# Johnny O'Connell

Johnny O'Connell (born July 24, 1962) is the most successful GM factory racing driver from the United States. He currently drives for Cadillac in the Pirelli World Challenge, winning the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 GT driver's championship.

## Career

Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, O'Connell started racing in the Formula Atlantic series in 1987, winning the Championship and Rookie of the Year. He also spent 1996 in the Indy Racing League, racing in the Indianapolis 500 and finishing in the top 10 in half of his 4 starts. He has seven class wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring, more than any other driver, and an overall title in 1994 when racing for Nissan. Driving for Corvette Racing, he has also won a number of class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. With his teammate Ron Fellows he won the 2003 GTS class driver's championship.
O'Connell was also featured in Chevy's 2007, Super Bowl ad, "Ain't We Got Love" also featuring Mary J. Blige, rapper T.I., Big & Rich, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
In 2013, O'Connell competed in the Johnsonville Sausage 200 at Road America in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro; he finished 12th in the event.

## Motorsports career results
### NASCAR

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

#### Nationwide Series

NASCAR Nationwide Series results :
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | NNSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2013 | JR Motorsports | 5 | Chevy | DAY | PHO | LVS | BRI | CAL | TEX | RCH | TAL | DAR | CLT | DOV | IOW | MCH | ROA 12 | KEN | DAY | NHA | CHI | IND | IOW | GLN | MOH | BRI | ATL | RCH | CHI | KEN | DOV | KAN | CLT | TEX | PHO | HOM | 65th | 32 | |
$^1$ Ineligible for series points

### 24 Hours of Le Mans results

| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
| 1994 | Clayton Cunningham Racing | Steve Millen John Morton | Nissan 300ZX Turbo | IMSA GTS | 317 | 5th | 1st |
| 1998 | Panoz Motorsports DAMS | Éric Bernard Christophe Tinseau | Panoz Esperante GTR-1 | GT1 | 236 | DNF | DNF |
| 1999 | Panoz Motorsports | Jan Magnussen Max Angelelli | Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S Ford | LMP | 323 | 11th | 9th |
| 2000 | Panoz Motorsports | Hiroki Katoh Pierre-Henri Raphanel | Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S-Élan | LMP900 | 342 | 5th | 5th |
| 2001 | Corvette Racing | Ron Fellows Scott Pruett | Chevrolet Corvette C5-R | GTS | 278 | 8th | 1st |
| 2002 | Corvette Racing | Ron Fellows Oliver Gavin | Chevrolet Corvette C5-R | GTS | 335 | 11th | 1st |
| 2003 | Corvette Racing | Ron Fellows Franck Fréon | Chevrolet Corvette C5-R | GTS | 326 | 12th | 3rd |
| 2004 | Corvette Racing | Ron Fellows Max Papis | Chevrolet Corvette C5-R | GTS | 334 | 8th | 2nd |
| 2005 | Corvette Racing | Ron Fellows Max Papis | Chevrolet Corvette C6.R | GT1 | 347 | 6th | 2nd |
| 2006 | Corvette Racing | Ron Fellows Max Papis | Chevrolet Corvette C6.R | GT1 | 327 | 12th | 7th |
| 2007 | Corvette Racing | Jan Magnussen Ron Fellows | Chevrolet Corvette C6.R | GT1 | 342 | 6th | 2nd |
| 2008 | Corvette Racing | Jan Magnussen Ron Fellows | Chevrolet Corvette C6.R | GT1 | 344 | 14th | 2nd |
| 2009 | Corvette Racing | Jan Magnussen Antonio García | Chevrolet Corvette C6.R | GT1 | 342 | 15th | 1st |
| 2010 | Corvette Racing | Jan Magnussen Antonio García | Chevrolet Corvette C6.R | GT2 | 225 | DNF | DNF |
| 2016 | Team AAI | Oliver Bryant Mark Patterson | Chevrolet Corvette C7.R | GTE Am | 306 | 39th | 9th |

### Indy Racing League results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Team | Chassis | No. | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Rank | Points |
| 1996 | Cunningham Racing | Lola T941 Reynard 95i2 | 75 | Ford XB V8t | WDW 7 | PHX 5 | INDY 29 | | | | | | | | 9th | 192 |
| 1996–97 | Treadway Racing | Reynard 95i | 10 | Ford XB V8t | NHA Wth | | | | | | | | | | 40th | 23 |
| 1996–97 | Treadway Racing | Reynard 94i | 6 | Ford XB V8t | | LVS 12 | WDW | PHX | | | | | | | 40th | 23 |
| 1996–97 | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | G-Force GF01 | 1 | Oldsmobile Aurora V8 | | | | | INDY DNQ | TXS | PPIR | CLT | NHA | LVS | 40th | 23 |

### Indianapolis 500 results

| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Team |
| 1996 | Reynard | Ford-Cosworth | 29th | 29th | Byrd-Cunningham Racing |

## Heritage

The O'Connell family, principally of Derrynane, are a Gaelic Irish noble family of County Kerry in Munster. O'Connell comes from the Irish word "O'Conaill," meaning 'strong as a wolf'. Johnny O'Connell is related by blood to the Belanger Family, including Jackson Louis Belanger the First.