Colin Braun

Colin Braun (/ˈkɒlɪn ˈbraʊn/; born September 22, 1988) is an American racing driver. He is the 2015 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Prototype Challenge Champion and currently drives the No. 54 Flex-Box/Composite Resources ORECA FLM09 for CORE autosport. He formerly competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series. He lives in Harrisburg, North Carolina.

Braun started out his racing career at 6, racing quarter midgets. At 8 he went international, competing for factory kart racing teams in countries such as Monaco, Spain, France, and Japan. At 14 he moved to cars, winning championships in Formula Renault TR 1600 and Formula TR 2000 Pro Series.

2006–2007

At 16, Braun was part of the Team 16 squad and made his road racing debut in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with a Porsche 996 GT3, teammate to future NASCAR driver Brad Coleman. Braun made history as the youngest Daytona Prototype driver at 17, driving an Essex Racing Ford Crawford. In 2006 he joined Krohn Racing's No. 75 team, teaming with Jörg Bergmeister. Braun became the youngest winner of a major auto race on North American soil with his win at the Brumos Porsche 250 in Daytona. Due to the Master Settlement Agreement, was barred from participating in three races but still finished fourth in points while Bergmeister won the overall championship. He also became the youngest driver to stand on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a second-place finish in his class in a Ferrari F430. He stayed on with Krohn for 2007, but was teamed with Max Papis. The team ended up in the top five in points, despite Braun being suspended for an incident at the Crown Royal 200 at Watkins Glen International.

In 2007, Braun signed a driver development contract with Roush Fenway Racing. Braun made his stock car debut in the ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Gateway International Raceway, where he finished 13th. Braun later made his NASCAR debut in the Camping World Truck Series (was Craftsman Truck Series), driving the No. 50 RSC Equipment Rental Ford for Roush Fenway. He was running in the top 20 before a flat tire sent him into the wall and a 34th-place finish. He would also drive the No. 16 3M Ford at the Sam's Town 250 where he had a 30th-place finish. In November 2007, he was announced as the full-time driver of the No. 6 Ford, succeeding Travis Kvapil.

2008–2011

Braun assumed full-time duties in 2008 in the Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 6 Con-way Ford F-150 with veteran crew chief Mike Beam.He earned three top-five and eight top-10 finishes, and won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award.Braun became the sixth Roush Fenway Racing driver to claim the rookie title in the truck series.He also made five Nationwide Series starts including one top-five finish and two poles.

After turning a lap of 177.441 mph on Thursday evening in qualifying to earn his first career Camping World Truck Series Pole award, Braun led the field to the green flag Friday night at Daytona International Speedway for the 2009 season opener.He led the first 10 laps of the race, fell as far back as 15th and with luck, in the end, Braun crossed the finish line in ninth place to score his ninth career top 10. On June 13, he scored his one and only career Truck Series win at Michigan.

In 2010, Braun was promoted to the Nationwide Series, and Con-way would be his sponsor for 18 races. However, by midseason, Braun was removed from the No. 16 car in certain races in which they did not have a sponsor, but returned to the No. 16 car in races when Con-way is the sponsor. Braun had a tough rookie year in the Nationwide Series, making 24 starts with 5 top 10s but also had 7 DNFs. Braun was released by Roush on December 1 after Roush's Nationwide program turned its focus to getting sponsorship for Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne, and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

Braun joined Robertson Racing in the American Le Mans Series for part of the 2011 season. Braun returned to NASCAR with Billy Ballew Motorsports, driving their No. 51 Ford at Michigan.

2012–2013

On January 21, 2012, he announced that he wouldn't compete in NASCAR during the 2012 season, but would drive for CORE Autosport in the 2012 American Le Mans Series season. Partnered with team owner Jon Bennett, Braun helped CORE win the ALMS Prototype Challenge Class Teams Championship.Braun also joined the Kia Racing team as part of Kinetic Motorsports Pirelli World Challenge GTS Class No. 38 Kia Optima entry.After four races, where he was able to achieve two podium finishes, Braun was replaced by Mark Wilkins following an incident with his team mate, Michael Galati, at Miller Motorsports Park.

Braun partnered with Bennett for the first two races of the 2013 Rolex Sports Car Series season running with Doran Racing in a Ford Dallara to gain insight into the Daytona Prototype category. Braun returned to CORE autosport for the full 2013 American Le Mans Series season, competing in the Prototype Challenge class. After driving the No. 05 with Bennett for the first eight races, Braun switched to the team's GT entry, driving the No. 06 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with Porsche factory driver Patrick Long. As a result of the late-season switch, Braun finished fifth in the PC Drivers' Championship, but made significant contributions to CORE's 2013 PC Team Championship by scoring five podium finishes (including two wins) with Bennett.

On October 9, 2013, Braun joined Michael Shank Racing at Daytona International Speedway to set a new speed record on the track's oval course using a Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype car, powered by a twin-turbocharged Ford V-6 engine; the existing record was 210.364 miles per hour (338.548 km/h), set in 1987. Braun broke the record, setting a fastest single lap at a speed of 222.971 miles per hour (358.837 km/h).

In 2013 Braun began coaching Team CrowdStrike in the NARRA Radical Cup Series to many wins and an overall championship.

2014–present

Braun returned to CORE autosport in 2014, in the new United SportsCar Championship, driving the No. 54 PC car with Bennett. He and co-drivers Bennett, James Gué and Mark Wilkins won the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona in the PC class followed by the 12 Hours of Sebring. Braun and Bennett went on to win races at Kansas Speedway and Watkins Glen International, propelling them to the 2014 PC Drivers' Championship and PC Team Championship as well as the newly created Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup. Braun received the TOTAL Pole Award for winning more PC pole positions than any other driver. Braun and Bennett's success continued into 2015, where once again they claimed the PC Driver Championship in conjunction with CORE's PC Team Championship.

Braun continues to drive for CORE autosport with Bennett in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship PC class in 2016.

In 2016, Braun made his Red Bull Global Rallycross debut with CORE autosport at Daytona International Speedway. He scored a podium finish in his first race.

24 Hours of Daytona 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

Camping World Truck Series

ARCA Menards Series

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

24 Hours of Le Mans results

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

(key)(Races in bold indicate pole position. Races in italics indicate fastest race lap in class. Results are overall/class)

Complete Global Rallycross Championship results

(key)

GRC Lites