Christina Nielsen, Alessandro Balzan and Scuderia Corsa earned yet another top-five finish to maintain their lead in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship GTD class points today. This marks the eighth top-10 finish in a row for the Ferrari team this season and keeps it at the top of the points with only three races left to go.
Road America is a challenging, long and very fast track. It‘s made even more challenging when four classes of sportscars are mixing it up at various race speeds. Nielsen gave ample credit to the No. 63 Ferrari 488 GT3’s pit crew for their skillful car setup and flawless pit stop when she delivered the car to Balzan in fourth position today. However, one seemingly minor issue did cost the team precious time, and consequently knocked Nielsen and Balzan off of their hard-fought position. “The biggest hit for us was the fueling time in pit lane,” she said. “The guys on the team nailed it at the pit stop like they always do, but the time it takes for the fuel to go in the car is something that we’re not in control of. I think we did the best with what we had.”
With so many top-10 finishes, including a streak of six podium finishes, the team has proven that consistency is key to a strong Championship run. For Nielsen and Balzan to complete race after race without sustaining major damage to the car or taking on penalties while still finishing ahead of their closest competitors is a victory in itself.
Speaking of today’s fifth-place finish, Nielsen shed some light on how it feels to keep the Championship title within her sights: “It was a little bit disappointing, which is a bit ironic because we got a top-five finish. I guess we’ve gotten used to podium finishes! To be disappointed with fifth place is a luxury problem. We lost a little bit of the lead in the Championship today, but it was only two points. As long as we finish within one or two positions of the runners-up over the rest of the season, we know we can secure the championship. Today, we once again proved that consistency is key … and that we are on top of it.”
