McLaren test driver job goes to Kenny Brack
Woking's new Chief Test Driver is obviously a former racing driver. But you might know him for different reasons...
McLaren Automotive has confirmed that Kenny Brack - a former IndyCar champion - will replace Chris Goodwin as the firm's Chief Test Driver. The Swedish hand already has a long history of working with Woking, and was said to be 'integral' to the development of both the 720S and the Senna as a driver consultant.
"Kenny's record as a formidable first-class racing driver speaks for itself, but I believe his talents as a development driver are even more impressive and make him the ideal person to lead the team shaping the way that McLaren cars drive," said Dr. Jens Ludmann, the manufacturer's Chief Operating Officer, and Brack's new boss.
Behind the scenes, the stories about Brack's all-or-nothing driving style are already legendary - as you might expect of the man responsible for the P1 LM's 6min 43.22 second lap of Nordschleife last year, still claimed as the record for 'road-legal' cars.
"I am driven by a desire to win, to achieve results," said Brack. "For me, the key dynamic traits needed to explore my own limits and those of a vehicle on a race track are predictability and consistency. These elements are also fundamental for a road car to be both safe and satisfying and as a result you'll find them integral to the McLaren 720S and the McLaren Senna."
Brack spent 35 years in motorsport, and won the Indianapolis 500 in 1999 as well as the CART Rookie of the Year title in 2000 - although he is arguably most famous for surviving an enormous crash in 2003, which reputedly recorded a peak deceleration of 214g. His recovery took 18 months, and effectively ended his career in IRL.
Despite this, Brack has continued to have a notable impact on the track - enjoying a long relationship with Lanzante Motorsport in historic racing, and winning the X Games Rally Gold Medal in 2009 (beating out Travis Pastrana). All of which serves as an excuse to reshow his remarkable qualifying lap in a GT40 at the rain-soaked 2013 Goodwood Revival. Consider McLaren's future in safe hands...
Was he just showing off? Why not short shift to prevent wheel spin or stop giving it 100% throttle...? He could have gone a lot quicker.
Not for one second doubting his skills as a race driver.
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