DragonSpeed Bio
DragonSpeed is an American motorsports team founded in 2007 by Elton Julian and based in Jupiter, Florida. The team competes across international endurance racing platforms, including the European Le Mans Series, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and entries at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Early Life and Background
DragonSpeed began as a privateer program established by racing driver and team owner Elton Julian in 2007. The organization moved from initial club and national-level efforts into high-profile endurance racing by leveraging Julian’s professional experience and driver network.
The team made its early endurance race debut in the GT category at the 2011 24 Hours of Daytona, campaigning a Ferrari F430 Challenge and marking the transition from occasional entries to a structured racing operation. DragonSpeed developed a foundation in GT competition before expanding into prototype classes and international series.
Path to MotorSports
After its Daytona debut, DragonSpeed entered the Prototype Challenge class of the 2013 American Le Mans Series with an Oreca FLM09-Chevrolet, running a part-time schedule and finishing sixth in the standings for that season. The team used these prototype outings to build technical experience and attract established drivers.
Through the mid-2010s DragonSpeed broadened its footprint, competing in series such as the Pirelli World Challenge and Blancpain Endurance Series in GT machinery. Those campaigns delivered category experience and a drivers’ title in the Pirelli World Challenge GTA class in 2015 with Frank Montecalvo, demonstrating the team’s capacity to prepare championship-level cars and crews.
DragonSpeed Career
Early Career (2007–2015)
From 2007 through 2015 DragonSpeed focused on development across GT and national-level prototype categories. The team ran Ferrari GT cars at endurance events like Daytona and Sebring and completed a focused Prototype Challenge program in the American Le Mans Series that helped refine its engineering and race operations.
DragonSpeed’s move into European competition and international endurance racing began to take shape as the organization invested in prototype machinery and sought seat time for a core group of drivers. The Pirelli World Challenge title in 2015 validated the team’s growth within a competitive professional environment.
European Le Mans Series Breakthrough (2016–2017)
DragonSpeed stepped into the European Le Mans Series LMP2 class by purchasing an Oreca 05 in 2016 and later fielding two Oreca 07 cars in 2017. The team scored consistent podiums in 2016, highlighted by a race win at Spa, and established itself among established European prototype squads.
The 2017 ELMS campaign produced DragonSpeed’s most significant early success: the European Le Mans Series LMP2 teams championship. Running strong driver lineups and securing multiple podiums and a pair of wins, the team claimed the LMP2 title and consolidated its reputation in prototype racing.
FIA World Endurance Championship and Le Mans (2018–2022)
DragonSpeed expanded into the FIA World Endurance Championship and briefly campaigned a BR Engineering BR1-Gibson in LMP1 for the 2018 season, marking its first full-season move into top-tier prototype competition. The team also supported entries in LMP2, fielding a diverse driver roster across WEC rounds.
DragonSpeed returned to the LMP2 class and to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Oreca prototypes; in 2021 the team won the LMP2 Pro/Am subclass at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with an Oreca 07 run by Henrik Hedman, Ben Hanley and Juan Pablo Montoya. That Le Mans class victory stands as a marquee achievement for the program.
IndyCar Participation (2019–2022)
DragonSpeed announced a move into the NTT IndyCar Series for 2019, fielding the No. 81 car powered by Chevrolet with Ben Hanley driving on a limited schedule that included the Indianapolis 500. The team ran several road and street races in 2019 and qualified for the Indy 500 that year.
The team planned expanded participation for 2020 but pandemic-related disruption led to limited preparation and mixed results. In October 2020 DragonSpeed shut its IndyCar program and sold assets to Meyer Shank Racing, though the organization later returned for a one-off joint entry at the 2022 Indianapolis 500 in cooperation with Cusick Motorsports.
Current Team Era (2022–Present)
In recent seasons DragonSpeed focused on IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship programs and continued selective European Le Mans Series entries. The team collected multiple LMP2 class victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona across a short span, establishing DragonSpeed as a consistent podium contender in North American prototype endurance events.
Beyond prototypes, DragonSpeed expanded into GT competition, campaigning GTD and GTD PRO machinery and forming operational collaborations to support full-season GT efforts. The team’s flexibility across prototypes and GT categories reflects its depth in endurance program management and strategic partnerships.
Driving Style and Strengths
DragonSpeed’s strengths lie in endurance race preparation, prototype engineering and driver management for long-distance events. The team has demonstrated rapid pit execution, strategic racecraft in multi-class traffic and an ability to combine professional and pro-am driver lineups to deliver class victories and championship contention.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones for DragonSpeed include the 2017 European Le Mans Series LMP2 teams championship, multiple LMP2 class wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 2021 LMP2 Pro/Am class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team’s entry into and later exit from the IndyCar Series are notable transitions in its competitive history.
DragonSpeed Career Wins
DragonSpeed’s verified wins and podiums span ELMS, IMSA and marquee endurance events. The organization has secured a major teams championship in ELMS LMP2, scored class victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and captured a Le Mans class win in LMP2 Pro/Am.
European Le Mans Series Highlights
In ELMS the team recorded race victories and multiple podium finishes, culminating in the 2017 LMP2 teams championship. DragonSpeed ran strong driver lineups across its Oreca entries and achieved race wins including a notable double at Monza during the championship season.
Other Wins & Perfromances
DragonSpeed drivers and cars have produced championship-level performances outside ELMS, including a Pirelli World Challenge GTA drivers’ title in 2015 and repeated LMP2 class wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Those results underline the team’s adaptability across GT and prototype disciplines.
DragonSpeed Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
DragonSpeed was founded and is owned by Elton Julian, who also serves as the team’s general manager. Julian’s background as a professional driver has informed the team’s operational and technical direction and remains central to its identity and decision making.
Personal Life
The team is based in Jupiter, Florida, and operates with a compact leadership group under Julian’s ownership. Public-facing details for team personnel focus on competitive programs and driver lineups rather than private family matters.
2025 Season Performance
For 2025 DragonSpeed committed to a full-season GTD PRO campaign in IMSA, fielding the No. 81 entry and working in collaboration with established GT operations. The program combined factory-supported drivers and targeted endurance specialists to contest the GTD PRO championship on both sprint and endurance rounds.
The 2025 campaign produced strong qualifying pace, multiple pole positions, six podiums and a race victory at Mosport, placing DragonSpeed among title contenders in GTD PRO. The team advanced a competitive season-long effort that carried momentum into championship-deciding races and secured a runner-up finish in the class standings.
Looking ahead from 2025, DragonSpeed continues to balance prototype and GT programs while seeking technical partnerships and driver talent to sustain its competitive presence in international endurance racing.