Meet Johannes van Overbeek

Johannes van Overbeek

For some drivers, the racing bug bites early and it bites hard. That's exactly what happened to Johannes van Overbeek.

Van Overbeek was only 10 years old when he found himself behind the wheel of a go-kart, racing at club level in the northern California Bay Area. That was just the tip of the iceberg; van Overbeek was soon seeking out new and even more thrilling track opportunities.

"My dad had an old Porsche," he remembers. "When I was 16, I did a PCA time trial."

And things would only get better. In 1993, van Overbeek made his Sports Car Club of America debut at the grand opening of Thunder Hill, CA, setting the bar for the fastest lap in the process. His first professional racing event would come in 1996 at a Kumho-sponsored BMW race. During van Overbeek's Speed World Challenge GT rookie season in 1997, he scored a highly respectable eight top-10 finishes.

On the American Le Mans front, van Overbeek quickly established a noteworthy track presence with a 1999 win at Road Atlanta with Brian Cunningham. Two poles and six top-five finishes in 2001 and 2002 carried on the trend. Other van Overbeek career highlights include a 2004 ALMS GT win at Mid-Ohio and a 2003 win at Watkins Glen, his first event with Flying Lizard Motorsports where he's now one of six principals. Van Overbeek barely missed winning the ALMS GT championship in 2006, a decision that came right down to the wire at the last race of the season.

Johannes van Overbeek

A strong contender for the 2007 ALMS championship, the #45 Porsche GT driver views Ferrari as the team to beat, but says he welcomes the competition.

"Our overriding goal is always to win races and to win the championship," van Overbeek says. "It takes work to keep us focused on that objective."

With a solid trifecta of good equipment, good teamwork and good strategy, van Overbeek's star has far from peaked. If dedication and drive are any factor, race fans can be sure van Overbeek looks to meet with much more ALMS success within the next few years.

Van Overbeek currently makes his home in San Francisco with his wife, Sarah, and one-year-old son, Brody.