Rebellion Racing team boss dies

The SEBAH Racing team is sad to announce that Hugh Hayden, Team Principal and founder of SEBAH Automotive, passed away last Saturday in Portugal. Hugh suffered a suspected heart attack whilst he was driving a kart in a post season team building event. Hugh Hayden was a natural born leader and a real racer until the end.

REBELLION Racing team owner Alexandre Pesci and REBELLION Racing Team Manager Bart Hayden, Hugh’s son and Director of SEBAH Automotive have decided that the REBELLION Racing team’s activities will continue in memory of Hugh and because he would have wanted that too.

Hugh Hayden founded SEBAH Automotive in 1995. At first, SEBAH successfully ran Caterham sportscars in the UK, winning the British Superlight championship in 1999. The team moved into international endurance racing running GT Porsches in both Europe and the USA from 2001 to 2007. Hugh and his son Bart recorded the first International podium in the team’s history at Most in the Czech Republic in 2001.

As owner and team manager of SEBAH Racing, Hugh Hayden won two Le Mans Series Team Championships in the LM GT2 category in 2004 and 2005. In 2007, as “the Captain” at Felbermayr-Proton, Hugh oversaw the first international victory of the new Porsche 997 RSR, and the team finished the Le Mans Series as vice-champions that year.

In 2008 Hugh Hayden and Alexandre Pesci joined forces to create SPEEDY RACING TEAM SEBAH. After a positive debut in 2008 with the Lola B08/80 LMP2, earning a podium finish in their very first race, SPEEDY RACING TEAM SEBAH stepped up to running two Le Mans Prototypes in the 2009 season - a Lola-Aston Martin LMP1 and a Lola-Judd LMP2. The team won the MICHELIN Green X Challenge, finished 2nd in the LMP2 category at the Le Mans 24 Hours and 2nd in both the Teams and Drivers Le Mans Series LMP2 Championships, earning second place at the 1000 km of Spa and winning the series finale at Silverstone.

For 2010, Alexandre Pesci and Hugh Hayden decided to rename SPEEDY RACING TEAM SEBAH to REBELLION Racing. The progression of the team continued as they opted to run two Lola-Rebellion LMP1s in the Le Mans Series and at the Le Mans 24 Hours. REBELLION Racing finished second in the Le Mans Series LMP1 Manufacturers Classification and 3rd in Le Mans Series LMP1 Team championship, scoring 3 podiums.

Hugh’s inspirational leadership will be carried forward by Bart as the team moves on into 2011.

The Hayden family would like to thank the many friends and acquaintances who have offered their condolences at this difficult time.