McLaren Automotive has appointed professional racing driver Kenny Brack as chief test driver.
Brack, 52, who has 35 years of experience in motorsport including as a racing driver in IndyCar, CART, F3000 and rallying, and as a test driver in Formula 1 and NASCAR, will be responsible for leading the dynamic development of all McLaren road cars. He will report to Dr Jens Ludmann, COO, McLaren Automotive.
“Recruiting Kenny Brack as our new chief test driver is a real coup for McLaren Automotive and perfectly aligns with our determination to ensure our next generations of luxury sportscars and supercars retain the dynamic excellence for which McLaren is renowned,” commented Ludmann.
“Kenny’s record as a formidable first-class racing driver – which includes winning an IndyCar Championship and the Indianapolis 500 – speaks for itself, but I believe his talents as a development driver are even more impressive and make him the ideal person to lead the team shaping the way that McLaren cars drive.”
Having previously worked closely with the McLaren engineering team as a driver consultant, Brack was integral to the dynamic development of both the McLaren 720S and McLaren Senna. He has also been assisting on yet-to-be announced future models.
“It is a great gift to be able to work with your passion and break new boundaries, and to have the opportunity to work with the highly skilled and determined team at McLaren Automotive is just fantastic,” explained Brack.
“I am driven by a desire to win, to achieve results; for me, the key dynamic traits needed to explore my own limits and those of a vehicle on a race track are predictability and consistency. These elements are also fundamental for a road car to be both safe and satisfying and as a result you’ll find them integral to the McLaren 720S and the McLaren Senna.”
Brack will be based at McLaren’s headquarters in Woking, Surrey, in the UK, where he will oversee the activities of McLaren test driver Gareth Howell (see A day in the life of a test driver, p94, June 2017 ATTI) and the McLaren dynamic development team, but will spend much of his time behind the wheel of a McLaren at one of the many test facilities the company uses.