Nielsen Increases GTD Lead After Third-Place Finish at Road America - Speedway Digest

Christina Nielsen expanded her GT Daytona class lead in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to 15 points after placing third in the Continental Road Race Showcase on Aug. 7 at Road America.

“We relied on the team effort today,” Nielsen said. “It was amazing what the guys did in the pit, and I can’t describe how lucky I feel to be with guys who are so supportive. They were on it; they brought their A-game this weekend.”

Consistent speed helped Nielsen and Scuderia Corsa teammate Alessandro Balzan earn their class-best fifth podium finish of the season in the No. 63 Ferrari 488 GT3.


Balzan and Nielsen at the Road America podium on Aug. 7.

Nielsen predicted top speed would be an issue during the two-hour, 40-minute race on Road America’s challenging 4.048-mile, 14-turn track, which features two long, fast straightaways. But hard work from the Scuderia Corsa team during practice to find a smooth-handling setup paid off.

“It was tough with the top speed, but the team set up the car really well,” Nielsen said. “In the end, you can’t do anything in the middle of the corner compared to the straightaway, so it was hard to fight back.”

Nielsen qualified fifth Saturday afternoon before Scuderia Corsa fulfilled its quest to return to the podium for the first time since Watkins Glen on the Fourth of July weekend.

“Two wins, a second place and two thirds – this is a dream season,” Nielsen said. “I couldn’t be happier, honestly.”

Next up for Nielsen is a well-deserved two-week break before her next IMSA WeatherTech Championship race – the Michelin GT Challenge on Aug. 26-28 at VIRginia International Raceway.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.