CORE Autosport was an American auto racing team founded by Jon Bennett in 2010 and based out of Rock Hill, South Carolina. After claiming the IMSA Lites Championship in 2010, the team, led by team manager, Morgan Brady, made the move to competing in the American Le Mans Series. The team competed in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship fielding the Nos. 911 and 912 Porsche 911 RSR as Porsche GT Team in GT Le Mans under a works contract.

United States CORE Autosport
Founded2010
Folded2022
Team principal(s)Morgan Brady
Jon Bennett
Former seriesWeatherTech SportsCar Championship
American Le Mans Series
IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge
Cooper Tires Prototype Lites 2010
Teams'
Championships
7 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2022)
Drivers'
Championships
6 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022)

American Le Mans Series

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CORE autosport at the 2012 Petit Le Mans.

In 2011, the team began its competition in the American Le Mans Series with a two-car LMP Challenge category effort with team owner Jon Bennett and Frankie Montecalvo driving the #05 and Ricardo González and Gunnar Jeannette driving the #06 Oreca FLM09. Despite stiff competition, the #06 car managed two class and the team's consistent performance would prove successful. In their rookie season, the Core autosport team won the Team Championship by one point with drivers González and Gunnar Jeannette first in the Drivers' Championship.[1][2]

For the 2012 season, the team would, once again, field two Oreca FLM09 in the LMPC category. This year the #05 car was driven by Jon Bennett and Colin Braun and the #06 car driven by Alex Popow and Ryan Dalziel. 2012 would become a dominant year for the Core autosport Team. Claiming 8 class victories of the 10 race season, including victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans, the team would win their second Team Championship and finish 1st and 2nd in the LMPC Drivers' Championship.[3][4]

The 2013 season was a transition season for the CORE autosport team. Jon Bennett and Colin Braun would once again team up to run in LMPC Class, but would be joined by a Porsche 911 GT3-RSR driven by Tom Kimber-Smith and Porsche factory driver Patrick Long in the GT class that debut at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the third round of the season. The #05 LMPC car finished the season with a victory at Long Beach and another at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. The team finished 3 points ahead of Bar1 Motorsports and claimed the Teams' Championship.[5] Jon Bennett finished 3rd in the Drivers' Championship.[6]

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

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For 2014, CORE autosport partnered with Porsche Motorsport North America to run two factory-supported Porsche 911 RSRs in the United SportsCar Championship under the Porsche North America name.[7] Full season pilots Patrick Long and new Porsche factory driver Michael Christensen would team with Patrick Pilet while Nick Tandy and Richard Lietz would be joined by Joerg Bergmeister for the season opening 24 Hours of Daytona.[8]

CORE won the season-opening 2014 24 Hours of Daytona in both the Prototype Challenge class with Colin Braun, Jon Bennett, Mark Wilkins and James Gue, while the factory-run No. 911 Porsche of Nick Tandy, Richard Lietz and Patrick Pilet picked up top class honors in GT Le Mans.[9] The team went on to win the Prototype Challenge Driver, Team and Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup Championships. CORE's success with Porsche North America in 2014 helped Porsche earn the 2014 GTLM Manufacturers' Championship. The No. 912 entry driven by Patrick Long and Michael Christensen also won the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup in the GTLM team category.[10]

CORE again claimed the Prototype Challenge Team and Driver Championships in 2015 with Jon Bennett and Colin Braun, making it five-straight Prototype Challenge team titles.[11] Porsche North America's No. 911 entry, with drivers Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy and Richard Lietz, earned the GTLM Team Championship, thanks in stunning part to the No. 911's historic overall victory at the season-ending Petit Le Mans.[11][12] Porsche once again collected GTLM Manufacturer Championship honors, while Pilet earned the GTLM Drivers' Championship (because co-driver Nick Tandy missed two rounds to participate in the World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans, he did not share the title).[11][13]

The team for the 2019 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship would run a Onroak Nissan DPi. The DPIs were purchased from the defunct Extreme Speed Motorsports team.[14][15] The 2019 retirement of CORE owner Jon Bennett would end the program.[16]

Bennett announced the closure of the team in November 2022.[17]

Racing record

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24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Entrant No. Car Drivers Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2018   Porsche GT Team 93 Porsche 911 RSR   Earl Bamber
  Patrick Pilet
  Nick Tandy
LMGTE Pro 334 27th 10th
94   Timo Bernhard
  Romain Dumas
  Sven Müller
92 DNF DNF
2019   Porsche GT Team 93 Porsche 911 RSR   Earl Bamber
  Patrick Pilet
  Nick Tandy
LMGTE Pro 342 22nd 3rd
94   Mathieu Jaminet
  Sven Müller
  Dennis Olsen
339 27th 7th

Complete American Le Mans Series results

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(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

Year Entrant Class Car Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Drivers
Pts.
Drivers
Pos.
Team
Pts.
Team
Pos.
2011   CORE Autosport LMPC Oreca FLM09 SEB LBH LIM MOS MOH ELK BAL LAG ATL
  Jon Bennett
  Frankie Montecalvo
005 2 4 5 2 6 3 3 4 5† 130 2nd 167 1st
  Ryan Dalziel 2 5† 44 10th
  Andy Wallace 4 15 17th
  Ricardo González
  Gunnar Jeannette
006 3 1 2 1 4 5 4 2 3 156 1st
  Rudy Junco, Jr. 3 2 3 92 6th
2012   CORE Autosport PC Oreca FLM09 SEB LBH MOS LIM MOS MOH ELK BAL VIR ATL
  Jon Bennett
  Colin Braun
05 3 3 1 1 2 6 2 Ret 1 4 150 2nd 206 1st
  Eric Lux 3 0 NC
  Ricardo González 4 14 25th
  Alex Popow 06 1 1 3 2 3 2 1 1 3 1 185 1st
  E. J. Viso 1 24 17th
  Burt Frisselle 1 0 NC
  Ryan Dalziel 1 3 2 1 1 64 7th
  Tom Kimber-Smith 3 1 3 68 6th
  Jon Bennett 2 150 2nd
  Mark Wilkins 1 0 NC
2013   CORE Autosport PC Oreca FLM09 SEB LBH MOS LIM MOS ELK BAL AUS VIR ATL
  Jon Bennett 05 5 1 2 2 1 4 2 3 2 3 150 2nd 148 1st
  Colin Braun 5 1 2 2 1 4 2 112 5th
  Mark Wilkins 5 3 12 20th
  Tom Kimber-Smith 3 2 3 36 15th

Complete United SportsCar Championship results

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(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

Year Entrant Class Car Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Drivers
Pts.
Drivers
Pos.
Team
Pts.
Team
Pos.
2014   CORE Autosport PC Oreca FLM09 DAY SEB LAG KAN WGL IND ELK VIR AUS ATL
  Jon Bennett
  Colin Braun
54 1 1 7 1 1 3 8 3 2 2 321 1st 321 1st
  James Gué 1 1 1 2 141 13th
  Mark Wilkins 1 36 27th
GTLM Porsche 911 RSR DAY SEB LBH LAG WGL MOS IND ELK VIR AUS ATL
  Frédéric Makowiecki 910 5 27 31st 27 12th
  Patrick Pilet 5 140 16th
  Porsche North America   Nick Tandy 911 1 9 4 9 5 5 10 10 10 11 5 279 11th 279 9th
  Richard Lietz 1 9 4 9 5 5 10 10 189 15th
  Patrick Pilet 1 9 5 5 189 15th
  Michael Christensen 10 303 6th
  Jörg Bergmeister 11 5 107 18th
  Michael Christensen
  Patrick Long
912 9 1 5 8 8 9 3 5 8 3 2 303 6th 303 4th
  Jörg Bergmeister 9 1 107 18th
  Patrick Pilet 8 189 15th
  Earl Bamber 2 33 29th
2015   CORE Autosport PC Oreca FLM09 DAY SEB LAG BEL WGL MOS LIM ELK AUS ATL
  Jon Bennett
  Colin Braun
54 2 2 2 4 4 1 4 3 1 4 318 1st 318 1st
  James Gué 2 2 4 95 15th
  Mark Wilkins 2 33 25th
  Anthony Lazzaro 4 20 32nd
  Porsche North America GTLM Porsche 911 RSR DAY SEB LBH LAG WGL MOS ELK VIR AUS ATL
  Patrick Pilet 911 5 5 4 3 6 1 1 1 3 1 315 1st 315 1st
  Nick Tandy 5 5 6 1 1 1 3 1 255 9th
  Michael Christensen 5 3 56 17th
  Marc Lieb 5 27 24th
  Earl Bamber 5 6 225 10th
  Richard Lietz 5 1 87 14th
  Frédéric Makowiecki 4 103 12th
  Jörg Bergmeister 912 7 7 8 5 2 7 2 2 5 8 276 6th 276 6th
  Earl Bamber 7 7 2 7 2 2 5 8 225 10th
  Frédéric Makowiecki 7 7 8 103 12th
  Michael Christensen 7 5 56 17th
  Nick Tandy 7 2 255 9th
  Richard Lietz 8 87 14th

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

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(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

Year Entrant Class Car Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Drivers
Pts.
Drivers
Pos.
Team
Pts.
Team
Pos.
2016   CORE Autosport PC Oreca FLM09 DAY SEB LBH LGA BEL WGL MOS LIM ELK AUS ATL
  Jon Bennett
  Colin Braun
54 8† 1 7 3 2 6 1 8 2 245 7th 245 7th
  Mark Wilkins 8† 1 6† 3 29th
  Martin Plowman 8† 1 31st
  Porsche North America GTLM Porsche 911 RSR DAY SEB LBH LGA WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR AUS ATL
  Patrick Pilet
  Nick Tandy
911 8 10 1 8 9 8 6 7 6 2 10 313 4th 285 4th
  Kévin Estre 8 10 46 23rd
  Richard Lietz 10 22 29th
  Earl Bamber
  Frédéric Makowiecki
912 3 3 7 3 10 6 8 4 3 1 5 285 8th 285 8th
  Michael Christensen 3 3 5 103 13th
2017   CORE Autosport GTD Porsche 911 GT3 R DAY SEB LBH AUS BEL WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR LGA ATL
  Jon Bennett
  Colin Braun
54 22 16 14 14 8 13 14 17 7 8 4 5 231 18th 231 14th
  Niclas Jönsson 22 16 13 5 68 39th
  Patrick Long 22 90 20th
  Porsche GT Team GTLM Porsche 911 RSR DAY SEB LBH AUS WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR LGA ATL
  Patrick Pilet
  Dirk Werner
911 2 7 6 4 7 7 1 8 8 3 6 295 5th 295 5th
  Frédéric Makowiecki 2 7 57 19th
  Nick Tandy 6 25 25th
  Laurens Vanthoor 912 6 8 3 8 6 6 2 2 7 7 5 287 6th 287 6th
  Kévin Estre 6 8 3 78 14th
  Richard Lietz 6 8 48 21st
  Wolf Henzler 8 23 27th
  Gianmaria Bruni 6 6 2 2 7 7 5 186 10th
  Earl Bamber 5 26 24th
2018   CORE Autosport P Oreca 07 DAY SEB LBH MOH BEL WGL MOS ELK LGA ATL
  Jon Bennett
  Colin Braun
54 3 4 10 13 12 2 1 1 2 7 274 2nd 274 2nd
  Romain Dumas 3 4 2 7 114 20th
  Loïc Duval 3 30 47th
  Porsche GT Team GTLM Porsche 911 RSR DAY SEB LBH MOH WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR LGA ATL
  Patrick Pilet
  Nick Tandy
911 8 1 6 6 3 4 5 5 8 8 1 299 7th 295 5th
  Frédéric Makowiecki 8 1 1 93 10th
  Earl Bamber
  Laurens Vanthoor
912 6 3 7 1 4 6 3 4 5 2 6 299 7th 295 5th
  Gianmaria Bruni 6 3 93 10th
  Mathieu Jaminet 6 25 21st
2019   CORE Autosport DPi Ligier Nissan DPi DAY SEB LBH MOH BEL WGL MOS ELK LGA ATL
  Jon Bennett
  Colin Braun
54 4 5 11 11 7 11 7 10 7 8 230 10th 230 9th
  Romain Dumas 4 5 11 8 97 16th
  Loïc Duval 4 28 31st
  Porsche GT Team GTLM Porsche 911 RSR DAY SEB LBH MOH WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR LGA ATL
  Patrick Pilet
  Nick Tandy
911 5 1 5 3 1 3 4 7 1 8 6 317 2nd 317 2nd
  Frédéric Makowiecki 5 1 6 86 15th
  Earl Bamber
  Laurens Vanthoor
912 3 5 1 1 6 1 2 3 2 7 5 330 1st 330 1st
  Mathieu Jaminet 3 5 5 82 19th
2020   Porsche GT Team GTLM Porsche 911 RSR-19 DAY1 DAY2 SEB1 ELK VIR ATL1 MOH CLT ATL2 LGA SEB2
  Frédéric Makowiecki
  Nick Tandy
911 3 3 6 4 3 4 5 1 3 1 297 5th 297 5th
  Matt Campbell 3 1 65 11th
  Earl Bamber 1 289 6th
  Earl Bamber
  Laurens Vanthoor
912 2 2 3 5 5 6 6 5 1 2 289 6th 289 6th
  Mathieu Jaminet 2 5 58 12th
  Neel Jani 2 32 14th
2021   CORE Autosport LMP3 Ligier JS P320 DAY SEB MOH WGL1 WGL2 ELK ATL
  Jon Bennett
  Colin Braun
54 5 1 4 2 3 1 7 1990 2nd 1990 2nd
  George Kurtz 5 1 2 7 968 11th
  Matt McMurry 5 0 -
2022   CORE Autosport LMP3 Ligier JS P320 DAY SEB MOH WGL MOS ELK ATL
  Jon Bennett
  Colin Braun
54 3 5 1 2 1 3 5 2002 1st 2002 1st
  George Kurtz 3 5 2 5 921 17th
  Niclas Jönsson 3 0 -

Complete Global RallyCross Championship results

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(key)

GRC Lites

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Year Entrant Car No. Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Lites Points
2016 CORE Autosport Lites Ford Fiesta 54   Jon Bennett PHO1 PHO2 DAL DAY1
9
DAY2
12
MCAS1 MCAS2
C
DC
9
AC
12
SEA
7
18th 51
  Colin Braun LA1
DSQ
LA2
3
10th 154
56 PHO1 PHO2 DAL DAY1
3
DAY2
10
MCAS1 MCAS2
C
DC
12
AC
3
SEA
  Scott Anderson PHO1 PHO2 DAL DAY1 DAY2 MCAS1 MCAS2
C
DC AC SEA
11
LA1
12
LA2
2
16th 55
2017 CORE Autosport Lites Ford Fiesta 54   Jon Bennett MEM
7
LOU
5
THO1
8
THO2
8
OTT1
DNS
OTT2
9
INDY AC1
9
AC2
9
SEA1 SEA2 LA 10th 281
56   Colin Braun MEM
4
LOU
4
THO1
4
THO2
2
OTT1
2
OTT2
8
INDY AC1
DNS
AC2
4
SEA1 SEA2 LA 8th 405

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship wins

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# Season Date Classes Track / Race No. Winning Drivers Chassis Engine
1 2018 July 8 Prototype Mosport 54   Jon Bennett /   Colin Braun Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8
2 August 5 Prototype Road America 54   Jon Bennett /   Colin Braun Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8

References

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  1. ^ 2011 ALMS Team Championship Results 2011
  2. ^ 2011 ALMS Drivers Championship Results 2011
  3. ^ 2012 ALMS Team Championship Results 2012
  4. ^ 2012 ALMS Drivers Championship Results[permanent dead link] 2012
  5. ^ 2013 ALMS Teams' Championship Results 2013
  6. ^ 2013 ALMS Drivers' Championship Results[permanent dead link] 2013
  7. ^ Dagys, John (September 21, 2013) Partners with CORE for Factory GTLM Program
  8. ^ Dagys, John (December 23, 2013) Announces TUSC Factory Driver Lineup
  9. ^ "Gary Nelson's Action Express wins Rolex 24 at Daytona". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  10. ^ "Complete list of 2014 season champions: IMSA Tudor United SportsCar Championship". Autoweek. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  11. ^ a b c "IMSA Celebrates Season at TUDOR Night of Champions - Sportscar365". Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  12. ^ "Complete IMSA results: Porsche wins rain-shortened Petit Le Mans". Autoweek. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  13. ^ Watkins, Gary. "Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy join Nico Hulkenberg in Le Mans Porsche". Autosport.com. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  14. ^ Dagys, John (December 1, 2018). "ESM Shutters Operations". Sportscar365. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  15. ^ Malsher-Lopez, David (November 30, 2018). "CORE autosport to run Nissan DPi in 2019". Motorsport. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  16. ^ Lloyd, Daniel (August 22, 2019). "Bennett Announces Retirement; CORE DPi Program to End". Sportscar365. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  17. ^ Goodwin, Graham (10 November 2022). "CORE Autosport Ceases Operations". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
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