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David Sears (racing driver)

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David Sears
NationalityUnited Kingdom British
Born (1955-12-09) 9 December 1955 (age 68)
Norwich, England
Related toJack Sears

David John Charles Sears (born 9 December 1955)[1] is a British former racing driver and son of touring car legend Jack Sears.

Biography

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The Sears dynasty has been involved in motor racing for nearly 100 years and four generations. David won two British Formula Ford Championships in 1979 and then raced in Formula 3 against Nigel Mansell and Stefan Johansson with much success. Sears was asked to test for Lotus in Formula One but ultimately Nigel Mansell got the drive and Sears switched to racing touring cars for Ford, Toyota and Jaguar in the European Touring Car Championship. He then raced for Toyota in Japan in Group C and Pontiac in the USA. In 1989 Sears raced for Aston Martin in the World Sports Car Championship and Le Mans. In 1990 Sears finished third at Le Mans in a Porsche 962 with Tiff Needell and Anthony Reid.

Sears had started his own racing team in 1987 and in 1992 he stopped racing to concentrate on his racing team and other business activities. His racing teams under David Sears Motorsport and Super Nova have won 16 Championships in 26 years and produced more than 20 Formula One drivers, including Jan Magnussen, Taki Inoue, Ricardo Zonta, Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Webber and Sebastian Bourdais. Sears has also managed several of these drivers.

Sears is the great-grandson of John Sears who founded Sears Holdings, the boot and shoe empire in Northampton. John Sears was the first person to establish chain shops throughout Great Britain. He died aged 46 owning two shoe factories and over 900 freehold shops. With no tax planning and tax at 98% the family lost the business to Charles Clore in one of the biggest corporate takeovers at the time. The remnants of that empire and some of the best prime retail sites in Great Britain are now owned by Philip Green and his company Arcadia for Topshop and BHS.

David Sears may have inherited some business acumen from his ancestors and helped Nova Group in Japan develop their language school business to be placed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. In fact they were business partners for 14 years with the Super Nova Racing Team.

Sears has also been involved as a director of Thunderball, a mining company in West Africa and more recently has helped Dr. Doug Linman create the MQ Corporation in the US and UK to launch Solar Liquid Power as a new form of green energy.

Racing record

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Complete British Saloon / Touring Car Championship results

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(key) Races in bold indicate pole position. Races in italics indicate fastest lap (1 point awarded – 1987–1989 in class)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Overall

Pos

Pts Class

Pos

1985 Industrial Control Services Ltd. Ford Sierra XR4Ti A SIL OUL THR DON THR SIL DON SIL SNE BRH BRH
2
SIL 21st 6 8th
1986 Hughes of Beaconsfield Toyota Celica Supra A SIL THR SIL DON BRH
3
SNE BRH DON SIL 23rd 4 9th
1988 Kaliber Racing Ford Sierra RS500 A SIL OUL THR DON
1‡
THR SIL SIL BRH SNE BRH BIR 25th 9 11th
John Maguire Racing BMW M3 B DON
Ret
SIL
Ret
NC
1989 Labatt's Team Ford Sierra RS500 A OUL SIL THR DON
3‡
THR SIL SIL BRH SNE BRH BIR 33rd 7 11th
Kaliber Racing DON
4
SIL
1990 ICS plc Ford Sierra RS500 A OUL DON
1‡†
THR SIL OUL SIL BRH SNE BRH BIR DON THR SIL NC 0 NC
Source:[2]

‡ Endurance driver

† Not eligible for points.

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Pts
1987 United Kingdom Team Istel Rover Vitesse MNZ JAR DIJ NÜR SPA BNO SIL
Ret
BAT CLD WEL FJI NA 0

24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1989 United Kingdom Aston Martin
United Kingdom Ecurie Ecosse
United Kingdom David Leslie
United Kingdom Ray Mallock
Aston Martin AMR1 C1 153 DNF DNF
1990 Japan Alpha Racing Team United Kingdom Tiff Needell
United Kingdom Anthony Reid
Porsche 962C C1 352 3rd 3rd

References

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  1. ^ "David Sears". Motorsportstats.com. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  2. ^ de Jong, Frank. "British Saloon Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 28 January 2023.