Westbrook to Retire from Racing After Petit Le Mans

Photo: Porsche

Richard Westbrook will hang up his helmet following tomorrow’s Motul Petit Le Mans, having announced his retirement from racing following a storied 30-plus year career.

The 49-year-old Englishman, who has class wins in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, along with back-to-back Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup titles and a FIA GT Championship crown to his credit, will make the ten-hour enduro at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta his final professional race.

“It never felt it was the right time before,” Westbrook told Sportscar365 in an exclusive interview.

“I always felt like there was more and more, trying to get back to that enjoyment factor that I had, certainly with the Ford program, and some programs after that with the Glickenhaus, which I absolutely loved, and my year at JDC.

“This year just hit me on the head. It’s like, ‘No, this is your last year.'”

Westbrook revealed that he originally signed a two-year contract with JDC-Miller Motorsports to drive its customer Porsche 963, which is coming off a podium finish in last month’s Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“After halfway through the year, I thought it’s time to pass the baton on to the next generation,” he explained.

“I’m so fortunate. I’ve had such a fantastic career that I’m really proud of, and I don’t want to be doing it for the sake of it.

“This is the first time that I’ve ever questioned whether I should be on the track or not.

“I’m going to look back with no regrets and just feel extremely proud of what I’ve achieved, with the help of my family. I’m happy that I’ve made the decision myself rather than being forced out, and I can announce it before the last race of the year.”

Westbrook is ending his career after four seasons of top-level prototype competition, between the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, having scored overall podiums at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with both Glickenhaus and the Chip Ganassi Racing-run Cadillac program in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

His stint in Hypercar/GTP machinery, however, almost happened by chance, after a failed attempt to contest the Nürburgring 24 in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo led to a drive with Glickenhaus’ SP-X class SCG004C in 2020.

“It’s funny how things happen,” he said. “I was [planning to do] the Nürburgring 24 with Phoenix and I was absolutely useless in that car. Fortunately, Phoenix pulled the car, and they didn’t do the N24.

“I then got a call from Glickenhaus to do the 24-hour in their [car] and it went really well, and then they gave me a drive in their Hypercar [in 2021].

“Then I got on John Church’s radar and he offered me an opportunity to come back to IMSA. And because of that, I went back to Ganassi, in WEC.

“When I look back on it, it was all from being totally sh** in this Audi GT3 car that actually never raced. I’ve got a lot to thank Phoenix for!

“It’s funny how things work out. But I think the mantra is to never give up.

“I’m really proud I’m bowing out at the top class. But I’m also really proud I was in the glory days of GT Le Mans, which when I look back on that, it was nuts.”

Westbrook, who enjoyed stints as a factory driver for Porsche, Chevrolet and Ford, along with outings in works BMW and Aston Martin entries, is considered to have been one of the most versatile drivers in GT racing.

He won the 2018 Rolex 24 in Ganassi’s Ford GT, while also having picked up GT class victory at Sebring with Corvette Racing in 2013, in addition to four seasons with Spirit of Daytona’s Corvette DP program.

“When I was at Ganassi at the Ford times, I felt like I was at the top of my game, down to people like Mike Hull and Brad Goldberg, and working with Ryan [Briscoe] as well. That was a real special time,” Westbrook said.

“Whenever I found a home, I really loved it, when I had a longevity in a program. There were a couple of times in my career where I’ve found a home, and that’s where I felt at my best.”

Racing Comeback Westbrook’s “Biggest Highlight”

Westbrook’s sports car career, however, nearly never came to be, after taking a six-year hiatus from racing following his Formula 3 and brief F3000 career in the mid-90s, before returning to competition in 2002, in Porsche Supercup, where he later claimed titles in 2006-07.

“To make it back, and I just wanted to race for the sake of racing, because I was so miserable not racing for six years, I made a lot of sacrifices,” he said.

“I sold my little apartment in London and bought myself a ride.

“I never wanted to earn money from racing; I just wanted to go racing again. I managed to turn that into a really long career. That’s the biggest highlight for me.

“The career really turned when I won the Porsche Supercup twice and put Porsche in a difficult spot where they had to give me a contract.

“It really took off from there and never really slowed down. Everything just happened so quickly.

“I think at the end of this year, I can really look back and say, ‘Wow, that was incredible, from doing nothing in London, being in a terrible state, to going through all of these factory programs.’

“I had so many good memories that I never had a chance to really reflect on, and I can’t wait to that, with a can of Westbrooks’ in my hand.”

Westbrook to Shift Focus to Burgeoning Brewery Business

While looking to go out on a high note at Petit Le Mans, Westbrook said he’ll soon be turning his focus to his eponymous brewing company, producing low-carb beers in the UK, a business that he founded last year.

“It has really taken off,” he said. “I just wanted to start the process because I always knew I was going to do it after racing.

“I was worried I was going to get behind, with the craft brewing trade changing so quickly, I just wanted to get something out there but do it at a very small level.

“But it grew very quickly, just like the racing.

“It has been a challenge combining the two. Halfway through this year, I had to delegate more of the brewery work to other people, to just give this my full focus.

“I owe it to John [Church] to give this everything, particularly now that I’ve made the decision not to do next year, I don’t want John to think I’m just in retirement mode.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John