Danielle Crespo: What’s it like making the step up from Cup cars?
Christina Nielsen: I feel good, very good. It’s the toughest year in PWC ever. The competition level has increased. There are so many strong teams and cars. The drivers I’m racing against are factory drivers, and the amount of them had really increased this year. They put us together with Cup cars, and I don’t think they expected there
were going to be 38-40 cars, which is completely insane. Right now I’m definitely toning my expectations down compared to where I would normally finish last year in
the cup car, for example, but I am in GTA because I am a rookie to this championship and new still to some of the tracks.
There are still 4 to 5 tracks that I still don’t know. But, I feel like we have a strong team, and we are working with some really great
people. We try to always pull each other in the right direction. Yesterday, I was having a really hard time, I was shocked how hard the competition was, I struggled a little bit. The team, especially my engineer, really pulled me up. They're nice people to work with. It's a very mental sport. It has a lot to do with your mindset.
DC: Was the opening round your first time at COTA?
CN: I raced here one time last year. I did the Cup race, GT3 Porsche Cup Challenge by Yokohama.
DC: Do you prefer the Aston Martin?
CN: I like both cars - I'm happy to be in the Aston Martin, I think it really has some strong benefits. It’s cool to race in a one-make series where everyone drives the same car, but this is super cool as well. I think there are benefits to both cars in championships. It must look so cool when there are like 30 cars coming down the start/finish.
DC: Do you prefer the sprint format or the endurance format?
CN: I would say endurance, for me personally. But, I believe that to be a good driver, you need qualities from both types of racing and that's why I am doing both types of racing. I like the long distance races. It separates the smart drivers from the impulsive drivers - you need to really think ahead and cooperate. I like the feeling of being a part of a team, which you are of course in a sprint race, but you add another level to it because of a co-driver.
When you have a co-driver that you work together with really well, it adds so much to your racing and to you as a person. You feel in sync because you're never alone in racing, but in the end you are the person behind the wheel and it can get tough in situations where you're struggling with the car - the setup, driving style, etc. - when you have a co-driver who you really get along with, you never feel alone because you always have that person to back you up or to support you, give you a kick in the ass! It's nice to have that person around when it works well.
DC: A couple of the drivers I've heard say they like the sprint race format - but it makes them feel selfish. Everything you do is for yourself.
CN: I completely agree. There are certain aspects when you are not the only driver - sprint racing or long distance, when you're on the track, you will always choose yourself. Everyone knows that. It's important to have respect, and that respect sometimes is shown more openly in long distance races because people have to have more respect for each other. There are a lot of laps - you can't sacrifice it all in one corner.
DC: Seems to me there is a different type of satisfaction in completing well at a sprint vs. an endurance race.
CN: There's also something unique about the sprint races like the classic ones we all want to do well in - Daytona especially, Sebring, Watkins Glen, Petit Le Mans which is my personal favorite. Petit is also because I love the track, it's my favorite and an amazing event. But, these races only happen once a year, so for me they're much more unique and to win that is just a greater prize. It's amazing - I haven't done it yet but I'm hoping to one day.
DC: You have a lot of time!
CN: I'm hoping so! The sprint races are happening almost every weekend so of course it's still an amazing victory and you fought hard for it, but it's just more unique to win races that only come along once a year.
DC: I want to talk to you about your perception of this industry as a female. There's a lot I can relate to as well that people think just because we look the way we do that it's the only reason we're here, rather than because we enjoy racing itself. How do you balance that? We could use these assets to help ourselves, but its almost a pride thing, not wanting to do so.
CN: I just talked about this obstacle recently in a post on social media. Carmen Jorda made it to Formula 1. I said, "There's no shame in being a female driver and exploiting that you have a great chance of catching the peers' attention, because you should do it to promote yourself, your partners, get on the radar of teams or sponsors."
There's nothing wrong with that. You should use the advantages you have and network as much as you can. I don't have a problem with that as long as you catch the attention of the press for the right reasons, which is what I don't like about Carmen Jorda’s situation with Lotus F1 - there's a lot of negative talk about it, and I very much support female drivers who are given opportunities, but because of the potential that people see.
Sometimes, we might get chosen over a guy even if the guy is a little faster, though I still believe they would choose us for reasons like publicity, but at the same time they wouldn't choose us if they didn't see a potential in us. They might see she's a little faster there, better here, but there with potential to grow. We're always about evolving or growing. There's one person who commented on that post with, "The car doesn't know what sex is sitting in the car," and I thought that was pretty good. I'm with an amazing team - those are the people I care about, I work with, the ones who can influence my career and results. So, I hope they support me and I do feel they do and that's why I work with them. They do a great job.
DC: It seems like a very warm environment here with TRG-AMR.
CN: I like the environment - I like a lot of the guys working for the team, but one of the preferences of being with TRG is also that we're very aware of the commercial side of racing, and the opportunity to connect partners and businesses with each other. That's also one of the things about the team - we prioritize to be open minded, talk to people, present a good image for people watching from the outside. In general, yes, these are hard-working guys and as a driver I also feel a responsibility to do my best on track because these guys want to give me the perfect car, so I want to give them the best result possible. So, when I'm down, it's because I want to do better for myself and for the people I work with and who are supporting me.
DC: From a social media viewpoint, this team has done well with making sure the fans have some level of access. There's a lot of sharing, welcoming - more than many other teams show. To me, it's important that they are doing this, as that equals sponsorship dollars down the road.
CN: Yes it does. When little kids come over and want to give a high-five, it brings a smile to my face, and if I can make them smile and they go back home and say they met a race driver, even if they don't know my name, if that makes them happy I'll do that. Even if its a cap I can give them. It's awesome to make people smile and the team is very focused on giving people an experience and making them a part of our journey. We couldn't do it without them and we're hoping on more to come because we need that to make it.
DC: How do you feel about the upcoming year, though we are at the beginning of the season?
CN: It's definitely a lot to take on for a racing season. I can't wait - I think it's great that I get so much seat time and the more time I spend with the guys on our team, I get to know them, and the better you know each other the better you can work together. You have to explore the potential that every person has, use their strengths, and figure out how to support their weak sides, and you only do that by getting to know each other. We have a great chance of reaching the podium together.
PWC is very tough this year - I am hoping for a podium in GTA. I think it's a possibility but I'm so new to this car, and the team hasn't worked that much with this spec yet so there is a lot of work for us to do. I believe I'm in good hands, we can do it!
DC: Last question - where do you want to be in five years?
CN: As long as I'm racing, I'm very open-minded. I don't want to be one of those drivers who have a very narrow mindset of where they want to be in 5 years. I would like to be living off of racing. I hope to create such a strong network that I don't have to worry that much about a seat, and that I'm at the right team, right sponsors. What I love about GT racing, where I am now, is that it takes place in so many countries all over the world. There are so many cool championships in Europe, here in the states, Asia, Australia. I won't close any doors or keep myself from missing an opportunity because I'm too focused on something specific. I try to plan one or maximum two years ahead - and so far it's looking pretty nice plus I'm happy where I am!
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