ryan-cullen
Concept

ryan-cullen

section:concept
Ryan Cullen (born 26 March 1991) is an Irish racing driver who has built a career in prototype and sportscar racing, competing across the European Le Mans Series, the FIA World Endurance Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He is perhaps best known for winning the 24 Hours of Daytona in January 2019 with DragonSpeed.

Cullen entered motorsport through British Formula Ford in 2012, competing as a novice driver and finishing sixth overall in the standings with three podium positions. Following a post-season GP3 test, he signed with Marussia Manor Racing for the 2013 GP3 Series. He failed to score points across the season, finishing 29th in the standings. He also competed in the MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship during that winter, finishing sixth overall.

Cullen remained with Marussia Manor for the 2014 GP3 season. After seven scoreless weekends, the team withdrew due to financial difficulties, causing him to miss the Sochi round. He returned for the season finale with Trident Racing but again failed to score. A second MRF Challenge campaign in 2014/15 yielded a much stronger result: Cullen finished second in the standings, taking three victories, four pole positions, and six fastest laps.

From 2015, Cullen shifted to sportscar racing through the Porsche ladder. He competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain with G-Cat Racing while also racing in the Porsche Supercup from round four onward with VERVA Lechner Racing Team, recording a best finish of eighth in the British championship. After a third-place finish in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East over the off-season, Cullen returned to the Supercup with Lechner Racing in 2016, also racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany with Konrad Motorsport, finishing tenth in the latter standings. A third Supercup season with Lechner saw him finish eleventh again, with an improvement to ninth place in the German Carrera Cup.

Cullen moved into LMP2 prototype racing for the 2018/19 ELMS season, driving for APR - Rebellion Racing alongside Gustavo Menezes and Harrison Newey. The team finished ninth in the standings, completing all six races.

At the start of 2019, Cullen took his most celebrated victory when he won the 24 Hours of Daytona with DragonSpeed, sharing the car with Pastor Maldonado, Roberto González, and Sebastián Saavedra. Returning to the ELMS for the main 2019 season, he joined United Autosports alongside Alex Brundle and Will Owen. The trio scored their first podium at Monza, finishing third, but ended the year eighth in the teams' championship. Cullen also made his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut that year, finishing fourteenth in class.

With limited opportunities during 2020, Cullen made select appearances: two ELMS races with DragonSpeed, a start for Jackie Chan DC Racing at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, and an appearance at Le Mans with G-Drive Racing. The 2021 season saw him race in two FIA World Endurance Championship events with Risi Competizione, including a Le Mans start from which he and his teammates retired with engine trouble.

For 2022, Cullen stepped into the full WEC season with the newly formed Vector Sport in the LMP2 category. Despite a podium at Monza, the team struggled overall, finishing tenth and second-lowest in the Pro-class standings. He returned with Vector for 2023, partnering Gabriel Aubry and Matthias Kaiser. Technical issues and a collision at Monza hampered the season — Vector again finished tenth — though Aubry's strong pace at Le Mans delivered a seventh-place class result.

With LMP2 dropped from the WEC after 2023, Cullen returned to the European Le Mans Series with Vector for the 2024 season, partnering Felipe Drugovich and Stéphane Richelmi. The team finished fourteenth in the drivers' standings. Cullen caused a collision at Barcelona with an overly ambitious overtaking move, and spun at Imola, though Vector recovered to take a third-place finish in that race. At Le Mans, he drove alongside Richelmi and Patrick Pilet to fourth in class.

For 2025, Cullen remained at Vector alongside Pietro Fittipaldi and Vladislav Lomko. The trio started the season strongly, taking third in the Pro category at Barcelona, and added further points through Le Castellet and Spa before a tidy run at a rain-affected Silverstone produced a third-place overall finish.

Cullen was born to an Irish father and a Cypriot mother. He was coached in his early car racing years by Adam Carroll.

🏁 SimVox — launching summer 2026
About@me