Didier Theys
Encyclopedia
Didier Theys is an 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
(1998); 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.
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
.
His 1998 season was a record-setter, as in addition to winning Daytona and Sebring, Theys also won the Six Hours of Watkins Glen
. He also finished second overall in the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship that year, winning at Paul Ricard, France.
He has the most professional victories of anyone in a Ferrari 333 SP with 10.
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.
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 Nurburgring
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.
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.
Prior to his accomplishments in sports cars Theys was also successful in open-wheel racing, competing in the CART
Championship 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.
He won the American Racing Series (now Indy Lights) championship in 1987; the U.S. Bosch Super Vee championship in 1986; several Formula Ford championships in the late seventies and early eighties, and the Belgium Karting championship in 1977. He was also successful in European Formula 3 and Formula 2 in the eighties. He finished third in the Monaco Formula 3 Grand Prix in 1985.
Theys’ accomplishments at the highest levels of motorsports around the world are even more impressive considering that he came from a middle-class family with no other family members involved in the sport. He borrowed money to finance his first season of Formula Ford competition in 1978, and then built a career as a professional race car driver that spanned more than 30 years.
He received the prestigious Driver of the Year Award in his native Belgium in 2002.
Although he never gave up his Belgium citizenship, he resided in Scottsdale, Ariz., 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.
Theys currently works as a racing driver coach and consultant. He is also the driving director of World Class Driving, a company that allows enthusiasts to experience driving a fleet of exotic sports cars.
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
(1998 and 2002); a winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
(1998); 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
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
(1997, 1998 and 1999). The podium finish in 1999 was a third overall in the factory Audi R8R
Audi R8R
The Audi R8R was a Le Mans Prototype built by Audi for the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans, and a predecessor to the dominant Audi R8 which debuted in 2000. It was raced alongside the British built closed-cockpit Audi R8C.-Development:...
with co-drivers Emanuele Pirro
Emanuele Pirro
Emanuele Pirro is an Italian former Formula One driver and five time Le Mans 24 hour winner.- Biography :...
and Frank Biela
Frank Biela
Frank Biela is an auto racing driver, mainly competing in touring cars and sportscar racing. He has raced exclusively in cars manufactured by the Audi marque since 1990....
. 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.
Theys’ 1998 victories at Daytona and Sebring came in the Kevin Doran-prepared MOMO Ferrari with co-drivers Mauro Baldi
Mauro Baldi
Mauro Baldi is an Italian former Formula One driver who raced for the Arrows, Alfa Romeo and Spirit teams.He started his career in rallying in 1972 and turned to circuit racing in 1975 with the Italian Renault 5 Cup...
, Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....
and Giampiero Moretti
Giampiero Moretti
Giampiero Moretti is a retired racing driver and the founder of the MOMO company in the 1960s.He is a former winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona, winning in 1998, driving a Ferrari 333SP with co-drivers Mauro Baldi, Arie Luyendyk and Didier Theys.- Notes :...
. His 2002 Daytona victory came in the Doran Lista Dallara Judd with co-drivers Baldi, Fredy Lienhard
Fredy Lienhard
Fredy Lienhard, Sr. is a Swiss racing driver.In 1968 Lienhard founded Lista Racing and throughout the 1970s and 1980s he competed in Formula Vee and Formula Two. In 1993 and 1994 he moved to sports car racing competing in a Lola Can-Am car in Interserie division 2...
and Max Papis
Max Papis
Massimiliano "Max" Papis is a racing driver who has competed in several top-level motorsports events such as Le Mans 24 Hours, Formula One and Champ Car. He has three Champ Car victories. He is the son-in-law of Emerson Fittipaldi. His son's godfather is fellow Italian Alex Zanardi...
.
His 1998 season was a record-setter, as in addition to winning Daytona and Sebring, Theys also won the Six Hours of Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
. He also finished second overall in the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship that year, winning at Paul Ricard, France.
He has the most professional victories of anyone in a Ferrari 333 SP with 10.
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.
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
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
1,000 km race in the LMP2 category in 2007 and a similar event at the Nurburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
in 2005 in a Lola Judd. He finished his pro driving career in the Horag Racing-prepared Lista Office Porsche RS Spyder
Porsche RS Spyder
The RS Spyder is a racing car designed by Porsche to compete in Le Mans Prototype Class 2 racing. The car takes its name from the legendary 550 Spyder of the 1950s...
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
Alms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
in 2007, an effort that stunned the GT1 class when it beat the factory Corvettes to win the pole at the Petit Le Mans
Petit Le Mans
The Petit Le Mans is a sports car endurance race held annually at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, USA. It uses the rules established for the 24 hours of Le Mans by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest , which are slightly modified if necessary, mainly to allow additional cars to compete.The race was...
that year.
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.
Prior to his accomplishments in sports cars Theys was also successful in open-wheel racing, competing in the CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
Championship Car Series from 1987 to 1993 with 47 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
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.
He won the American Racing Series (now Indy Lights) championship in 1987; the U.S. Bosch Super Vee championship in 1986; several Formula Ford championships in the late seventies and early eighties, and the Belgium Karting championship in 1977. He was also successful in European Formula 3 and Formula 2 in the eighties. He finished third in the Monaco Formula 3 Grand Prix in 1985.
Theys’ accomplishments at the highest levels of motorsports around the world are even more impressive considering that he came from a middle-class family with no other family members involved in the sport. He borrowed money to finance his first season of Formula Ford competition in 1978, and then built a career as a professional race car driver that spanned more than 30 years.
He received the prestigious Driver of the Year Award in his native Belgium in 2002.
Although he never gave up his Belgium citizenship, he resided in Scottsdale, Ariz., 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.
Theys currently works as a racing driver coach and consultant. He is also the driving director of World Class Driving, a company that allows enthusiasts to experience driving a fleet of exotic sports cars.