Richard Westbrook
A Porsche specialist whose late-blooming factory career was crowned by a relentless pursuit of endurance racing glory at Le Mans and Daytona.
Born 1975 (age 51)·British racing driver·Birthday: July 10·Generation X
Biography
Richard Westbrook's career is a masterclass in persistence, a story of a driver who refined his craft for years before seizing a factory Porsche seat and conquering sports car racing's toughest stages. A champion in Porsche's one-make cups, he was the quintessential expert, waiting for his moment. That break came in his thirties, a factory contract that unleashed him on the world stage. Westbrook quickly proved his mettle, combining surgical precision with fierce racecraft to win championships in GT2 machinery. His true calling, however, was endurance racing. As a cornerstone of top-tier Porsche and later Cadillac prototype programs, he became a feared competitor at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona, renowned for his blistering speed in the dead of night and his unflappable consistency when it mattered most.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Richard was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Richard Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Richard's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the FIA GT2 World Championship in 2009, securing four race victories.
- Claimed victory in the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona in 2013 driving a Porsche-powered Daytona Prototype.
- Earned back-to-back Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain titles in 2004 and 2005.
- Secured multiple class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, including a GTE Pro win in 2018 with the Porsche GT Team.
Did You Know?
He was a talented junior tennis player and considered pursuing the sport professionally before focusing on racing.
Westbrook attended the same school (St Joseph's College, Ipswich) as former Formula 1 team principal Eddie Jordan.
He served as a test and development driver for the Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 program.
“You have to be patient in this game; your time will come if you keep performing.”
