NICK LEVENTIS

Date of Birth: 31 January 1980
Place of Birth: London
Lives: London
Hobbies: Watersports, surfing, skiing, skydiving

Nick was a respected downhill ski racer when a serious back injury forced him out of the sport he loved. At the age of 21, he turned his attention to motor racing, which demanded lightning fast reactions, an agile mind and the competition on which he thrives.

Nick began his racing career in a BMW M3 in 2004, and the following season he raced both contemporary and historic cars, winning races in fabled cars including a rare 246s Ferrari Dino, a Ferrari P3 and a 1957 Aston Martin DBR1.

Nick competed in the Belgian and Italian touring car series, and his results encouraged him to move up to race a works Aston Martin DBR9 GT1. Just four years after starting out as a motorsport rookie, Nick raced at Le Mans, but the car retired in the 17th hour with a mechanical failure.

In 2009, Nick and Strakka Racing entered a Ginetta-Zytek LMP1 sports prototype in the Le Mans Series. Partnered by Danny Watts and long-time friend Peter Hardman, Nick and the team claimed pole in Barcelona and finished 14th in LMP1 in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Contesting the LMP2 class at Le Mans and in the Le Mans Series with an HPD ARX-01c chassis in 2010, Nick and the Strakka Racing team recorded one of the most remarkable seasons in sports car racing. A class win in the prestigious 24 hour race established five new records, including distance completed, lap speed and overall finishing position, 5th, for an LMP2 entry. The team also achieved the first ever LMS outright win for an LMP2 chassis in Hungary. Throughout each of these momentous events, Nick held his own against vastly more experienced rivals, and enhanced his standing as one of the sport's most capable up and coming sportscar drivers.

Nick’s driver development programme continued in the LMS in 2011, although it was to be a character-building year for the entire Strakka Racing team, as the HPD ARX-01d now had to run with an air-restricted performance disadvantage. Despite this, Nick helped the team finish runner-up in LMP2 for a second consecutive season.

In 2012, Nick will race a new 3.4-litre normally aspirated V8 engined Strakka Racing HPD ARX-03a in the FIA World Endurance Championship.