POUGHKEEPSIE, NY February 27, 2012 — Steven Kane will be joining Chris Dyson and Guy Smith in the debut of the new #16 Lola B12/60-Mazda at the 60th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 17. Steven Kane joined Dyson Racing at last year’s Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park in the #20 Dyson-Oryx entry, qualifying second and finishing third in his inaugural ALMS race. He raced the rest of the year and claimed his first win at the Baltimore Grand Prix, a one-two finish for the team.
“Steven opened up many eyes last year,” commented Chris Dyson. “On tracks he had never seen before, in a new car, he was always quick right off the bat and impressed everyone on the team. He made a name for himself in short order and Guy and I are glad he will be back with us for the Sebring race. He is a Dyson driver in every sense of the word: talented, determined and fast with a personality that has fit right in with our group from day one.”
“It is great to be back with Dyson Racing and with Chris and Guy,” said Steven Kane. “It is a privilege to come back and drive with the two champions of the ALMS. This will be my first time at Sebring and it is a race that I have always wanted to take part in and have heard so much about over the years. With the World Endurance Championship joining us, there will be a lot of new cars and with our new Lola, it will be an exciting time for everyone. I just can’t wait to get there, learn the track and be part of such an iconic event.”
Steven Kane was born in Northern Ireland in 1980 and grew up on the family farm. By the age of fourteen, he was competing in motocross and won three consecutive major championships in 1995, ‘96, and ‘97. Steve switched to go-karts in 1999, selling everything he owned to buy his first kart. In his first full year of four-wheel competition, he won his championship and the Northern Ireland Kart Driver of the Year award.
Steven progressed quickly through the ranks of British and International motorsports. In 2001 he won the Junior Formula Ford Zetec Championship with eight wins and four seconds in twelve races. He also won the prestigious British Racing Drivers Club McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year award in 2001. Past winners have included Jenson Button, Dario Franchitti, Oliver Gavin and David Coulthard.
Steven competed in Formula Three for three years starting in 2003. He won the Scholarship class of British Formula Three that year, the Spanish Formula Three championship in 2004 and the Championship Class of British Formula Three in 2005. He moved to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2006, with a best finish of second. In 2007, he further diversified his racing resume and ran the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, winning a series high seven races. He competed in the British Touring Car Championship in 2008, and moved back to single seaters the next year as Formula Two development driver for Williams Grand Prix. He remained with Williams in 2010 and returned to the British Touring Car Championship, winning his first race back at Thruxton. Last year he successfully paired with Humaid Al Masaood for seven races with the Dyson team in the American Le Mans Series.
At last year’s Sebring 12 Hours, Dyson Racing claimed first place ALMS points in the combined ALMS/ILMC race, on their way to a strong year that saw them win the LMP1 Drivers Championship with Chris Dyson and Guy Smith, the Team Championship, the Manufacturer’s Championship with Mazda, the Tire Championship with Dunlop and the Michelin Green X Challenge.
