Earl_Bamber

Earl Bamber

Earl Bamber

New Zealand racing driver


Earl Anderson Bamber (born 9 July 1990) is a New Zealand professional racing driver and racing team owner who currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Cadillac Racing.[1] He is a factory driver for Corvette Racing, having previously driven in a factory capacity for Porsche.[2]

Quick Facts Nationality, Born ...

Bamber is a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, having won in 2015 alongside Nico Hülkenberg and Nick Tandy and in 2017 with Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley.[3] He also became overall champion of the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship alongside the latter trio. Bamber also won the IMSA SportsCar Championship in the GTLM class in 2019, as well as the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 2023. Prior to his endurance racing career, he was champion of the 2014 Porsche Supercup and won the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia twice in 2013 and 2014.[4]

Early life

Earl Bamber was born in Whanganui, New Zealand, to Paul and Maureen Bamber (née Johnson), and lived on a farm where he learned to drive in the small settlement of Jerusalem on the Whanganui River.[5][6] He attended Wanganui Collegiate School along with his younger brother, William. Bamber began in kart racing and won his first title aged 12, at the North Island Sprint Championships (Junior 100cc Yamaha Restricted), and his first national title at the 2004 Sprint Kart Championship meeting in Auckland.[7] Later that year, he secured a podium at the Rotax Max category's annual Grand Final in Portugal after dominating the Junior class in the 2004 Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand.[7]

Racing career

Open-wheel racing

Bamber competing for A1 Team New Zealand at the 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa

Bamber progressed through karts and single seater series and was ranked sixth highest future star in the world by the internationally recognised website driverdb.com in 2008.[7] At 15 he switched to the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship before competing in Asia two years later where he won the Asian Formula BMW title. He achieved pole positions, fastest laps and podium results in Formula Renault V6 and Australian Formula 3, despite a tight budget.[8] In 2008 he won two vice-championship trophies – in Formula Renault V6 Asia and Toyota Racing Series New Zealand. Bamber contested several rounds of the international A1 Grand Prix series for the New Zealand team in 2009, finishing on the podium three times. He also stood on the podium in GP2 Asia, at the age of 19. In 2010 he repeated his 2008 success and was again crowned runner-up in the New Zealand Toyota Racing Series.[8]

Sportscar racing

2013

In 2013, Bamber made his first appearance in Porsche's one make series in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia with Malaysian team, Nexus Racing. He battled all season with Martin Ragginger but eventually won the drivers championship.[9] Bamber was also successful in endurance racing, winning the Bathurst 12 Hour (Class B) with Grove Racing, alongside team owner and Carrera Cup Australia regular Stephen Grove and eventual Supercup rival Ben Barker.[9] He was subsequently selected to race in three Porsche Supercup meetings.[10] Bamber's inaugural sportscar racing season ended with victory in the Carrera Cup Asia race at the 60th Macau Grand Prix meeting, defeating nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb in the process.[11]

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia nominated Bamber for the Porsche Motorsport International Cup Scholarship shootout in Oschersleben, Germany, where he beat seven other top pilots from Porsche one-make cups series around the world.[8] Part of the selection process included the simulation of a qualifying session as well as an entire race. He received funding of 200,000 Euros for his 2014 Porsche Supercup season campaign the following season.[8]

2014

The Porsche 997 GT3-R Cup of Earl Bamber, Ben Barker and Stephen Grove at the 2014 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.
Bamber racing at the Sebring International Raceway during the 2014 GT America Series.

Bamber raced with FACH Auto Tech in the Porsche Supercup alongside Porsche Carrera Cups of Germany and Asia with Team 75 Bernhard and LKM Racing, respectively. After ten rounds in the Supercup, Bamber won the drivers championship with 155 points, ahead of Kuba Giermaziak on 132 points, becoming the first New Zealander to win the Porsche Supercup title and the first rookie to do so. After seven of the ten races, the FACH Auto Tech driver had already won the rookie classification.[12] He dominated the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season on his way to retaining the title as he won eight out of the ten races that he competed in despite missing two races in Zhuhai due to his concurrent commitments in Porsche Supercup and Porsche Carrera Cup Germany.[9] With the support of Team 75 Bernhard, Bamber competed in ten out of eighteen rounds of the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany with two wins, five podiums and three fastest laps. He left the series holding second position in the Drivers Championship and was seventh overall at the end of the season.[9] Bamber also replaced the injured Richard Lietz in the Porsche 911 RSR at the Petit Le Mans in the United SportsCar Championship, joining Porsche works drivers Patrick Long and Michael Christensen. Their second place ensured team Porsche North America, run by Core Autosport, won the manufacturers title in the championship.[13]

2015

The #19 Porsche 919 Hybrid Bamber co-drove with Hülkenberg and Tandy to win the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans

Prior to the 2015 season, Bamber signed with Porsche Motorsport as a works driver.[14] In January 2015, he and fellow works drivers Jörg Bergmeister and Frédéric Makowiecki took the No.912 Porsche 911 RSR to seventh place at the 24 Hours of Daytona.[15] Bamber and Nick Tandy joined Formula One driver Nico Hülkenberg in the Porsche LMP squad to contest the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and the Le Mans 24 Hours in a 919 Hybrid.[16] Bamber's hybrid, car No. 19, was third on the grid after Porsche finished first, second and third in qualifying,[17] but ended up winning comfortably. Bamber's childhood friend and Porsche teammate, Brendon Hartley, with co-drivers Mark Webber and Timo Bernhard, started from second on the grid in a 919 Hybrid and finished the race in second place.[18] Bamber claimed his first career GT Le Mans (GTLM) pole at the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America in his first qualifying attempt as a Porsche factory driver on August 8.[19] He bettered the previous lap record by more than a full second.[20] He also made a guest appearance in the FIA World Endurance Championship's 6 Hours of Nürburgring, filling in for Klaus Bachler in the No. 88 Abu Dhabi-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR.[21] Bamber made his debut in the FIA GT World Cup in the streets of Macau in November.[22] The versatility in going between LMP1, GTE-Pro (GT Le Mans in IMSA) and GTE-Am this year, he said, made him a better driver.[23]

2016

The Class B-winning Porsche GT3 Cup of Earl Bamber, Stephen Grove and Scott McLaughlin at the 2016 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour

In 2016, Bamber continues to pilot the 911 RSR for Porsche North America and Porsche Motorsport in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the World Endurance Championship, respectively.[24] Bamber was the highest placed Kiwi driver at the 54th running of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona when his Porsche 911 RSR team came home third in the GTLM class and placed ninth overall.[25] Bamber made a successful return at the Bathurst 12 Hour with a 2nd Class B victory for Grove Motorsport in as many races at the endurance classic in Mount Panorama, Australia alongside team owner Stephen Grove and V8 Supercars driver Scott McLaughlin.[26] In changing weather conditions at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Bamber and his teammates in the #912 Porsche 911 RSR finished 3rd.[27]

2017

The 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans race-winning No. 2 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber
The Porsche 911 RSR of Earl Bamber, Laurens Vanthoor and Mathieu Jaminet at the 2019 Petit Le Mans

On 3 December 2016, Bamber was confirmed as a member of the Porsche LMP1 team with Nick Tandy and André Lotterer to contest 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship. He co-drove the #2 car with Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, replacing the retired Mark Webber.[28]

Other racing

In August 2020, Bamber joined NASCAR team Richard Childress Racing for the Xfinity Series race on the Daytona road course.[29] Bamber had become associated with team owner Richard Childress via his father, who was hunting partners with Childress in the 2000s; Bamber and RCR attempted to work a three-race deal after Bamber participated in oval racing with RCR driver Ty Dillon, but it failed to materialise.[30] Bamber started 29th in the UNOH 188 but finished 33rd after hitting a kerb on the backstretch chicane, which caused his car to go airborne.[31][32]

Hypercar career

For the 2023 season, Bamber would join Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook in the Hypercar category of the World Endurance Championship, piloting a Cadillac V-Series.R ran by Chip Ganassi Racing.[33]

Helmets

Bamber uses helmets designed by Italian manufacturers Stilo.[34] He acknowledges his home country with a silver fern design on the sides of his Stilo ST5 helmets, a quasi-national emblem used for various official symbols, including the Coat of arms of New Zealand and the New Zealand one dollar coin. On top are four red stars with white borders representing the Southern Cross which features on the Flag of New Zealand.[35] He has the number 19 painted on the back of one of his helmets, the same number as on his Porsche 919 Hybrid.

Personal life

Bamber lives in Kuala Lumpur and enjoys surfing and skiing in his free time.[36]

Motorsports career results

Racing career summary

More information Season, Series ...

* Season still in progress.
Team standings.

Complete A1 Grand Prix results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Entrant ...

Complete GP2 Asia Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Entrant ...

Complete Porsche Carrera Cup Asia results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Team ...

Complete Porsche Carrera Cup Germany results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Team ...

Complete Porsche Supercup results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Team ...

Complete Bathurst 12 Hour results

More information Year, Team ...

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete 24 Hours of Nürburgring results

More information Year, Team ...

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

More information Year, Entrant ...

* Season still in progress.

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Team ...

* Season still in progress.

Supercars Championship results

More information Supercars results, Year ...

Bathurst 1000 results

More information Year, Team ...

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Xfinity Series

More information NASCAR Xfinity Series results, Year ...

1 Ineligible for series points.


References

  1. "About Earl". earlbambermotorsport.com. Earl Bamber. Archived from the original on 3 June 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
  2. "Juncadella, Bamber, Varrone Named Corvette Racing Factory Drivers". IMSA. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  3. "Le Mans 24 Hours: F1's Hulkenberg leads Porsche 1–2". CNN. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. 14 June 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  4. "Earl Anderson Bamber". Porsche Works Drivers. Porsche Motorsports. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  5. "Earl Bamber's on top of World motorsport". 3NEWS. MediaWorks TV. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  6. Maslin, John (16 June 2016). "Bamber drives into history with first-up Le Mans win". Wanganui Chronicle. NZME Publishing Limited. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  7. "Black Bullet Profile: Earl Bamber". BlackBullets.com. Pacific Motorsport. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
  8. "Earl Bamber wins factory scholarship 2014". FIA.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  9. "Earl Bamber Racing Career Profile". DriverDatabase Newsroom. DriverDB AB. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  10. "Pole and second place finish for Bamber in Porsche Supercup". motornews.co.nz. motornews.co.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  11. "Bamber, Loeb and Ragginger in all-star Macau podium". FIA.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  12. "Earl Bamber is the new Porsche champion". The Porsche Newsroom. Porsche AG. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  13. SpeedCafe (6 October 2014). "Bamber Claims Petit Le Mans podium". Speedcafe.com. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  14. NZ Herald (15 December 2014). "NZ driver Earl Bamber joins Porsche factory team". The New Zealand Herald. NZME Publishing Limited. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  15. "Porsche TUDOR United SportsCar Championship". Porsche Cars North America. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  16. Watkins, Gary (5 February 2015). "Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy join Nico Hulkenberg in Le Mans Porsche". Autosport.com. Haymarket Media Group. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  17. "Brendon Hartley, Earl Bamber cars line up second, third in Le Mans 24 Hours grid". stuff.co.nz. Fairfax New Zealand Limited. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  18. Morley, Gary; Hussain, Leila (16 June 2015). "Earl Bamber:From the farm to racing magical Le Mans". CNN. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  19. "Porsche's Bamber takes first GTLM pole as factory driver". IMSA. IMSA. 9 August 2015. Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  20. "Bamber smashes track record for GTLM pole at Road America". Sportscar 365. Sportscar365.com. 9 August 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  21. "Bamber to Sub for Bachler at 6H Nurburgring". Sportscar 365. Sportscar365.com. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  22. "Spectacular entry list for FIA GT World Cup". FIA. FIA.com. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  23. "Bamber: "I Learned a Huge Amount and Grew as a Driver"". sportscar365. sportscar365.com. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  24. "Tandy, Bamber set for North American focus in 2016". Sportscar 365. Sportscar365.com. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  25. "Bamber best of Kiwis at Daytona". NZ Motor Racing. nzmotorracing.co.nz. 1 February 2016. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  26. "Van Gisbergen, McLaren win Bathurst 12 Hr". FOXSports Motor Racing. FOXSports.com. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  27. "Corvette Racing continues IMSA SportsCar Championship dominance". AutoWeek. Autoweek.com. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  28. "Lotterer, Tandy and Bamber confirmed at Porsche for 2017". FIA WEC. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  29. Pruett, Marshall (14 August 2020). "It's been a long, strange trip to NASCAR for Bamber". Racer. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  30. Shackleton, Zane (16 August 2020). "Bamber ends NASCAR debut with acrobatic crash but shows immense potential". Velocity News. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  31. Lloyd, Daniel (3 October 2022). "Cadillac Announces Hypercar Lineup; Daytona Outing Set". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  32. "The Choice of Champions". Stilo.it. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  33. "Flags". Ministry for Culture and Heritage (New Zealand). 23 July 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  34. "Earl Bamber". Porsche Media. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  35. "Earl Bamber Results". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  36. "Earl Bamber – 2014 Tudor United SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  37. "Earl Bamber – 2015 Tudor United SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  38. "Earl Bamber – 2016 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  39. "Earl Bamber – 2017 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  40. "Earl Bamber – 2018 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  41. "Earl Bamber – 2019 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  42. "Earl Bamber – 2020 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  43. "Earl Bamber – 2021 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  44. "Earl Bamber – 2022 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  45. "Earl Bamber – 2023 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  46. "Earl Bamber – 2024 Weathertech SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  47. "Earl Bamber – 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  48. "Earl Bamber – 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 9 November 2020.

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