Christina Nielsen's 2014 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama campaign is flying by, as she heads to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (CTMP) for Rounds 9 and 10 of competition July 11-12 in Bowmanville, Ontario. Nielsen, 22, from Aarhus, Denmark, raced in May at CTMP - commonly known as Mosport - with the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin series, collecting a pair of top-10 finishes. Nielsen is in the midst of her first season of North American racing, and her return to CTMP this weekend will mark the first time this year she is coming to a track where she has previously raced.
"I find Mosport challenging, and therefore consider it important that we were here earlier this year," Nielsen said.
Nielsen most recently raced at Watkins Glen International, where she pulled double duty in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama and the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen endurance race. Nielsen found a distinct difference in the driving approach taken in a 45-minute timed GT3 Cup sprint race compared to an endurance race.
"For the TUDOR endurance race, you have different priorities," she said. "We push every lap, but it is not a sprint race. It is important to have good pit stops, consistent lap times and to keep the car on track. In contrast, with the 45-minute GT3 Cup USA races, you push in a different way and take more chances, especially at the beginning of the race."
Competition is extremely tight in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, and Nielsen knows anything could happen within the field of 29 racers at the 10-turn, 2.459-mile rollercoaster of a circuit at CTMP.
"Track time in practice before qualifications and the races will be important, but then again the other drivers have also had track time over the last few weeks," Nielsen said. "You can never predict anything in racing, but as usual, we aim high."
Driving for NGT Motorsport in the No. 25 Porsche 911 GT3 Platinum Cup car, Nielsen is sixth in championship standings with 69 points.
Practice at CTMP starts at 10 a.m. (ET) and 3:25 p.m. Thursday, July 10, with qualifying at 10:35 a.m. Friday, July 11. Two 45-minute races are scheduled, for 5:40 p.m. Friday, and 10:10 a.m. on Saturday. Visit FansChoice.TV to watch the races streamed live and get live race details on Twitter@IMSALive.
