Charlie Kimball

American racing driver From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Newton Kimball (born February 20, 1985) is an American former race car driver who most recently competed in the IndyCar Series with A. J. Foyt Enterprises. He has scored a win, six podiums, and 13 top 5s during his IndyCar career. His best season results were ninth in 2013 and 2016. In addition, he won the 2013 24 Hours of Daytona.

NationalityUnited States American
BornCharles Newton Kimball
(1985-02-20) February 20, 1985 (age 41)
Chertsey, Surrey, England
2019 position25th
Quick facts Nationality, Born ...
Charlie Kimball
Kimball during Carb Day at the 2015 Indianapolis 500
NationalityUnited States American
BornCharles Newton Kimball
(1985-02-20) February 20, 1985 (age 41)
Chertsey, Surrey, England
IndyCar Series career
157 races run over 10 years
TeamNo. 4 (A. J. Foyt Enterprises)
2019 position25th
Best finish9th (2013, 2016)
First race2011 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg)
Last race2021 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (Long Beach)
First win2013 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (Mid-Ohio)
Wins Podiums Poles
1 6 1
Previous series
200910
2008–09
2006, 2008
2007
2005
2004
2003
2002
Indy Lights
A1 Grand Prix
Formula 3 Euro Series
Formula Renault 3.5 Series
British Formula Three
British Formula Ford
US Formula Ford
Formula Dodge
Awards
2003Team USA Scholarship
Signature
Close

Career

2002–2005

Born in Chertsey, England, Kimball's single-seater career started in 2002 when he took part in the American Formula Dodge national championship, finishing the season in tenth place overall. He also won three races in the SCCA Formula Ford series. For 2003, he moved up to Formula Ford US, finishing third overall with two race wins and seven podium finishes. He also contested the UK Formula Ford winter series, taking one race win to finish third overall.

In 2004, Kimball competed in the full UK Formula Ford championship for Team JLR, taking two race wins and eleven podiums on his way to fourth in the championship. In the end-of-season Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch he finished in eighth place. His performances earned him a drive with front runners Carlin Motorsport in the 2005 British Formula 3 Championship, where he took five race wins to finish an impressive second behind teammate Álvaro Parente. He also finished twelfth in the Marlboro Masters at Zandvoort, but failed to finish the season-ending Macau Grand Prix.

2006–2008

For 2006, Kimball stayed in Formula Three, but moved up to the Formula 3 Euro Series with the French Signature-Plus team. He took one race win and three podiums to finish the season in eleventh place. Once again, he took part in the Masters Formula 3 race at Zandvoort and the Macau Grand Prix, finishing in ninth and 21st places respectively.

Kimball driving for Victory Engineering in the Donington Park round of the 2007 Formula Renault 3.5 Series season

In 2007, Kimball competed in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series for the Italian Victory Engineering team, alongside Dutchman Giedo van der Garde.[1] He competed in twelve races (leaving the series with two race weekends remaining) and finished 24th in points with a best finish of eighth in the Monza and Nurburgring sprint races. His departed the team due to the onset of Type 1 diabetes which required hospitalization. As part of his ongoing treatment he wears a wireless blood sugar monitor and carries sugar water on board the car while racing.[2] In 2008, he returned to F3 EuroSeries for six races with Prema Powerteam. Late in 2008, he competed in the first round of the A1 Grand Prix series for A1 Team USA.

Firestone Indy Lights (2009–2010)

For 2009, Kimball signed to drive in Indy Lights for the new Team PBIR outfit. He stated that an influencing factor in his return to the U.S. is to increase Diabetes awareness in his home country.[3] Kimball finished tenth in points with a best finish of fourth at Watkins Glen International.

Kimball returned to Indy Lights in 2010 and signed with AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport. Despite not winning a race or pole, Kimball had four second-place finishes on the season and captured fourth in points, one spot behind his teammate Martin Plowman.

IndyCar Series (2011–2021)

Kimball driving the Novo Nordisk Ganassi car at the 2015 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma

It was announced on December 16, 2010, that Kimball would move up to the IndyCar Series in 2011, in which he would drive the No. 83 entry for Chip Ganassi Racing.[4] Kimball finished nineteenth in points with a best finish of ninth at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Kimball returned to the team in 2012 and again finished nineteenth in points despite missing a race due to injury. He finished second at the Honda Indy Toronto, his first career podium finish. Kimball won his first IndyCar race on August 4, 2013, at the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. He also finished second at Pocono and fourth at Barber and ranked ninth in points. In 2013, he competed in his first 24 Hours of Daytona race with Ganassi and was on the race-winning team with co-drivers Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Pruett, and Memo Rojas.

In the 2014 IndyCar season, Kimball scored four top-five finishes and placed ninth in points. In 2015, he finished third at the Indianapolis 500 and the Grand Prix of Sonoma, and finished fifth at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. The driver finished fifth at both Indianapolis races and got eleven top-fives in sixteen races, which earned him a ninth overall position in 2016. He scored no top-fives in 2017, and he parted with Ganassi afterward.

Carlin signed Kimball for the 2018 season. He got a fifth-place finish at Toronto and collected six top-tens. Kimball ran part-time in 2019, scoring two tenth-place finishes. He joined A. J. Foyt Enterprises in 2020, where he scored two top-tens. In 2021, Kimball failed to qualify for the Indy 500 for the first time in his career.

Personal life

Kimball was born in England but grew up in Camarillo, California.[5] His father Gordon was a designer of Formula One and Indy cars.[6]

At 22, Kimball was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and was forced to abandon his racing program midseason.[7] Undeterred, he climbed back into the cockpit the following year and claimed a podium finish in his first race after returning.[7] He is also the first licensed driver with diabetes in the history of IndyCar racing[7] (Howdy Wilcox hid the fact he was driving with diabetes in the 1932 Indy 500 but was barred from competing when officials found out before the 1933 race).[8] Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of the insulin Kimball uses, became a full-time sponsor of his racing program in 2011.

Kimball married Kathleen, whom he first met in high school, in 2014, the wedding officiated by fellow driver James Hinchcliffe.[9] The couple relocated to Indianapolis, where they live with two dogs.[10] Kathleen earned her MBA from Indiana University Kelley School of Business, and works at Kimball Marketing Group.[11]

Kimball is a long-time fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.[12]

Racing record

Complete Formula 3 Euro Series results

(key)

More information Year, Entrant ...
Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Points
2006 Signature-Plus Dallara F306/010 Mercedes HOC
1

22
HOC
2

12
LAU
1

9
LAU
2

8
OSC
1

10
OSC
2

Ret
BRH
1

15
BRH
2

11
NOR
1

13
NOR
2

4
NÜR
1

10
NÜR
2

6
ZAN
1

11
ZAN
2

1
CAT
1

6
CAT
2

2
LMS
1

4
LMS
2

2
HOC
1

6
HOC
2

Ret
11th 31
2008 Prema Powerteam Dallara F308/047 Mercedes HOC
1

2
HOC
2

Ret
MUG
1

17
MUG
2

Ret
PAU
1

Ret
PAU
2

23
NOR
1
NOR
2
ZAN
1
ZAN
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
BRH
1
BRH
2
CAT
1
CAT
2
LMS
1
LMS
2
HOC
1
HOC
2
17th 8
Close

Complete Formula Renault 3.5 Series results

(key)

More information Year, Entrant ...
Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 DC Points
2007 Victory Engineering MNZ
FEA

Ret
MNZ
SPR

8
NÜR
FEA

16
NÜR
SPR

8
MON
FEA

Ret
HUN
FEA

10
HUN
SPR

Ret
SPA
FEA

13
SPA
SPR

Ret
DON
FEA

Ret
DON
SPR

13
MAG
FEA

Ret
MAG
SPR

17
EST
FEA
EST
SPR
CAT
FEA
CAT
SPR
24th 7
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American open–wheel results

(key)

Indy Lights

More information Year, Team ...
Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Rank Points
2009 Team PBIR STP
10
STP
7
LBH
19
KAN
13
INDY
13
MIL
10
IOW
7
WGL
4
TOR
15
EDM
5
KTY
18
MOH
13
SNM
8
CHI
7
HMS
13
10th 310
2010 AFS Racing
Andretti Autosport
STP
4
ALA
2
LBH
2
INDY
2
IOW
13
WGL
11
TOR
4
EDM
4
MOH
3
SNM
2
CHI
14
KTY
6
HMS
13
4th 388
Close

IndyCar Series

(key)

More information Year, Team ...
Year Team No. Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Rank Points Ref.
2011 Chip Ganassi Racing 83 Dallara IR-05 Honda STP
22
ALA
10
LBH
24
SAO
16
INDY
13
TXS
30
TXS
23
MIL
14
IOW
22
TOR
21
EDM
17
MOH
11
NHM
9
SNM
26
BAL
21
MOT
23
KTY
13
LVS1
C
19th 233 [13]
2012 Dallara DW12 STP
9
ALA
25
LBH
18
SAO
8
INDY
8
DET
8
TXS
23
MIL
17
IOW
11
TOR
2
EDM
19
MOH SNM
21
BAL
18
FON
10
19th 260 [14]
2013 STP
12
ALA
4
LBH
21
SAO
10
INDY
9
DET
14
DET
7
TXS
17
MIL
17
IOW
12
POC
2
TOR
21
TOR
6
MOH
1
SNM
20
BAL
6
HOU
11
HOU
8
FON
10
9th 427 [15]
2014 Chevrolet STP
20
LBH
23
ALA
10
IMS
5
INDY
31
DET
9
DET
3
TXS
10
HOU
18
HOU
4
POC
17
IOW
10
TOR
7
TOR
4
MOH
7
MIL
16
SNM
21
FON
12
14th 402 [16]
2015 STP
21
NLA
14
LBH
15
ALA
12
IMS
5
INDY
3
DET
22
DET
11
TXS
7
TOR
20
FON
8
MIL
12
IOW
22
MOH
23
POC
12
SNM
3
12th 372 [17]
2016 STP
10
PHX
12
LBH
11
ALA
9
IMS
5
DET
8
DET
16
RDA
6
IOW
10
TOR
11
MOH
8
POC
15
TXS
6
WGL
6
SNM
9
9th 433 [18]
42 INDY
5
2017 83 Honda STP
18
LBH
21
ALA
15
PHX
8
IMS
21
INDY
25
DET
21
DET
8
TXS
21
ROA
6
IOW
15
TOR
12
MOH
13
POC
16
GTW
7
WGL
7
SNM
11
17th 327 [19]
2018 Carlin 23 Chevrolet STP
20
PHX
17
LBH
10
ALA
23
IMS
20
INDY
18
DET
19
DET
8
TXS
10
ROA
18
IOW
14
TOR
5
MOH
16
POC
9
GTW
19
POR
7
SNM
22
17th 287 [20]
2019 STP
17
COA
ALA
LBH
IMS
INDY
25
DET
DET
TXS
21
RDA
TOR
IOW
MOH
POC
10
GTW
15
POR
10
LAG
15
25th 117 [21]
2020 A. J. Foyt Enterprises 4 TXS
11
IMS
18
ROA
11
ROA
10
IOW
17
IOW
16
INDY
18
GTW
13
GTW
18
MOH
21
MOH
19
IMS
13
IMS
23
STP
8
18th 218 [22]
2021 11 ALA
STP
TXS
TXS
IMS
22
INDY
DNQ
DET
DET
ROA
MOH
NSH
IMS
GTW
POR
LAG
LBH
18
36th 20 [23]
Close

* Season still in progress.

More information Years, Teams ...
Years Teams Races Poles Wins Top 5s Top 10s Indianapolis 500
wins
Championships
5 1 84 1 1 11 33 0 0
Close

Indianapolis 500

References

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