In Memoriam: John Graham (1965-2023)
John Graham, a veteran Canadian motorsport driver, passed away two weeks ago at the age of 58 after a prolonged battle with cancer. He is best remembered for his victory in the 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he triumphed in the LMP675 class alongside teammates Scott Maxwell and Greg Wilkins in a Multimatic Motorsports Lola B2K/40.
Graham’s racing career began in 1981 in the Can-Am series and progressed to international endurance races, including four appearances at the Daytona 24 Hours. His standout result there was a fifth overall finish in 1983 with the Aston Martin Nimrod, followed by a second in GT2 in 1998 in a CJ Motorsports Porsche 911 GT2, where he partnered with Ron Fellows and John Morton.
Throughout his career, Graham participated in numerous additional events across various series, including IMSA, ALMS, WSC, Grand-Am, and FIA GT3. He claimed a class win in LMP675 at the 2001 Petit Le Mans and achieved a notable second-place finish in GT at the Race of a Thousand Years on New Year’s Eve 2000 in Adelaide.
His final competitive appearance was in the Asian Le Mans Series driving a Ligier JSP2, a testament to his enduring passion for motorsport. Following his passing, his impact was honored by the Portuguese-flagged team at the recent ELMS season finale.
Graham leaves behind a legacy as both a skilled driver and a cherished member of the motorsport community. He will be remembered not only for his accomplishments but also for the camaraderie and enjoyment he brought to the sport.
RIP John Graham.
