his dedication to excellence in racing, both on and off the track, exemplifying what it means to be a Champion.
Brian Redman is the only driver to win three straight championships in SCCA Formula 5000 and has raced in nearly every category of sports-car racing, including Formula One. The Englishman began racing in the 1960s and collected his first major championship—the 1970 South African Springbok Series title—while driving a BMW-powered Brabham. Brian went on to dominate the SCCA Formula 5000 (FF) Series in the mid-1970s, scoring three consecutive titles (1974-1976) driving a Lola T332 Chevrolet.
Redman also drove a Lola T530 to victory in the 1981 IMSA Camel GT race at Riverside International Raceway. Brian is considered to be one of the greatest British endurance racers in the history of the sport. In addition to his four victories at Spa-Francorchamps, Brian has overall wins in the 1970 Targa Florio, the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1975 and 1978, has been a three-time winner at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and holds three class victories at Le Mans.
Brian retired as a pro driver following the 1989 season, but still continues to race, although these days he prefers to complete in vintage and historic events. Brian also keeps himself busy through his management of the Targa 66 Club, which organizes races around the country for the owners of high-end and high-performance sports racing cars. In 2016, Brian authored a memoir with Jim Mullen titled “Brian Redman: Daring Drivers, Deadly Tracks,” which portrays a vivid account of his varied racing exploits.
In 2002 Brian was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2011.
