17 Facts About Luke Youlden

Luke Gerard Youlden was born on 28 January 1978 and is an Australian Supercars series racing driver.

Luke Youlden is the son of two-time Australian Production Car champion Kent Youlden.

Luke Youlden's career started in the Victorian Formula Ford Championship in 1995 while he was completing Year 12.

In 1999, Luke Youlden was involved with Greg Ritter's Australian Formula Ford title win and with Ritter driving in the Bathurst 1000 that year, Luke Youlden took his seat at the Bathurst support races.

Luke Youlden won both races and this, coupled with his victory in the Victorian series, allowed him to enter the national series in 2000.

Luke Youlden won the 2000 Australian Formula Ford Championship and competed in the British Formula Ford Festival.

Luke Youlden made his Bathurst debut the same year, driving for Perkins Motorsport alongside Christian Murchison.

Luke Youlden competed in the Australian GT Production Car Championship in 2001, winning Class E in a Holden Astra.

Luke Youlden again competed for Perkins Motorsport in the V8 Supercar endurance races but was unable to secure a full-time drive for 2002.

Luke Youlden settled for what was then called the Konica Series, driving a Ford Falcon for Steven Ellery Racing, and would drive with Steven Ellery in the Queensland 500 and Bathurst 1000.

Luke Youlden continued to drive for Steven Ellery Racing in both the Konica Series and the endurance races in 2003 and 2004.

Luke Youlden was actually tied on points with series champion Andrew Jones but lost the title on a countback of round wins.

Luke Youlden remained with the team for 2006 and came perilously close to a second podium a Bathurst when he and Ingall finished in fourth place, just one one-hundredth of a second behind teammates James Courtney and Glenn Seton.

Luke Youlden joined Ford Performance Racing for the 2008 endurance races, driving the team's second car with Dean Canto.

Davison led the opening stint of the Bathurst 1000 but Luke Youlden went off at Murray's Corner on the first safety car restart and hit the tyre wall.

Luke Youlden returned to Stone Brothers Racing in 2012 to partner Shane van Gisbergen.

Luke Youlden joined Brad Jones Racing for 2013 to drive alongside Fabian Coulthard in the new Endurance Cup.