As the boss of top sportscar outfit United Autosports, Richard Dean appreciates more than most the worth of a good team-mate relationship. During a long and varied driving career that included beating Alain Menu to the 1990 Oulton Park Gold Cup and tasting success in Japan, Yorkshireman Dean formed strong connections with several drivers – but none quite like Kurt Luby. The pair were a dominant force on their way to scooping the 1998 British GT title, and were also a race-winning combination the following year with the underdeveloped and short-lived Sintura S99.
Having raced karts against each other before Bolton driver Luby had come through the ranks as a race-winner in Formula Vauxhall Lotus, they knew each other well before teaming up for the 1998 season to drive a Chrysler Viper GT2 originally entered under the Orion Motorsport banner. When team boss Gene Gibson faced a drugs charge on the eve of the Silverstone season opener, their combination looked set to be short-lived. But the cars were bought by American businessman Gordie Oftedahl, who retained Dean and Luby after they had finished sixth overall and second in GT2 at Silverstone.
