Road Atlanta 14 Hour Endurance Race

Nicole Havrda took on a new challenge at the 14-hour ChampCar Endurance Series race at Road Atlanta – gaining valuable experience and overcoming early setbacks in a demanding endurance event.

Competing in freezing cold conditions, Havrda entered the weekend with minimal preparation, completing just a single practice lap on Friday to learn the fast and technical circuit. Adding to the difficulty, the race marked her first time ever competing race car with a manual gearbox, requiring her to quickly adapt to new techniques in a competitive environment.

Saturday’s race saw the four-driver team lining up eighth overall on the grid, with positions determined by random selection. However, a seatbelt issue delayed the team’s start, dropping them to the back of the 70 plus car grid and forcing them into an early recovery drive.

Despite the setback, Havrda and her teammates remained focused and steadily worked their way through the field as the race progressed.

Havrda completed both the mid-day stint and the final stint of the race in the dark, gaining confidence and improving her technique with every lap. The race provided her with the opportunity to develop her manual driving skills, including learning the art of heel-and-toe downshifting under real race conditions.

Sharing the car with three teammates, Havrda played a key role in helping the team reach the finish after 14 demanding hours. The team ultimately crossed the line 33rd overall and 12th in class.

While the result only told part of the story, the weekend marked an important step in Nicole’s development. Overcoming freezing temperatures, limited preparation, and an entirely new driving discipline, she embraced the challenge and gained critical endurance racing experience.