Didier Theys Driving Director

Born in Nivelles Belgium, Didier Theys rose from humble beginnings to become one of the world’s most successful sports car drivers. He is a two-time overall winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona 1998 and 2002, winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring 1998, Grand-Am Champion 2002 and the winner of the 24 Hours of Spa 1987. He was the polesitter 1996 and a podium finisher at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1997, 1998 and 1999 and qualified for the Indy 500 on four occasions.

His 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 MOMO Ferrari with co-drivers Mauro Baldi, Arie Luyendyk and Gianpero Moretti. His 2002 Daytona victory came in the Lista Dallara Judd with co-drivers Baldi, Fredy Lienhard and Max Papis. He has the most professional victories of anyone in a Ferrari 333 SP with 10.

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.

Theys is a longtime resident of Scottsdale, Arizona. That municipality honored him with the keys to the city in 2002 in honor of his Grand-Am driver championship and second 24 Hours of Daytona victory.

Theys currently works as the Driving Director for AERO Marketing Group as well as a racing driver coach, consultant and brand Ambassador.

Paul Gerrard Chief Educator

Paul F. Gerrard is an accomplished professional racing driver, precision/stunt driver, driving educator, advanced driving instructor, vehicle evaluator, presenter and author. His career started in Europe winning a prestigious Winfield Scholarship that lead to successfully racing formula cars in both Europe and the United States. He made the transition into racing sports cars and simultaneously started instructing a wide range of drivers from military special forces to aspiring racers to teen drivers.

Next on his progression was television appearing as an automotive expert and driver on shows such as Top Gear (UK and US editions), Grand Tour, MythBusters, Speedmakers, Supercars Exposed, Ultimate Factories and many others. He was “The Stig” for Top Gear USA for eight years. He has presented on every automotive topic imaginable and specializes in make technology and driving easy to understand for people at any level. In 2017, Gerrard became a published, best-selling author (Optimum Drive, Mango Publishing). Gerrard is also a sought after expert witness in high-level automotive court cases. He has continually raced winning several national championships along the way racing everything from Pikes Peak to just about every professional road racing series all the way to being ranked number three in the world in vehicle jumping distance for a 2010 Hot Wheels Stunt.

Additionally under his belt is over two decades of racing driver coaching and director level responsibilities at some of the most advanced racing schools in the world. While his passion is and always was racing, Gerrard has cultivated and created a career that allows him to not only enjoy his passion but do something that is perhaps even more satisfying by sharing that passion for what he considers the most accessible and highest level mechanical interaction possible - a car and our uniquely human ability to connect with it.

Butch Leitzinger Professional Driver

A second-generation racer and second-generation champion, Butch has driven and won in a variety of cars from off-road trucks to NASCAR Busch North to Busch Grand National to Winston Cup.

Leitzinger was crowned with a season title in the World SportsCar Championship in 1997 and 1998 on the strength of 10 wins in Dyson Racing R&S Fords. The following season, he won the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona. From 2000 to 2002, he collected nine wins in the Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series while earning a spot on the podium driving for Bentley at the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Leitzinger added more to his win column with three Trans Am Series wins in 2002 and the American Le Mans Series event in Sonoma in 2003. A fierce competitor on the racetrack, Leitzinger is similarly defined by his outstanding character. As an example, he once turned down an offer to serve as backup driver to late stock car legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. to fulfill his commitments to another team.

Johannes van Overbeek Professional Driver

During his 22 years in professional motorsport, Johannes van Overbeek raced for some of the biggest sportscar teams in some of the biggest races around the world.

The accomplished driver graduated from go-karts to winning professional races in sports cars and prototypes with a skillset that proved undeniable despite largely competing without the benefit of factory support. In 2007, Van Overbeek won the Porsche Cup award as the top non-factory Porsche driver in the world. His six wins at the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill make him the winningest driver in the history of the event held in his native Northern California.

A switch from GT to prototypes with Scott Sharp’s ESM team in 2010 gave van Overbeek the platform to pivot his abilities in the American Le Mans Series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The accomplished driver’s focus and tenacity have shined brightly at the world’s largest endurance racing events. He scored two wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring 2016 and 2018 and won the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Van Overbeek retired from full-time professional racing in style. In addition to scoring his second 12 Hours of Sebring win, he won the penultimate race of the 2018 season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in front of fans, friends, and family.

Since retiring from full time driving in 2018, Johannes worked in a strategic partnership role at a billion-dollar Silicon Valley startup. Johannes invests privately and acts as a board advisor to two technology startups and has written for an automotive publication for the last 15 years. Mr. van Overbeek currently resides in Oakland, California with his wife and two boys.

Ryan Dalziel Professional Driver

Ryan Dalziel is in the prime of his racing career that began in open-wheel cars in Europe and brought him to sports car racing in the United States. The Scottish driver currently competes professionally behind the wheel of a prototype in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and a Mercedes AMG GT3 in the SRO World Challenge America.

Dalziel began his car racing career in 1999 in Formula Vauxhall. He drove in British Formula Renault and British Formula 3, before moving to the United States. From 2002 until 2004, he spent three years in the Toyota Atlantic Championship, finishing runner-up twice, before moving to the American Le Mans Series in 2005. He also contested one Champ Car race for Dale Coyne Racing at Toronto, finishing 9th. He began driving prototypes in 2006 while also dabbling in Champ Car and Superleague Formula for the remainder of the decade.

Dalziel's career shifted into overdrive beginning in 2010 with his victory at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the Action Express Racing Porsche Riley along with co-drivers Terry Borcheller, João Barbosa, and Mike Rockenfeller. In 2012, he won in the LMP2 class at 24 Hours of Le Mans and won the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with three victories and seven podiums.

A winner in the Pirelli World Challenge and SRO GT World Challenge, Dalziel has proven effective and successful in any make of vehicle whether engaged in a long endurance battle or short sprints.

Thomas Erdos Professional Driver

Brazilian-born Thomas “Tommy” Erdos made his name as one of the most respected names in contemporary sportscar in GT racing in Europe.

A steady and competitive presence in sportscar racing, Erdos is a regular at events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans at which he is a two-time winner in the LMP2 category (2005-2006). His career started in single-seater entries in the British Formula First Championship in 1988. He won the British Formula Renault Championship in 1990. An accident sidelined him the next season, and though he experienced some success in the years that followed with an advancement to Formula 3, Erdos made the switch to GT racing in 1995.

One of Erdos’ most memorable seasons is 2002. Teamed with Ian McKellar Jr., the tandem won the British GT Championship. Erdos earned the Top Gun award for achieving the pole position at every round. Erdos added to his impressive resume with LMP2 championships in the Le Mans Series in 2007 and 2010 with co-driver Mike Newton. In 2019 Tommy was drafted in as a Bronze driver for United Autosports LMP2 ELMS program where he had multiple podium finishes.

Patrick Long Professional Driver

Patrick Long is one of the most accomplished sports car drivers of his generation. Since 2003, Long has served as the lone American on Porsche’s roster of factory drivers. Long has captured victory at the world’s biggest sports car races-winning at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, and the 12 Hours of Bathurst. Long is also a three-time American Le Mans Series champion, two-time Pirelli World Challenge champion and a class winner at the Baja 1000.

Long plays a key role behind the scenes of a popular racing event as the creator of Luftgekühlt. Created as a celebration of air-cooled Porsches, Luftgekuhlt has become one of the most anticipated auto events of the year with its unique blend of historically significant Porsches, home in Southern California, and regularly competes in vintage racing events.

Long is an active competitor in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He and co-driver Ryan Hardwick wheel the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R.