David Cheng

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the professor, see David K. Cheng.
David Cheng
NationalityChina Chinese
United States American[a]
Born (1989-07-21) July 21, 1989 (age 34)
Haidian District, Beijing, China
FIA World Endurance Championship career
Debut season2016
Current teamJackie Chan DC Racing
Racing licence FIA Silver
Car number37
Starts26
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums1
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Best finish9th in 2016
Finished last season9th
Championship titles
2015–16
2013, 2014		Asian Le Mans Series - LMP3
Asian Le Mans Series - LMP2
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years2014–present
TeamsOAK Racing, Pegasus Racing, Jackie Chan DC Racing
Best finish3rd (2017)
Class wins0

David Cheng (Chinese: 程飞; pinyin: Chéng Fēi, born 21 July 1989) is a Chinese-American sports car racing driver who last competed in the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy. He previously competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Jackie Chan DC Racing, and finished on the overall and class podium at the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans, becoming the first Chinese driver to do so. He is a three-time champion of the Asian Le Mans Series, having won the championship twice in the LMP2 class in 2013 and 2014, and in the LMP3 class in 2016.

Racing career[edit]

Born in Beijing, Cheng moved to Seattle in the United States at the age of six and was introduced to kart racing by a friend of his father; he had to do so in secret as his mother believed auto racing was too dangerous.[1] In 2011, he moved up to sports cars, racing in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and the 24 Hours of Daytona.[2] In the race, Cheng's team competed in the GT class, but the car suffered major damage before Cheng could drive; the team was able to overcome the damage to finish 21st. During the year, he also raced in China's Scirocco R Cup China, finishing seventh in points with a best finish of second at Sepang International Circuit's Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race.[3] A year later, he split time between the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and Scirocco R Cup.[2] In 2013, Cheng joined OAK Racing in the Asian Le Mans Series, driving for an all-Chinese stable alongside Ho-Pin Tung.[4] At Sepang, he won the Sepang 12 Hours and was named one of ten Outstanding Youth by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. He also ran the ALMS' 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans races, winning the former and claiming the Drivers' Championship for his co-driver in the latter by one point.[1] Cheng and OAK ended the year by winning the LMP2 Asian Le Mans Team and Driver Championships.[4] Cheng repeated the feat a season later.[5]

For the 2015–16 Asian Le Mans Series season, Cheng formed DC Racing, racing a Ligier JS P3 with former OAK teammate Tung[5] and Thomas Laurent. The team ended the season with the Team Championship and a guaranteed spot in the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans.[6]

In March 2015, Cheng met actor and martial artist Jackie Chan, who discussed his enjoyment of Steve McQueen's movie Le Mans as well as his interest in racing. After Cheng finished ninth in the LMP2 class at Le Mans that year, Chan raised the possibility of owning a team together for 2016, to which Cheng agreed.[7] Together, the two entered DC Racing into the FIA World Endurance Championship under the Baxi DC Racing Alpine banner, partnering with Signatech Alpine and fielding Alpine A460s in the LMP2 class.[8] In October, the team was rebranded as Jackie Chan DC Racing.[9]

In 2017, Jackie Chan DC Racing allied with Jota Sport. At Le Mans, the team's No. 38 LMP2 took advantage of problems striking the LMP1 field to lead overall laps, becoming the first lower-class team to do so at Le Mans.[10] The car went on to finish second overall and win the LMP2 class, while DC's No. 37 car, driven by Cheng, finished fourth overall,[11] but Rebellion Racing's No. 13 was disqualified after failing post-race inspection and Cheng's No. 37 was promoted onto the podium.[12] The No. 38's effort marked the first time a Chinese team won its class at Le Mans.[10]

Racing record[edit]

Racing career summary[edit]

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles FLaps Podiums Points Position
2009 Pacific F2000 Championship PR1 Motorsports 5 0 0 0 0 72 11th
2010 Pacific F2000 Championship PR1 Motorsports 12 2 3 4 7 242 2nd
U.S. F2000 National Championship ZSports Midwest 2 0 0 0 0 N/A NC†
2011 Pacific F2000 Championship PR1 Motorsports 12 4 2 1 9 279 2nd
Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup China Tianjin Konggang Zhonghui Automobile 64 7th
American Le Mans Series - LMPC PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 1 0 0 0 1 13 18th
Rolex Sports Car Series - GT PR1 Motorsports 1 0 0 0 0 16 57th
2012 Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup China Tianjin Konggang Zhonghui Automobile 11 4 4 95 5th
Continental Sports Car Challenge - ST APR Motorsport 9 1 0 0 1 80 42nd
Formula Pilota China Team UKYO with Super License 3 0 0 0 0 4 19th
Pacific F2000 Championship PR1 Motorsports 4 1 0 1 3 97 7th
2013 Asian Le Mans Series - LMP2 OAK Racing 4 2 4 89 1st
FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 2 0 0 0 0 18 20th
American Le Mans Series - PC PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 5 1 0 0 2 6 23rd
Pacific F1600 Championship Series PR1 Motorsports 2 1 1 0 2 54 8th
2014 Asian Le Mans Series - LMP2 OAK Racing Team Total 4 4 4 3 4 103 1st
FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 OAK Racing-Team Asia 2 0 0 0 1 N/A† NC†
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 7th
United SportsCar Championship - PC PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 1 0 0 0 0 66 21st
Starworks Motorsport 1 0 0 0 1
BAR1 Motorsports 2 0 0 0 0
Audi R8 LMS Cup China CTVS Racing Team 2 0 0 0 0 1 20th
2015 European Le Mans Series - LMP2 Pegasus Racing Team Total by DC Racing 5 0 0 0 0 14 16th
FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 2 0 0 0 0 N/A† NC†
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 9th
Audi R8 LMS Cup China Michelin Racing Team 4 0 0 0 0 1 23rd
United SportsCar Championship - Prototype RG Racing 1 0 0 0 0 25 28th
United SportsCar Championship - PC BAR1 Motorsports 1 0 0 0 0 1 41st
2015–16 Asian Le Mans Series - LMP3 DC Racing 4 4 4 4 4 103 1st
2016 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 Baxi DC Racing Alpine 9 0 0 0 0 40 13th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A NC
2016–17 Asian Le Mans Series - LMP3 Jackie Chan DC Racing 4 1 0 1 3 63 3rd
2017 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 Jackie Chan DC Racing 9 0 0 0 1 77 11th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 1 0 0 0 1 N/A 2nd
Audi R8 LMS Cup TianShi Racing Team 8 1 0 1 2 67 7th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - PC BAR1 Motorsports 1 0 0 0 1 32 15th
2017–18 Asian Le Mans Series - LMP2 Jackie Chan DC Racing × Jota 2 0 0 0 1 15 9th
2018 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 Jackie Chan DC Racing 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 8th
2018–19 Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy Jaguar VIP Car 1 0 0 0 0 N/A† NC†
2019–20 Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy - Pro-Am Jaguar China Racing 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results[edit]

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2014 France OAK Racing China Ho-Pin Tung
China Adderly Fong 		Ligier JS P2-Honda LMP2 347 12th 7th
2015 Germany Pegasus Racing China Ho-Pin Tung
France Léo Roussel 		Morgan LMP2-Nissan LMP2 334 19th 9th
2016 China Baxi DC Racing Alpine China Ho-Pin Tung
France Nelson Panciatici 		Alpine A460-Nissan LMP2 234 DNF DNF
2017 China Jackie Chan DC Racing France Tristan Gommendy
United Kingdom Alex Brundle 		Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 363 3rd 2nd
2018 China Jackie Chan DC Racing United States Nick Boulle
France Pierre Nicolet 		Ligier JS P217-Gibson LMP2 355 12th 8th

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results[edit]

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

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Rank Points
2013 OAK Racing LMP2 Morgan LMP2 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SIL SPA LMS SÃO COA FUJ SHA
6 		BHR
5 		20th 18
2014 OAK Racing LMP2 Ligier JS P2 Honda HR28TT 2.8 L Turbo V6 SIL SPA LMS
7 		COA FUJ NC† 0
Morgan LMP2 Judd HK 3.6 L V8 SHA
6 		BHR
3 		SÃO
2015 Pegasus Racing LMP2 Morgan LMP2 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SIL SPA LMS
9 		NÜR COA FUJ SHA
5 		BHR NC† 0
2016 Baxi DC Racing Alpine LMP2 Alpine A460 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SIL
7 		SPA
Ret 		LMS
Ret 		NÜR
7 		MEX
5 		COA
8 		FUJ
9 		SHA
8 		BHR
6 		9th 42
2017 Jackie Chan DC Racing LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 SIL
8 		SPA
10 		LMS
2 		NÜR
5 		MEX
6 		COA
5 		FUJ
Ret 		SHA
8 		BHR
8 		11th 77
2018–19 Jackie Chan DC Racing LMP2 Ligier JS P217 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 SPA LMS
8 		SIL FUJ SHA SEB SPA LMS NC† 0

† As Cheng was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
* Season still in progress.

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results[edit]

(key)(Races in bold indicate pole position, Results are overall/class)

Year Team Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank Points
2015 RG Racing P Riley Mk XXVI DP Dinan (BMW) 5.0 L V8 DAY
6 		SIR
 LBH
 LGA
 DET
 WGL
 MSP
 ELK
 COA
 PET
 27th 26

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "DAVID CHENG IN 2013". Asian Le Mans Series. October 24, 2013. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Mitani, Sam (February 29, 2012). "China: The Next Big Stage for Auto Racing?". Road & Track. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  3. ^ "All Eyes on David Cheng". MotoIQ. January 23, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  4. ^ a b "DAVID CHENG IN 2014". Asian Le Mans Series. December 19, 2013. Archived from the original on December 17, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Dagys, John (August 20, 2015). "DC Racing Launched; Confirms Ligier JS P3 Effort in Asian LMS". SportsCar365. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  6. ^ "Ho-Pin Tung champion Asian Le Mans Series in penultimate race". Motorsport.com. January 11, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  7. ^ Barre, Geoffroy (February 25, 2016). "David Cheng tells us how he joined forces with Jackie Chan". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  8. ^ Dagys, John (February 5, 2016). "DC Racing Enters WEC with Alpine-Nissan LMP2 Effort". SportsCar365. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  9. ^ "Jackie Chan DC Racing announces new partners and new additions to all star driver line up". Motorsport.com. October 27, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Smith, Luke (June 18, 2016). "DC Racing Takes Historic LMP2 Win, Overall Podium". SportsCar365. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  11. ^ "Jackie Chan cheered us on to a historic Le Mans result – Cheng". Crash.net. June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  12. ^ "Jackie Chan goes 2-3 at Le Mans after DQ". GMA Network. June 20, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.

External links[edit]

Sporting positions
Preceded by Asian Le Mans Series
LMP2 Champion
2013 		Succeeded by
David Cheng
Ho-Pin Tung
Preceded by
David Cheng
 Asian Le Mans Series
LMP2 Champion
2014
With: Ho-Pin Tung 		Succeeded by
Nicolas Leutwiler
  1. ^ Cheng competed under an American racing license prior to 2013. He currently represents China.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Cheng&oldid=1216536712"