During the month break from GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama racing, Nielsen returned to Europe for her first European Le Mans Series race at Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.
“Racing in Europe again was great, and it is very cool to say that I’ve driven an actual Le Mans car now,” Nielsen said. “The competition in the GTE class is always high.”
Nielsen’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR car qualified 10th and climbed all the way to second before an on-track incident thwarted its progress.
“Unfortunately we had to retire before the race was over because I had a hit with an Aston Martin,” Nielsen said. “I overtook, and as I was on the inside of him through the apex, he turned into the side of my front.”
Nielsen’s car sustained a broken steering rod, forcing an early retirement.
“Event though we struggled, there were a lot of positive elements to take away for the future,” she said.
According to Nielsen, one major benefit of adding European Le Mans Series races to her schedule is more track time.
“I’m a driver who is still in the development phase, so more seat time is always a bonus,” she said. “I will need a bit of time when I switch cars to get used to them, but it’s always good to practice one’s ability to adjust.”
Nielsen made her first appearance at Road America on Aug. 1-3 for a National Auto Sport Association Midwest Region event, providing her with additional track time before her Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama races.
This will be a busier weekend than normal, as the series conducts three races – two scheduled for Road America and a make-up from Round 6 rained out in late May at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.
GT3 Cup Challenge practice at Road America starts at 10:25 a.m. (CT) and 2:10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8. Three 45-minute timed races are scheduled, for 6:05 p.m. Saturday, and 9:50 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday. Visit FansChoice.TV to watch the races streamed live and get live race details on Twitter at @IMSALive.
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.
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