Andrew Thomas Pilgrim (born 18 August 1956) is a British-born, American-naturalised racing driver. A late bloomer in his forties, he served as Corvette factory driver in the American Le Mans Series from 1999 to 2003, and won the 24 Hours of Daytona overall in 2004. He later competed in the SCCA World Challenge and NASCAR.

Racing career Having taken a keen interest in motorcycles as a child, Pilgrim started racing them as soon as he started a full-time job (computer programmer). He raced them from 1978 to 1980, finishing second in two National Championships (Avon/Bike Magazine Series & Kawasaki 400 Series) & won several Club championships in just two and a half seasons. He accepted a job offer in the USA towards the end of 1980.

Pilgrim was living in England when his job as a computer programmer necessitated a move to the United States. His first foray into racing stateside was with SCCA Autocross. In 1984, Pilgrim borrowed $3,000 to buy a Renault Alliance and began competing with it. He eventually moved up to professional racing in 1986 running racing a Firebird in the Firehawk Series. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Pilgrim ran in the Corvette Challenge series.

Pilgrim made appearances in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the late 1990s, running for New Hardware Racing, Roock Racing and Corvette Racing. He joined the Chevrolet Corvette factory team in 1999. In 2001, he was selected as teammate for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Kelly Collins in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the team finished second in class. After the 24 Hours of Daytona, Earnhardt Sr. promised to someday put Pilgrim in a NASCAR stock-car, a promise he was unable to fulfill due to his death a few weeks later during the 2001 Daytona 500. Pilgrim is the last person to have engaged in conversation with Earnhardt before he died.

Pilgrim became a United States citizen in 1998.

From 2004 to 2008, Pilgrim drove for Cadillac in the SPEED World Challenge, winning a championship in 2005. He moved to K-Pax Racing in 2009 and 2010 before returning to Cadillac for another stint that lasted from 2011 to 2014. In 2015, he stepped away from the PWC to run various endurance races. In 2016, Pilgrim joined Black Swan Racing for a four-race endurance schedule, including the 24 Hours of Daytona. The move came after his FIA rating was changed from gold to silver. Pilgrim returned to the World Challenge in 2018 with Blackdog Speed Shop.

In 2007, Pilgrim drove two road course races in the NASCAR Busch Series for JR Motorsports. Pilgrim made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in 2011 at Infineon Raceway driving the No. 46 for Whitney Motorsports, where he finished 26th.

Personal life Pilgrim operates a traffic safety foundation.

Motorsports career results SCCA National Championship Runoffs SCCA National Championship Runoffs Year Track Car Engine Class Finish Start Status 1985 Road Atlanta Ford Mustang SSGT 6 9 Running

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps New Hardware Racing Parr Motorsport Stéphane Ortelli Andrew Bagnall Porsche 911 GT2 GT2 299 17th 4th Roock Racing André Ahrlé Bruno Eichmann Porsche 911 GT2 GT2 306 10th 2nd Corvette Racing Franck Fréon Kelly Collins Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 327 10th 3rd Corvette Racing Franck Fréon Kelly Collins Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 271 14th 2nd Corvette Racing Franck Fréon Kelly Collins Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 331 13th 2nd Corvette Racing Oliver Gavin Kelly Collins Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 326 11th 2nd

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Sprint Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Pts Ref 2011 Whitney Motorsports 46 Chevy DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL MAR TEX TAL RCH DAR DOV CLT KAN POC MCH SON DAY KEN NHA IND POC GLN MCH BRI ATL RCH CHI NHA DOV KAN CLT TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 47th 18

Busch Series NASCAR Busch Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Pts Ref 2007 JR Motorsports 88 Chevy DAY CAL MXC LVS ATL BRI NSH TEX PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI GTY IRP CGV GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM 97th 236

Complete American Le Mans Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1112 PtsRef1999Riley & Scott Inc.GTSChevrolet Corvette C5-RChevrolet 6.0 L V8SEBCorvette RacingPETMONLSVChiefie MotorsportsPorsche 911 GT2Porsche 3.6 L Turbo Flat-6ATLMOSChampion RacingLMPPorsche 911 GT1 EvoPorsche 3.6 L Turbo Flat-6SONPOR2000Corvette RacingGTSChevrolet Corvette C5-RChevrolet 7.0 L V8SEBCHASILNÜRSONMOSTEXROSPETMONLSVADE 2001 Corvette Racing GTS Chevrolet Corvette C5-R Chevrolet 7.0 L V8TEXSEBDONJARSONPORMOSMIDMONPET 5th 153 2002 Corvette Racing GTS Chevrolet Corvette C5-R Chevrolet 7.0 L V8SEBSONMIDAMEWASTROMOSMONMIAPET3rd2252003Corvette RacingGTSChevrolet Corvette C5-RChevrolet 7.0 L V8SEBATLSONTROMOSAMEMONMIAPET2007Pratt & MillerGT1Chevrolet Corvette C6.RChevrolet LS7.R 7.0 L V8SEBSTPLNBTEXUTALIMMIDAMEMOSDETPETMON13th132008Black Swan RacingGT2Ford GT-R Mk.VIIFord (Roush-Yates) 5.0 L V8SEBSTPLBHUTALRPMDOELKMOSDETPETLAG53rd72010GMG RacingGTCPorsche 911 GT3 CupPorsche 3.8L Flat-6SEBLBHLAGUTALRPMDOELKMOSPET25th14 † Did not finish the race but was classified as his car completed more than 70% of the overall winner's race distance.

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 PtsRef 2016 Black Swan Racing GTD Porsche 911 GT3 R Porsche 4.0L Flat-6DAY SEB LGA BEL WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR AUS PET 22nd 73

† Pilgrim did not complete sufficient laps in order to score full points.

References

External links

Traffic Safety Education Foundation profile Automobile magazine page Corvette Racing profile Blancpain GT profile