Another Sweep for Nicole

Amid scorching 38°C (100°F) temperatures, twenty-four drivers made their way to Thunderhill for this weekend’s event, making it the biggest grid of the season, so far.

Practice & Qualifying
During Friday practice, Nicole set the fastest time in both practice sessions. Unfortunately, Saturday’s qualifying session saw the Vancouver Island native lining up second on the grid, as she was pipped to the pole by eight-tenths of a second.

Race 1
Saturday, in the furnace like heat, the twenty-four cars line up behind the pace car. As the green flag dropped, Nicole made an excellent start, taking the lead going into turn one.

As the two leaders approached the next corner, Nicole was under pressure. The Canadian was able to successfully defend her position going into turn two, keeping the lead. For the next 16 laps, despite constant pressure from second place, Nicole held on to take the win.

Race 2
Sunday’s race saw Nicole starting from pole. However, a poorer than usual start saw her under pressure as the green flag fell – with Nicole having to defend into turn one. As the cars exited the corner, she ran wide, opening the door for her pursuer as they went into turn two – and he wasn’t going to be deterred. Nicole quickly found herself in second place.

The next few laps saw the two drivers holding station. It was on lap four that Nicole saw her chance. Going into turn fourteen, she braked as late as possible, barely hanging on to make the pass. However, she found herself slightly overshooting the corner, leaving the door open for the inevitable undercut. Nicole managed to hang onto the outside of turn fifteen, successfully re-taking the lead going into turn one. She then managed to pull ahead slightly, taking the chequered flag to sweep the weekend – further extending her lead in the Formula Pro USA standings.

After the oppressive heat and pressure of the weekend, the team now enjoys a little time off before heading to the roller coaster ride that is the iconic Laguna Seca.