Stefan's Story
Born in Sheffield, England, Stefan Wilson grew up with an edge to compete in motorsports. Competing against his older brother, Justin, Stefan began karting at 9 years old.
In 2007, his first year in open wheel, he finished second in the Formula Palmer Audi Championship. His impressive season which consisted of four wins, nine podium finishes, four pole positions, five fastest laps and two lap records – landed him the opportunity of a lifetime, an entry into the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award. After a grueling two-day evaluation which consisted of a series of head to head test sessions in a World Series by Renault & DTM machines, Stefan was declared the winner. The McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, given to Britain’s young standout driver, the prize was a test session in a McLaren Formula One car at Silverstone which took place in 2009.
After finishing fourth in the British Formula 3 Championship, Stefan made his way to the United States, following his brother’s path to INDYCAR. Wilson competed in Indy Lights from 2009-2012, scoring multiple race wins for Andretti Autosport and two lap records. In 2011, he finished third in the championship.
After establishing himself as one of the top drivers in Indy Lights, Wilson developed his business acumen and formed strategic partnerships in order to compete alongside his brother in INDYCAR. In 2013, he made his first start in the streets of Baltimore, partnering up with his brother at Dale Coyne Racing and the start of his racing dream.
In August of 2015, Stefan lost his brother after an accident at Pocono Raceway. This tragic accident lent its way to new life, as his organs saved five lives through organ donation. In 2016, Wilson made his debut at the Indianapolis 500 racing for Indiana Donor Network, representing the over 115,000 people on the national waitlist. His role as a spokesperson for their national campaign, Driven 2 Save Lives, has increased donor registrants across the country. He ran with the number 25 to honor his brother.
In 2017, Wilson secured a spot to compete once again in the Indianapolis 500, this time for his former Indy Lights team Andretti Autosport. As the month of May approached, two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso and McLaren announced their intentions to compete in the 101st Indianapolis 500. Wilson would surrender his seat for the race to Alonso, giving room for INDYCAR to grow on a global scale.
In the 2018 Indianapolis 500, Stefan came within three laps of winning the biggest one-day sporting event in the world. His impressive resume includes four Indianapolis 500 starts, Indy Lights race wins along with top-ten finishes in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring with Cusick Motorsports in 2022. To date, the 33-year-old has a career-best finish of 15th at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.