Ben Keating

Going into the final race of the season Keating held a 58-point advantage in the Viper Cup standings (a win being worth 60), and claimed the national championship by 20 points despite being forced into 15th place by a late-race collision.

Keating, with co-drivers Damien Faulkner and Craig Stanton in the No. 66 Porsche, would finish 5th in the GT-challenge (GTC) class in the series' opening event, the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Keating would continue to race with Faulkner for most of the series.

Benjamin Edward Keating (born August 18, 1971) is an American racing driver and business owner operating out of Victoria, Texas.

Keating is the owner of 28 car auto dealerships across Texas, The Keating Auto Group.

In 1996 when he graduated from A&M with a degree in Engineering, Keating sold cars at Covert Ford in Austin, Texas.

Soon after he became the Used Car Sales Manager at Tomball Ford and later became a minority owner.

Keating purchased Port Lavaca Ford in 2002.

That was followed by Port Lavaca Dodge (2002) then Port Lavaca Chevrolet (2004).

As of 2022 Keating owned 28 dealerships, generating about $3 billion in annual revenue and selling over 50,000 cars annually.

In 2023, the Keating Auto Group was ranked 1st in Texas as well as the 9th Top Privately Held Dealership Group in the United States.

At each of his stores the general manager is also a minority partner of the business.

Since starting auto racing in 2006, he has competed in many auto races worldwide, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona, Twelve hours of Sebring, and most recently the World Endurance Championship.

He is the only American driver to have won multiple World Championships.

Keating began racing in 2006 after receiving a weekend track driving course as a Christmas present from his wife.

Ben Keating has been surrounded by the car industry his entire life.

Growing up, he washed cars and parked them on the front line at the Ford dealership owned by his father, which provided Keating an inside look into the dynamics of auto dealerships.

Keating eventually found himself in an internship at Service Group during his junior and senior years at Texas A&M University.

During his internship in Service Group, Keating trained staff and managers at multiple dealerships.

Keating began racing in 2006 after receiving a weekend track driving course as a Christmas present from his wife.

In 2006, he began racing a 2000 Dodge Viper GTS in the Viper Racing League (VRL), a league that began as track days for Viper enthusiasts.

Keating received a DNF in his first race, an event at Sebring International Raceway.

In 2007 Keating participated in the full VRL series and in 2008, his second full year in the league, Keating won the VRL National Championship.

After the 2008 season, the VRL reorganized into the North American Road Racing Association.

In 2009, Keating participated in the NARRA US GT Championship, a 13-round series at 7 venues across the Continental United States.

Driving a Viper Competition Coupe, Keating claimed the national championship.

He would repeat this feat in 2010.

In 2010 Keating also began racing in a new NARRA-sponsored event, the 5-city, 10-race Dodge Viper Cup.

Driving the specially designed Viper ACR-X, Keating finished 2nd in the inaugural Viper Cup with race wins at Virginia International Raceway and Pocono Raceway.

Keating finished the series with 501 points, 106 points behind first place.

During the 2011 Viper Cup, Keating would record 4 race wins (New Jersey Motorsports Park, Virginia International Raceway, Texas World Speedway and Daytona).

Keating made his Rolex Sports Car Series debut at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 2011, racing in the Viper Exchange.com No. 66 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

In 2012 Keating would dominate the series and repeat as national champion, recording 6 wins (Road Atlanta (both races), Road America (both races), Monticello Motor Club, and Watkins Glen) as well as three other top 5 finishes.

Keating pulled double-duty during the 2012 24 Hours of Daytona, also taking a shift in The Racer's Group's No. 68 Porsche GT3 Cup.

Racing for The Racer's Group (TRG), Keating and co-drivers Dominik Farnbacher, Tim George Jr.. and Lucas Luhr placed 13th in their class (27th overall), completing 612 laps with a total time of 21:40:37.038.

The following year, Keating participated in a full season of the North American Endurance Championship, a subset of the Rolex Sports Car Series consisting of three races: the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, the Six Hours of The Glen, and the Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Keating drove the No. 66 Porsche in all three races.

Keating would participate in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona again in 2013, driving the No. 66 car along with co-drivers Farnbacher, Kuno Wittmer, and Jorg Bergmeister.

They would go on to place 20th in class (31st overall), completing 622 laps with a time of 23:57:15.712.

In 2013, Keating made the jump into the American Le Mans Series, competing in the series' final season.