Zak Brown signs up Mr Le Mans for Estoril Classic

McLaren CEO and avid classic car racer Zak Brown will team up with Tom Kristensen for the Estoril Classics in Portugal, in October. Kristensen – the nine-time Le Mans winner – will drive Brown’s Porsche 935 K3 and Ford Capri RS3100.

Brown and Kristensen will drive for United Autosport, the team Brown co-owns with Richard Dean. United Autosport runs some of Brown’s collection of historic racing cars at selected events.

Daytona winner

Estoril Classics ends Peter Auto’s historic racing season, on October 5^th and 6^th. In 2023, Brown and Dean drove the Porsche 935 K3 to the top step of the podium in Estoril. By bringing in ‘the most winningest driver’ at Le Mans, Brown makes the point he’d like to replicate that win in 2024.

Brown’s Porsche 935 K3 is the car with which John Paul Jr and Sr, together with Rolf Stommelen, took victory in the 1982 Daytona 24 Hours. It would also win Sebring, and took the title in IMSA that year, taking five wins on the trot.

One of three

As Brown told us himself, he only wants to race original cars, not replicas. Which makes his Ford Capri RS3100 a very rare thing, as most of these cars you’ll see are in fact replicas. Not this one, which raced in the hands of Niki Lauda and Hans Stuck in the European touring car championship in 1974. It took two wins, and is one of just three authentic RS3100 Capris.

“Easy yes”

“Estoril is a great track, and the Capri and the 935 are two fantastic cars, so when I got the call, it was an easy yes,” says Tom Kristensen.

Brown stated: “Tom is a legend of the sport – I’m excited to be racing with him,” says Zak. “The Capri and the Porsche 935 are two of my favourite cars and we have a good track record in Estoril following the win last year with my buddy Richard Dean. This will be my first time racing with Tom, which is going to be awesome … and the goal is the same. We’re going for the win!”