Anthony Kumpen

Anthony Kumpen (born on November 3, 1978 in Hasselt, Belgian) is a Belgian professional racing driver. He is currently driving part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as number 46 on a Chevrolet Camaro for the Precision Performance Motorsports team. As the overall winner of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series 2014, he was licensed to drive in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

Biography
In 1988 Anthony Kumpen started karting. From 1998 he raced in the Belcar racing championship where he won the GT2 championship in his debut year. The following year, in 1999, he won the Belcar Championship. Kumpen was also the winner of the Belcar Endurance Championship in 2004, 2006 and 2010. This championship was the successor to Belcar.

Kumpen is a multiple winner of the 24 Hours of Zolder. He won in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010 and 2012. Six overall victories is a record that was equaled in 2016 by Marc Goossens. As a member of the GLPK Racing team, he won with a Chrysler Viper GTS-R in 2000 (with Stéphane Cohen and Marc Duez), in 2002 and 2003 (with Mike Hezemans, Bert Longin and Vincent Dupont), in 2004 (with Mike Hezemans, Bert Longin and Pedro Lamy). In 2010 he won again, this time as a member of the First Motorsport team with a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup (with Bert Longin, Frank Beliën and Henk Haane). In 2012 he was part of a winning team for the sixth time, this time W Racing Team with a Audi R8 LMS (with Laurens Vanthoor, Marco Bonanomi and Edward Sandström).

In 2000 he entered the FIA GT Championship for the racing team of Paul Belmondo. His first race victory in this championship followed in 2002. He would win a total of six more races in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009.

In 2009 he was the winner of the 24 Hours of Spa with a Corvette C6.R in a team with the Belgian Kurt Mollekens and the Dutch Mike Hezemans and Jos Menten. He also took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times but had to give up just as often.

In 2014 he took part in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series where he drove a Holden VF Commodore for the team PK Carsport. He won a race in the championship and finished in first place in the general classification, one point for defending champion Ander Vilariño. This overall win gave him a license to compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East where he would ride for Bill McAnally. On June 7, 2015, he announced that he would drive the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He would drive three races in the Xfinity Championship that season, on the Iowa Speedway, the Phoenix International Raceway and the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The following year, he took part in the first Xfinity race of the season at the Daytona International Speedway for the Precision Performance Motorsports team. In 2017 he drove two races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

On February 22, 2019, Anthony Kumpen was suspended for four years for doping use. During an unexpected doping control during the 24 hours of Zolder, he tested positive for the use of amphetamines. His four-year doping suspension has been confirmed on appeal. He may not participate in any sports competition until September 14, 2022.

Private life
Kumpen has performed several times in television programs with BVs. He was a candidate in the fourth season of  in 2010, candidate  in the first season of this cooking competition also in 2010, he played together with  competed in  in 2013 and competed against a team of seniors in the first season of  in 2014. In 2015 he reached the final of the television quiz. In 2017 he had a cameo on the television series.

Anthony Kumpen is a son of Paul Kumpen, entrepreneur, Voka - chairman and Belgian rally champion in 1987. His father owned 50% of the bicycle brand Ridley where Anthony worked as commercial director. When his father sold his shares in 2013, Anthony remained with Ridley. He is also a cousin of Sophie Kumpen, mother of Max Verstappen.

Kumpen lives in Hasselt, Belgian and is married to Griet Vanhees. The couple has 2 sons. Kumpen also has a daughter from a previous relationship.

NASCAR
(key) ( Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. )

K&N Pro Series East
$$ Season still in progress $1$ Ineligible for series points