History
CORE autosport was founded by Jon Bennett in 2010 and based out of Rock Hill, South Carolina. Under the leadership of team COO Morgan Brady, CORE made the move from IMSA Prototype Lites to the American Le Mans Series in 2011. Three years of success in the Prototype Challenge category and a brand new, state-of-the-art race shop, caught the attention of Porsche, who chose CORE to run its GTLM program as the American Le Mans Series became the Tudor United SportsCar Championship. CORE’s final season came in 2022.
2010
CORE autosport begins when Jon Bennett purchases the assets of Inspire Motorsport mid-way through the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites season. Staff is assembled and shop space is leased in preparation to move into the American Le Mans Series.
2011
CORE makes its debut in the American Le Mans Series with two entries in the Prototype Challenge (PC) category. The team bursts onto the scene with a double podium finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring, followed up by a win at the Long Beach Grand Prix. Consistent podium finishes throughout the season lead to two championships.
2012
For the team’s sophomore ALMS season, it was back with two PC entries. It would prove to be a landmark season for Jon Bennett, who began his long-time partnership with co-driver Colin Braun. The pairing resulted in Bennett’s first ALMS win at Laguna Seca. With both cars frequently on the podium together, CORE autosport was unstoppable in repeating its PC championships.
2013
The 2013 season was the last for the American Le Mans Series and CORE used it to kickstart its transition to a new sportscar championship in 2014. In addition to a PC entry for Bennett and Braun, the team added a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to compete in the GT class with Tom Kimber-Smith and Porsche factory driver Patrick Long. Bennett wanted in on the Porsche action and entered eight races in Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, a spec series.
2014
The 2014 season was the biggest one yet for CORE. Porsche chose CORE to run its two-car factory GTLM program. Not only did CORE’s Porsche entries win both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, but so did its PC entry. CORE was a dominant force in the first year of the new, merged sportscar series, a combination of ALMS and GRAND-AM.
2015
CORE found continued success in 2015 with both the GTLM and PC programs. Its PC entry nearly scored a dominant repeat Rolex 24 win but was hit by another car late in the race and damaged beyond repair. The team had such a large margin to the next PC car, that it still finished second. The GTLM team made history by winning Petit Le Mans overall in the rain at Road Atlanta.
2016
In comparison to the previous two years, the 2016 season was a disappointing one for CORE. The two-car GTLM program finished on the podium just seven times and the PC entry didn’t complete a full season as that half of the shop transitioned to a GTD program for 2017. CORE grew its operation to include a two-car Global RallyCross Lites program for drivers Jon Bennett and Colin Braun.
2017
With the elimination of the PC category, Jon Bennett and Colin Braun transitioned to the GTD class with a Porsche 911 GT3 R. It was a trying season for the duo, whose best finish was fourth. The GTLM squad experienced a large change in its driver roster but was able to excel in the endurance rounds of the championship. In the second and final year of the team’s Global RallyCross Lites program, the team wasn’t able to grab that elusive first win but did appear on the podium multiple times.
2018
CORE opted to switch classes once again, moving from GTD to the top category: Prototype. Drivers Jon Bennett and Colin Braun were up against factory-supported teams and were the only team with a bronze-rated driver in its lineup. Despite this, the duo won races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Road America and finished second in the overall championship. The return of established driver lineups in the GTLM program brought with it more consistent results. CORE was invited by Porsche to bring its two cars to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The cars both experienced mechanical issues in the race, finishing 10th and 17th in LMGTE-Pro. Jon Bennett made his debut driving at Le Mans in a support race.
2019
When the Prototype category morphed into the DPi category, CORE was forced to trade in its 2018 car for a Nissan Ligier, the only one in the category. The car could not ignite the magic of the previous season. At the end of the year Jon Bennett announced he was stepping away from racing. The 2019 season was a dominant one for the GTLM program, which entered the final race with a near insurmountable lead in the championship. In CORE’s return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche, it earned its first podium, finishing third and seventh in LMGTE-Pro.
2020
In the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the GTLM group had a topsy-turvy season in what proved to be the final season for Porsche in GTLM. The team finished on a high note however with a one-two finish in the season finale at Sebring.
2021
Jon Bennett couldn’t stay away from racing for long and returned in 2021 with the advent of the LMP3 category, a spec class similar to PC. If it weren’t for car troubles in the first and last races of the year, the championship very well could have gone to CORE, Bennett and Colin Braun.
2022
The final year of CORE autosport echoed the team’s beginnings; consistent finishes and multiple victories led to the final two championship trophies being added to the mantle.