Once again, Christina Nielsen has found herself forging through uncharted territory. The two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) champion — the first female to hold this title — has begun a new racing season with a new car, team and co-drivers. During the three-day Roar Before The Rolex 24 test at Daytona International Speedway, the Danish driver drove her first laps in the No. 58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Nielsen was in skilled company with co-drivers Patrick Long, Mathieu Jaminet and Robert Renauer. All have seen great success with Porsche, and the foursome looks to add to their professional achievements with Wright Motorsports starting with the famous Rolex 24 At Daytona race at the end of January.
“The Roar is always a great way for drivers and teams to get back into their rhythm at the start of a new race season,” Christina said. “I’ve been out of the racecar for a couple of months, so this event is a good warmup to feel ready for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
“I’m happy to be with Wright Motorsports,” she continued. “Everyone on the team has worked hard to make this program a strong contender and be ready for the Roar, so a huge applause to the team for that. Though there is still room for improvements, we now have a good starting point for when we return to Daytona in a couple of weeks. During this test, us drivers get to know each other a little bit better before the big race. I know Patrick from the past; he used to race with my dad [Lars Erik Nielsen]. I know Robert from Germany, and we raced together here at Daytona in 2016. It’s great to work with these guys again, and also to get to know Mathieu. Together, we got a good baseline and got comfortable with each other and with the car. I can’t wait to get the race season kicked off!”
Long, who will be paired with Nielsen for the 2018 race season, added, “It’s always interesting to know someone in the paddock and actually get to work with them. Christina is inspiring because her nature is to work hard and extract performance, but on the other side, she’s a very positive and outgoing person. For myself, being someone who’s a little bit jaded and always thinking about racing, she’s great to keep the team morale high and remind everyone that you can work hard and play hard. All of us have really jelled as a team this weekend, and we’re very happy to have her on board.”
