🏳️ Karsten Richards

Karsten Richards is a competitive amateur rated 2,219, a level that describes club and regional racing; the front of fields where most competitors are self-funded and racing for the prize rather than making a career of it. Richards has raced exclusively in American Endurance Racing across seven seasons from 2020 to 2026, accumulating 60 starts, 17 wins, and 32 podiums. The driver has won two class championships: American Endurance Racing Class 1 in 2022 and Class 2 in 2023, establishing a consistent record at the sharp end of amateur endurance competition.[1]

Richards finished ahead of rivals across the entire spectrum of his record. Against his most frequent competitors, the head-to-head results were mixed; he edged Thomas Lee, the 2024 and 2025 Class 2 champion, by 13 wins to 11 across 24 races, but the two drivers were evenly matched overall. Against Shawn Dewey and Brett Cleer, another multiple champion, Richards held narrow advantages. His most notable single results came against much stronger drivers: he beat Tommy Byrne, an established professional rated 5,077, twice, and took individual victories over semi-professional and professional-level rivals including Michael Hurczyn, a former two-time American Endurance Racing champion and FIA Silver-graded driver. These occasional results against elite company do not establish a pattern but show Richards capable of competitive moments above his typical level.

Richards averaged a finishing position of 3.6 across his classified starts, reflecting consistent competitiveness within his field. His 2026 season has been slower, with one podium in four rounds and a final position of 16th, suggesting a decline from his championship years. The driver remains active in American Endurance Racing but has not won since 2023.