Tommy Archer
Tommy Archer (born November 16, 1954 in Duluth, Minnesota) is a race car driver born in the USA. Tommy Archer’s racing experience spans 33 years. He has played a part in 38 racing championships over the last 26 years. Archer has been a part of the Chrysler Group’s racing and development programs for the past 18 years. His experience and winning record in nearly every type of racing vehicle has made him one of the best-known American road racers. For many years, he raced with his brother Bobby Archer.
Career overview
- 1972-1987 International Ice Racing Association - IIRA - 7 National IIRA Championships
- 1975-1984 International Motor Sports Association - IMSA
- 1975-1996 Sports Car Club of America - SCCA
- 1992-1998 IMSA GT Championship- IMSA
- 1999-2000 American Le Mans Series - IMSA
- 1997-2000 Le Mans - Federation Internationale de l'Automobile - FIA
- 2002-2003 Chrysler Performance Vehicle Operations - PVO - Helped develop Dodge Viper variations
- 2004-2008 SCCA Speed World Challenge
- 2009–Present Driving Instructor, North America Road Racing Association/Viper Days
Career highlights
- 1970 Began autocross racing at the age of 16.
- 1971 Entered International Ice Racing Association (IIRA) rookie drivers’ school.
- 1972-1987 Captured seven national IIRA ice racing championships.
- 1975 Began SCCA road racing. Won 1st race in FP.
- 1980 Qualified on pole for the SCCA National Run-offs in first attempt, finished second to brother Bobby.
- 1982 Competed in the IMSA Champion Spark Plug Challenge for Renault, scored first professional win from the pole position at Summit Point Raceway (W. Va.).
- 1984 Won seven of 16 races to capture the IMSA Champion Spark Plug Challenge national title for Renault.
- 1985 Raced Chevrolet Cavalier with brother Bobby in IMSA.
- 1986 Scored Chevrolet’s first professional front-drive victory at Lime Rock Park’s IMSA event.
- 1987-1988 SCCA Escort Endurance Series champion, driving Corvette; also competed in the SCCA truck series winning the manufacturers championship for the Jeep brand.
- 1989-1996 Archer Brothers Racing (Tommy and Bobby Archer) won eight consecutive SCCA World Challenge Championships. Scored Eagle Talon’s first professional series win in 1989. Tommy also had a championship title in the SCCA truck series and overall wins at the 24 Hours of Mosport and Nelson Ledges.
- 1992 Won the Trans-Am Series Rookie of the Year Award driving a Dodge Daytona, with a third-place finish in the drivers’ standings. Won the Trans-Am round held in conjunction with the Detroit Grand Prix in a Dodge Daytona – the first Trans-Am win for the Dodge brand in 25 years.
- 1993 Won the Lime Rock Trans-Am race driving a Dodge Daytona. Finished fifth in points that year.
- 1997 Teamed up with Justin Bell for selected FIA GT Championship rounds; helped Chrysler Corporation win its first-ever international endurance racing driver’s and manufacturer’s title with a victory at Silverstone; had four other podium finishes driving the Dodge Viper GTS-R.
- 1998 Raced with Viper Team Oreca, finished second in class at Le Mans 24 Hours behind teammates Justin Bell, David Donohue and Luca Drudi. Also qualified for the Orlando NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in the toughest field of the year.
- 1999 Continued with Viper Team Oreca, racing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 24 Hours of Le Mans – where he finished second in GTS class with teammates Justin Bell and Marc Duez – while continuing to develop the company’s Viper GTS-R race car, as well as the Dodge Ram NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entry.
- 2000 Competed with Dodge’s manufacturer-backed Viper Team Oreca in the full schedule of the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Finished fifth overall in the Rolex 24-hour race at Daytona.
- 2001 Driver of the Cinjo Racing Viper in the BF Goodrich Trans-Am Series. Archer qualified on the pole twice, won the Portland race and scored podium finishes at Mosport and Houston, finished fourth in driver points.
- 2002 Archer concentrated on the development of the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe with PVO engineers. Archer also provides professional testing support for the road-going Dodge Viper SRT-10 development.
- 2003 Sabbatical from on-track competition, continued with Dodge to develop Viper Competition Coupe and worked as a private driving coach
- 2004 Wins SCCA World Challenge Speed GT class championship with a win and a pole at Portland. Reunited with engineer Will Moody at 3R Racing, driving the number 22/c3controls/3R Viper placing fourth at Speed World Challenge GT race at Lime Rock Park.
- 2004 Presented with the Editors' Choice Award from Grassroots Motorsports.[1]
- 2005 Continued with 3R-Racing and placed second in the SCCA World Challenge Speed GT series, driving the number 1/c3controls/3R Viper, on the strength of two wins at Sebring and St. Petersburg.
- 2006 Finished fifth in driver points; one win at Road America and pole positions at Long Beach, Road America and Road Atlanta with Autohaus Motorsports
- 2007 Finished 7th in points while competing in only seven of the 10 SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge GT races. Capturing a Pole position and a Win at Miller Motorsports Park
- 2008 Won three SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge races out of six entered with the Woodhouse Performance team and #13 Viper Competition Coupe.
24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 |  Viper Team Oreca |
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Chrysler Viper GTS-R | GT2 | 76 | DNF | DNF |
| 1998 | Viper Team Oreca |
 Olivier Beretta Pedro Lamy |
Chrysler Viper GTS-R | GT2 | 312 | 13th | 2nd |
| 1999 | Viper Team Oreca |
 Justin Bell Marc Duez |
Chrysler Viper GTS-R | GTS | 318 | 12th | 2nd |
| 2000 | Viper Team Oreca |
Marc Duez Patrick Huisman |
Chrysler Viper GTS-R | GTS | 324 | 12th | 5th |