Keith Wiggins
Encyclopedia
Keith Wiggins is a motor racing team owner born in Great Britain
.
Born in London, England in 1958, Keith began his racing career while at school as a kart driver in 1973. He was selected as a member of the British International Kart Team for 1975-76. He trained as a design engineer for specialist road car conversions and later joined Ron Dennis
' Project Four Racing in 1977, and as an engineer in British F3. In 1979 Keith continued his driving career in British Formula Ford, finishing 2nd in the Championship. the following year (1980) he focused on his engineering skills, joining Rushen Green Racing for British F3. In 1982 he was appointed team manager and engineer with Van Diemen
in British and European Formula 2000. During this period, he also constructed a Formula Ford
chassis designed by David Baldwin.
Keith established Pacific Racing
in 1984 as owner, chairman, and chief engineer. The team went on to win every single-seater championship in Europe below Formula One with luminaries such as J.J. Lehto, David Coulthard
and Eddie Irvine
and Christian Fittipaldi
behind the wheel of his cars, he moved the operation to Formula One
in .
The team Pacific Grand Prix ran on a shoestring budget for two seasons. The inaugural year they ran Ilmor
engines and battled with Simtek
at the rear of the grid. Just making the grid was a challenge; while Bertrand Gachot
qualified for five of the first seven events, Paul Belmondo
made it just twice. At the end of 1995, Wiggins returned to F3000 and closed up Pacific in 1997.
He helped to get Lola back on its feet in 1998, serving as Vice-President and then President of Lola Cars International Inc. in America following MasterCard Lola
's ill-fated decision to enter F1.
Wiggins then took over as president and team owner of Tony Bettenhausen Jr's Champ Car World Series team following a tragic plane crash, renaming it Herdez Competition in 2001. Michel Jourdain, Jr.
and Mario Dominguez
shared driving duties and in 2003 Dominguez claimed Rookie of the Year. Herdez remained as title sponsor until 2005, when they withdrew their support and promising youngsters Björn Wirdheim
and Ronnie Bremer
were surplus before the end of the season due to a lack of sponsorship.
By that point the team had been renamed HVM (Herdez Viva Mexico) and in October 2005 Cedric the Entertainer
announced he had become a partner in the team. The team's name changed in 2006 to CTE Racing
. They finished fourth in the championship.
In 2007, ex Minardi
owner Paul Stoddart
bought into the team and they renamed it Minardi Team USA fielding ex- F1 Driver Robert Doornbos
and Dan Clarke
, Wiggins being the managing partner. In the 2007 season, the team claimed 2 wins and 7 podiums on its way to third place in Championship standings and Rookie of the Year with Doornbos. With Champ Car's unification with the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series
in 2008, Stoddart left the team and it appeared that the team would shut down, however, Wiggins assumed full control of the team and signed E. J. Viso
to continue racing operations IndyCar Series, with the team's name reverting back to HVM Racing.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
Born in London, England in 1958, Keith began his racing career while at school as a kart driver in 1973. He was selected as a member of the British International Kart Team for 1975-76. He trained as a design engineer for specialist road car conversions and later joined Ron Dennis
Ron Dennis
Ronald "Ron" Dennis CBE is the executive chairman of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group, and is also a significant shareholder in both companies...
' Project Four Racing in 1977, and as an engineer in British F3. In 1979 Keith continued his driving career in British Formula Ford, finishing 2nd in the Championship. the following year (1980) he focused on his engineering skills, joining Rushen Green Racing for British F3. In 1982 he was appointed team manager and engineer with Van Diemen
Van Diemen
Van Diemen International, Ltd. is a British race car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk, England.The company has a reputation for high-volume production runs of its cars, the most well-known of which is its series of Formula Ford chassis, which have been at the forefront of that class of...
in British and European Formula 2000. During this period, he also constructed a Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
chassis designed by David Baldwin.
Keith established Pacific Racing
Pacific Racing
Pacific Racing was a motor racing team from the United Kingdom...
in 1984 as owner, chairman, and chief engineer. The team went on to win every single-seater championship in Europe below Formula One with luminaries such as J.J. Lehto, David Coulthard
David Coulthard
David Marshall Coulthard, MBE, , sometimes known as DC, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland.Coulthard, who was born in Dumfries and raised nearby in Twynholm, made his Formula One debut in 1994 and won 13 Grands Prix in a career spanning 15 seasons...
and Eddie Irvine
Eddie Irvine
Edmund "Eddie" Irvine, Jr. is a former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He grew up in Conlig, County Down, and was influenced by his parents, who were also involved in motor racing...
and Christian Fittipaldi
Christian Fittipaldi
Christian Fittipaldi is a Brazilian racing driver who has competed in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, Champ Car and NASCAR...
behind the wheel of his cars, he moved the operation to Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
in .
The team Pacific Grand Prix ran on a shoestring budget for two seasons. The inaugural year they ran Ilmor
Ilmor
Ilmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in November 1983, is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company. With manufacturing based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, and maintenance offices in Plymouth, Michigan, the company supplies engines and consultancy to the...
engines and battled with Simtek
Simtek
Simtek was an engineering consultancy firm and Formula One racing team. The F1 engineering consultancy arm, Simtek Research, was founded in 1989 by Max Mosley and Nick Wirth. It originally was involved in many areas of Formula One, including wind tunnel construction and chassis building for third...
at the rear of the grid. Just making the grid was a challenge; while Bertrand Gachot
Bertrand Gachot
Bertrand Gachot is a French-Belgian former racing driver.-Career:Gachot is the son of a French European Commission official. He began karting at the age of 15. In 1983 he attended Winfield School, a well-known racing-driving school in France. After this, he focused on his racing career, competing...
qualified for five of the first seven events, Paul Belmondo
Paul Belmondo
Paul Alexandre Belmondo is a French racing driver who raced in Formula One for the March and Pacific Racing teams. He is the son of actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and grandson of sculptor Paul Belmondo...
made it just twice. At the end of 1995, Wiggins returned to F3000 and closed up Pacific in 1997.
He helped to get Lola back on its feet in 1998, serving as Vice-President and then President of Lola Cars International Inc. in America following MasterCard Lola
MasterCard Lola
MasterCard Lola is a former Formula One team that contested one race in the 1997 Formula One season. It quickly withdrew from the sport after failing to qualify in its sole race...
's ill-fated decision to enter F1.
Wiggins then took over as president and team owner of Tony Bettenhausen Jr's Champ Car World Series team following a tragic plane crash, renaming it Herdez Competition in 2001. Michel Jourdain, Jr.
Michel Jourdain, Jr.
Michel Jourdain Jr. is an IndyCar driver. Jourdain Jr. started racing cars in the Mexican Formula Junior series at the age of 12. He then moved to the Mexican Formula K and Formula 2 series.-Champ Car:...
and Mario Dominguez
Mario Domínguez
Mario Domínguez is a Mexican racing driver. He has competed in the CART and CCWS Champ Car series and later the IndyCar Series.-Early career:Domínguez first began racing in 1987 driving go-karts...
shared driving duties and in 2003 Dominguez claimed Rookie of the Year. Herdez remained as title sponsor until 2005, when they withdrew their support and promising youngsters Björn Wirdheim
Björn Wirdheim
Björn Karl Michael Wirdheim is an auto racing driver. Wirdheim is the son of Örnulf Wirdheim, a Swedish racing driver. He began racing karts, competing in his first race, at the age of 10...
and Ronnie Bremer
Ronnie Bremer
Ronnie Bremer is a Danish racecar driver who has driven in the Champ Car World Series.Bremer won three consecutive Danish Formula A karting championships from 1998 to 2000, before racing in British Formula Ford and Formula 3...
were surplus before the end of the season due to a lack of sponsorship.
By that point the team had been renamed HVM (Herdez Viva Mexico) and in October 2005 Cedric the Entertainer
Cedric the Entertainer
Cedric Antonio Kyles , known professionally by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American actor, comedian and director...
announced he had become a partner in the team. The team's name changed in 2006 to CTE Racing
CTE-HVM Racing
HVM Racing is an auto racing team owned by Keith Wiggins that competes in the IndyCar Series. It competed in the Champ Car World Series in 2007 as Minardi Team USA when it was co-owned by Paul Stoddart...
. They finished fourth in the championship.
In 2007, ex Minardi
Minardi
Minardi was an automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following of fans...
owner Paul Stoddart
Paul Stoddart
Paul Stoddart, born 26 May 1955, is an Australian millionaire airline magnate, and former owner of the Minardi Formula One racing team. He later took the Minardi brand into the Champ Car World Series after his purchase of a portion of CTE-HVM Racing which he renamed Minardi Team USA for 2007.-Early...
bought into the team and they renamed it Minardi Team USA fielding ex- F1 Driver Robert Doornbos
Robert Doornbos
Robert Michael Doornbos is a Dutch racing driver. He has been test and third driver for the Jordan and Red Bull Racing Formula One teams, as well as driving for Minardi and Red Bull Racing in 2005 and 2006. Doornbos then drove for Minardi Team USA in the 2007 and final season of the Champ Car...
and Dan Clarke
Dan Clarke
Dan Clarke is a British auto racing driver born 4 October 1983 in Mexborough, most recently competing in the Firestone Indy Lights series with Walker Racing, having previously competed in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport and the Champ Car World Series...
, Wiggins being the managing partner. In the 2007 season, the team claimed 2 wins and 7 podiums on its way to third place in Championship standings and Rookie of the Year with Doornbos. With Champ Car's unification with the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series
IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
in 2008, Stoddart left the team and it appeared that the team would shut down, however, Wiggins assumed full control of the team and signed E. J. Viso
E. J. Viso
Ernesto José Viso Lossada is a Venezuelan race car driver. He is commonly referred to as Ernesto Viso or, since his move to American racing, E. J. Viso....
to continue racing operations IndyCar Series, with the team's name reverting back to HVM Racing.