Didier Theys

Didier Maurice Theys (born 19 October 1956 ) is a Belgian sports car driver. He is a two-time overall winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona (1998 and 2002); a winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring; the Sports Racing Prototype driver champion of the Grand-American Road Racing Association (2002) and the winner of the 24 Hours of Spa (1987 in a factory BMW). He was also the polesitter (1996) and a podium finisher at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1997, 1998 and 1999). The podium finish in 1999 was a third overall in the factory Audi R8R with co-drivers Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela. Theys' first appearance at Le Mans was in 1982, while his last start in the world's most famous endurance sports car race came 20 years later in 2002.

Formula racing

Theys won the Belgium Karting championship in 1977. Later he competed in several feeder formulae: he won several Formula Ford championships in the late 1970s and early 1980s; the U.S. Bosch Super Vee championship in 1986; and the American Racing Series (now Indy Lights) championship in 1987. He was also successful in the European Formula Three Championship and Formula 2 in the 1980s. He finished third in the Monaco Formula 3 Grand Prix in 1985.

Theys competed in the CART Indy Car Series from 1987 to 1993 with 47 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 three times (1989, 1990 and 1993). He finished in the top-ten 10 times in CART events, and his best career finish in that series was a third position in Miami in 1988.

IMSA Theys ran the IMSA GT Championship in 1995 on a Ferrari 333SP. He finished fourth in 1996, 11th in 1997 and 6th in the series' final season in 1998.

1998 season Theys' 1998 victories at Daytona and Sebring came in the Kevin Doran-prepared MOMO Ferrari with co-drivers Mauro Baldi, Arie Luyendyk and Giampiero Moretti. His 2002 Daytona victory came in the Doran Lista Dallara Judd with co-drivers Baldi, Fredy Lienhard and Max Papis.

Theys' 1998 season was a record-setter, as in addition to winning Daytona and Sebring, He also won the Six Hours of Watkins Glen.

Theys also finished second overall in the FIA Sportscar Championship that year, winning at Paul Ricard, France.

2000–2002 seasons In addition to his Grand-Am driver championship in 2002, Theys finished third in the driver point standings in that series in 2001 and was the runner-up in 2000. He had four victories in his championship 2002 season, and established the largest margin of victory in series history in winning the race at Mont-Tremblant, Quebec from the pole that year.

After 2002 Prior to retiring from pro racing in March 2009, Theys also competed in the Le Mans Series in Europe with Horag Racing from 2005 through 2008, winning the Monza 1,000 km race in the LMP2 category in 2007 and a similar event at the Nürburgring in 2005 in a Lola Judd. He finished his pro driving career in the Horag Racing-prepared Lista Office Porsche RS Spyder in the Le Mans Series' LMP2 division in 2008, finishing second in class at Spa and Silverstone, third at Monza and winning the Michelin Energy Challenge that season.

Theys also drove a Maserati MC 12 for Doran Racing in the ALMS in 2007, an effort that stunned the GT1 class when it beat the factory Corvettes to win the pole at the Petit Le Mans that year.

Accomplishments Upon his retirement from driving professionally, Theys had finished on the podium 61 times in sports car races all over the world, with 18 victories, 22 second-place finishes and 21 third-place finishes through the end of the 2008 season. He has the most professional victories of anyone in a Ferrari 333 SP with ten.

Theys received the prestigious Driver of the Year Award in his native Belgium in 2002.

Post-retirement Theys currently works as a racing driver coach and consultant. He is also the Driving Director of DrivingXllence , an automotive event company that allows guests to experience being behind the wheel of the world's newest and best Supercars.

Personal Although he never gave up his Belgium citizenship, Theys resided in Scottsdale, Arizona for many years, and still lives there. That municipality honored him with the keys to the city in honor of his GRAND-AM driver championship and second 24 Hours of Daytona victory. He is married to Florence Richardson.

Racing record

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete 24 Hours of Spa results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1979 Kinley Luigi Racing Patrick Nève Hans-Joachim Stuck BMW 530i T +2.5 DNF DNF 1980 TWR Mazda Motul Team Jeff Allam Benoit Béguin John Morrison Mazda RX-7 T +2.5 358 21st 4th 1982 Belgian Audi VW Club Michel Maillien Jean Wansart VW Scirocco GTI Div.1 DNF DNF 1985 Eggenberger Motorsport Pierre Dieudonné Carlo Rossi Volvo 240 Turbo Div.3 489 4th 4th 1986 RAS Sport Thomas Lindström Ulf Granberg Volvo 240 Turbo Div.3 460 DNF DNF 1987 Waterloo Motors Jean-Michel Martin Eric van de Poele BMW M3 Div.2 481 1st 1st 1988 Ford Texaco Eggenberger Racing Team Gianfranco Brancatelli Bertrand Gachot Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth Div.3 506 DNF DNF 1989 BMW Belgium Marc Duez Steve Soper BMW 635 CSi Div.2 182 DNF DNF 1993 Team Paduwa Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Libert Porsche 964 Carrera 2 PRO GT 279 16th 16th

American open–wheel racing results (key)

Formula Super Vee Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rank Points 1986 Martini USA Martini MK 47, MK 50 VW Bertils LBH4 IRP1 MIL DETRet MEA1 CLE1 ROA113 MOH8 ROA22 LS2 PHXRet MIA1 STP1 1st 155

PPG Indycar Series

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points Ref 1987 Newman Teamworks LBH7 PHX INDY MIL POR MEA CLE TOR MCH POC ROA22 MOH NAZ LAG 30th 6 Truesports Co. MIA17 1988 Dick Simon Racing PHX LBH INDY MIL POR10 CLE9 TOR18 MEA21 MCH POC MOH10 ROA23 NAZ LAG8 MIA3 15th 29 1989 Arciero Racing PHX20 LBH23 INDY20 MIL17 21st 9 Hemelgarn Racing DET9 POR20 CLE12 MEA26 TOR MCH POC Vince Granatelli Racing MOH11 ROA11 NAZ21 LAG17 1990 Vince Granatelli Racing PHX14 LBH11 INDY11 MIL DET13 POR20 CLE23 MEA28 TOR7 MCH DEN9 VAN25 MOH16 ROA NAZ 18th 15 A. J. Foyt Enterprises LAG12 1991 Leader Card Racing SRF LBH10 PHX INDYDNQ MIL DETDNQ POR22 CLE12 MEA20 TOR13 MCH DEN23 VAN MOH23 ROA25 NAZ LAG14 25th 4 1992 Hall/VDS Racing SRF PHX LBH INDYDNQ DET POR MIL NHA TOR MCH CLE ROA VAN MOH NAZ 40th 0 Chip Ganassi Racing LAG13 1993 Hemelgarn Racing SRF PHX LBH INDY22 MIL DET POR CLE TOR MCH NHA ROA VAN MOH NAZ 42nd 0 Dick Simon Racing LAG15 1994 Project Indy SRF PHX LBH INDYDNQ MIL DET POR CLE TOR MCH MOH NHA VAN ROA NAZ LAG NC –