Jan Magnussen Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Jan Magnussen

Magnussen at the 2017 Petit Le Mans

Born

Jan Ellegaard Magnussen
4 July 1973 (age 51)
Roskilde, Denmark

Racing licence

FIA Gold

Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Danish
Active years	1995, 1997–1998
Teams	McLaren, Stewart
Entries	25 (24 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	1
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1995 Pacific Grand Prix
Last entry	1998 Canadian Grand Prix

NASCAR Cup Series career

1 race run over 1 year

Best finish

63rd (2010)

First race

2010 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Infineon Raceway)

Wins	Top tens	Poles
0	0	0

24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	1999 – Starts as of 2018: 20 races
Teams	Panoz, Audi Sport Japan Team Goh, Corvette Racing
Best finish	4th (2003), (2006)
Class wins	4 (2004, 2005, 2006, 2009)

Champ Car career

11 races run over 2 years

Team(s)

Marlboro Team Penske (1996)
Hogan Penske Racing (1996)
Patrick Racing (1999)

Best finish

24th – 1996, 1999

First race

1996 Miller 200 (Mid-Ohio)

Last race

1999 Honda Indy 300 (Surfers Paradise)

Wins	Podiums	Poles
0	0	0

Statistics current as of 5 June 2012.

Jan Ellegaard Magnussen (born 4 July 1973) is a Danish professional racing driver. He was a factory driver for General Motors until 2020. He has raced in many different types of car races. These include Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), NASCAR, Formula One, and the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

Jan Magnussen's Racing Journey
Magnussen's Family in Racing
Images for kids
See also

Jan Magnussen's Racing Journey

Early Days in Racing

Jan Magnussen racing in British F3 in 1994.

Jan Magnussen was born in Roskilde, Denmark. He started his racing career by winning the 1992 Formula Ford Festival. This was a big race at Brands Hatch in England.

In 1994, he was amazing in the British Formula 3 championship. He won 14 out of 18 races with Paul Stewart Racing. This broke a record set by the legendary driver Ayrton Senna. He won his first British F3 race in April at Donington Park. He also got the pole position for that race. He won many more races that year, showing his great talent.

Racing in Major Series

Jan Magnussen made his first appearance in Formula One in 1995. He raced at the 1995 Pacific Grand Prix in Aida. He filled in for Mika Häkkinen, who was not feeling well. He was the first Danish driver in Formula One since 1974.

In 1996, Magnussen raced in the CART series and the International Touring Car Championship. From 1997 to 1998, he joined the new Stewart Grand Prix team in Formula One. The team's founder, Jackie Stewart, thought Jan was very talented. However, his results were not as good as expected. He earned his only championship point in his last F1 race, the 1998 Canadian Grand Prix. After that race, he was replaced by Jos Verstappen.

Magnussen driving the No. 11 Panoz LMP-1 at the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 1999, he raced in seven CART races. He also competed in the American Le Mans Series with Panoz in 1999 and 2000. In 2001 and 2002, he raced for Peugeot in the Danish Touring Car series (DTC) and in many ALMS races. Jan Magnussen won the GT1 drivers' championship in 2008 and the GT drivers' championship in 2013. Both wins were with Corvette Racing.

Magnussen has raced in the famous 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race every year since 1999. His best results there are class victories in 2004 (GTS class), 2005, 2006, and 2009 (GT1 class). He won these races in a Chevrolet Corvette. His teammates for these wins included Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Johnny O'Connell, and Antonio García.

He has also raced in the 12 Hours of Sebring every year since 1999. He won the GT1 class there in 2006, 2008, and 2009. In 2005, Magnussen also drove a Toyota Corolla in the Danish Touring Car Championship.

Recent Racing Activities

Jan Magnussen continued to be an active driver for many years. He raced in the Danish Touring Car Championship (DTC) until 2010. He also drove a Chevrolet Corvette C7.R in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship until 2019. He continued to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He won the DTC championship in 2003 and 2008 while driving a Chevrolet Lacetti.

On June 11, 2010, it was announced that Magnussen would race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the first time. He drove the No. 09 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing at Infineon Raceway. He started in 32nd place and finished the race in 12th position.

Jan Magnussen racing in the 2011 Rolex Sports Car Series.

In 2010, Magnussen also drove a Chevrolet Camaro with Stevenson Motorsports in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. He finished 24th in GT points that year. His best finish was second place.

The No. 63 Corvette C7.R driven by Magnussen, Garcia, and Rockenfeller at the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 2019, it was confirmed that Magnussen would drive a VW Golf GTI TCR for LM Racing in the first-ever TCR Denmark Touring Car Series in 2020. On July 22, 2023, he won the Aurum 1006 km endurance race in Lithuania. He was driving a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 Evo.

Looking ahead, on September 16, 2024, it was announced that Magnussen will race in the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone in November. He will drive a Van Diemen RF78 car, which will have the same colors as his car from the 1992 Formula Ford Festival.

Magnussen's Family in Racing

Jan Magnussen's oldest son, Kevin, is also a professional racing driver. Kevin currently competes in Formula One for the Haas team. He has also raced for McLaren and Renault in Formula One. Kevin has said that his father was his first hero when he was a child.

Jan's nephew, Dennis Lind, is also a racing driver.

Images for kids

Jan Magnussen racing in British F3 in 1994.
Magnussen driving the No. 11 Panoz LMP-1 at the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Jan Magnussen racing in the 2011 Rolex Sports Car Series.
The No. 63 Corvette C7.R driven by Magnussen, Garcia, and Rockenfeller at the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Jan Magnussen facts for kids

Contents