Christina Nielsen

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Christina Nielsen
Christina Nielsen 2012.jpg
Christina Nielsen, Zandvoort 2012
NationalityDanish
Born (1992-01-10) 10 January 1992 (age 29)
Hørsholm, Denmark
Related toLars-Erik Nielsen (father)
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship career
Debut season2014
Current teamTeam Hardpoint EBM
Car number88
Former teamsScuderia Corsa TRG-AMR North America
NGT Motorsport
Wright Motorsport, Grasser Racing Team
Starts58
Championships2 (2016, 2017)
Wins4
Poles3
Best finish1st in 2016, 2017
Previous series
2015

2012-2014
2013
2012
2010-2011
2010
2007-2009
Pirelli World Challenge
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA
Porsche GT3 Cup Middle East
ADAC GT Masters
Porsche Carrera Cup Germany
ADAC Formel Masters
Formula Ford Denmark
Karting
Championship titles
2016-2017WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD

Christina Nielsen (born 10 January 1992 in Hørsholm, Denmark) is a Danish racing driver who is the first female driver to win a WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series title. She is the daughter of racing driver Lars-Erik Nielsen, who raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 2000s.[1]

Racing career[]

Karting[]

Nielsen started her karting career in 2007. After karting for a couple of years, she switched to formula racing in 2010.

Formel Ford Denmark & ADAC Formel Masters[]

After karting from 2007 to 2009, Nielsen made her formula racing debut in 2010 in the Danish Formula Ford Championship. Finishing the season in 9th position.

After doing two one-off appearances in the ADAC Formel Masters in 2010, Nielsen went on to do a full season in 2011.

GT Racing[]

For 2012, Nielsen switched to the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany running in the B-class. She ended the season 5th in class.

In 2013, Nielsen switched to the ADAC GT Masters. For 2014, Nielsen raced in the United SportsCar Championship for NGT Motorsport.

In 2015, Nielsen ran the entire IMSA SportsCar Championship in a GTD Aston Martin Vantage V12 under the TRG-AMR banner, partnering with Kuno Wittmer and James Davison.[2] She claimed four second-place finishes and a third, finishing runner-up two points behind Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler.

The Dane continued in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2016, joining Scuderia Corsa to drive alongside Alessandro Balzan in a GTD-class Ferrari.[3] She won the 12 Hours of Sebring with Jeff Segal as third driver. With another win at 6 Hours of Watkins Glen and four additional podiums throughout the season, Nielsen and Balzan won the 2016 IMSA SportsCar series Championship, with a 299-point total for the year, and thus Nielsen became the first woman to win a major full-season professional sports car championship in North America.[4][5][6]

Racing record[]

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series results[]

Year Team Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points
2014 NGT Motorsport GTD Porsche 911 GT America Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 DAY
9
SEB
22
LGA DET WGL
6
MOS IMS ELK VIR COA 34th 73
TRG-AMR North America Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Aston Martin 6.0 L V12 PET
10
2015 TRG-AMR North America GTD Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Aston Martin 6.0 L V12 DAY
13
SEB
2
LGA
5
DET
2
WGL
10
LIM
3
ELK
2
VIR
2
COA
8
PET
9
2nd 279
2016 Scuderia Corsa GTD Ferrari 488 GT3 Ferrari F154CB 3.9 L Turbo V8 DAY
6
SEB
1
LGA
2
DET
3
WGL
1
MOS
4
LIM
11
ELK
3
VIR
7
COA
3
PET
2
1st 332
2017 Scuderia Corsa GTD Ferrari 488 GT3 Ferrari F154CB 3.9 L Turbo V8 DAY
16
SEB
2
LBH
3
COA
2
DET
2
WGL
2
MOS
3
LIM
6
ELK
5
VIR
12
LGA
1
PET
9
1st 340
2018 Wright Motorsports GTD Porsche 911 GT3 R Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 DAY
19
SEB
6
MDO
7
DET
11
WGL
9
MOS
9
LIM
8
ELK
1
VIR
2
LGA
11
PET
4
7th 263
2019 Heinricher Racing with Meyer Shank Racing GTD Acura NSX GT3 Acura 3.5 L Turbo V6 DAY
12
SEB
8
MDO
10
DET
9
WGL
4
MOS LIM
12
ELK VIR LGA
6
PET
7
14th 159
2020 GEAR Racing powered by GRT Grasser GTD Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo Lamborghini 5.2 L V10 DAY
16
DAY SEB ELK VIR ATL MDO CLT PET LGA SEB 57th 15
2021 Team Hardpoint EBM GTD Porsche 911 GT3 R Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 DAY
10
SEB
5
MDO DET
WGL
WGL
LIM

LGA
LBH
VIR
PET
34th* 508*

* Season still in progress.

24 Hours of Le Mans results[]

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2016 Denmark Formula Racing Denmark Johnny Laursen
Denmark Mikkel Mac
Ferrari 458 Italia GTC GTE
Am
319 35th 6th
2017 United States Scuderia Corsa Italy Alessandro Balzan
United States Bret Curtis
Ferrari 488 GTE GTE
Am
314 44th 14th
2018 Italy Ebimotors Italy Fabio Babini
France Erik Maris
Porsche 911 RSR GTE
Am
332 31st 6th

References[]

  1. ^ Sportscar365.com (Oct 1, 2016). "Christina Nielsen, Alessandro Balzan clinch GTD championship". Fox Sports.com. Retrieved Oct 1, 2016.
  2. ^ Dagys, John. "TRG-AMR Signs Nielsen for GTD Program with Davison". Sportscar365.com. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  3. ^ DiZinno, Tony. "Scuderia Corsa Confirms GTLM, GTD Programs". SportsCar365. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  4. ^ Marshall Pruett (Oct 1, 2016). "IMSA: Nielsen, Balzan clinch GTD championship". Racer Media. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved Oct 2, 2016.
  5. ^ "Weathertech SportsCar Championship standings for 2016". Racing Reference. Oct 1, 2016. Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved Oct 2, 2016.
  6. ^ Sportscar365.com (2016-08-07). "Christina Nielsen, Alessandro Balzan clinch GTD championship". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2016-10-02.

External links[]

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Townsend Bell
Bill Sweedler
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
GTD Champion

2016-2017
With: Alessandro Balzan
Succeeded by
Bryan Sellers
Madison Snow
Preceded by North American Endurance Cup
GTD Champion

2016
With: Alessandro Balzan
Succeeded by
Retrieved from ""