Christoffer finishes third in GT1-class at Le Mans
13-06-2021
Christoffer:
“I
expected that this race would be very hard, but I didn’t expect it to be this
hard. If you race with 300 km/h on a French public road you need full
concentration which is not always easy if you get tired some hours into the
race. But there is definitely no room for mistakes. Especially in the night it
was very difficult for me, because in the darkness you miss all the usual
reference points for breaking. You have to pay a lot of attention to keep the
car on the road. I will never forget the podium ceremony in front of so many
fans and of course the last lap. This was the first time I looked left and
right and recognised how many Danish fans were lined up with Danish flags all
along the track, it was a great feeling.”
Young Driver AMR experienced a
successful debut at the 24h of Le Mans. In the first start of the German team
at the French endurance classic, Christoffer Nygaard (DK), Tomas Enge (CZ) and
Peter Kox (NL) brought the Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9 home in third
position of the GT1-class in front of 238.150 spectators. In total, the three
Young Driver AMR-drivers raced 4238 km (311 laps) on the epic track in Le Mans
in 24 hours, a combination of public roads and permanent racetrack.
In their first 24h of Le Mans, the Young Driver AMR team got to know all facets
of a 24h race. From the limitless cheering when leading in the first hours of
the race or after seeing the chequered flag, through the disappointment when
two technical defects hit the Aston Martin during the race, the team
experienced a whole ladder of feelings. Right at the beginning of the race,
starting driver Peter Kox took the lead in GT1-class from the pole, and lead
the first hour of the race. During the first three hours, Nygaard, Enge and Kox
fought for the class lead from second position, then suddenly a broken drive
shaft brought the Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin to a halt. The repair took
sixty minutes, the Aston Martin dropped down the order to sixth position.
From almost the back of the pack, the Young Driver AMR-squad fought back during
the evening and the night. With a trouble free running car and constant lap
times, Nygaard, Enge and Kox retook second place Sunday morning after 18 hours
into the race. The trouble free run continued until Sunday noon, but then with
only 90 Minutes to go, Le Mans showed his cruel face. Another drive shaft
broke, just 15 minutes after „Young Driver“ Christoffer Nygaard took the car
for the final stint of the race. The Young Driver had to replace the driveshaft
for second time, Nygaard went out on the track after the repair with 15 minutes
to go, and crossed the chequered flag at 15:00 o’clock just behind the race
winning Audi-Prototypes. Nygaard, Enge and Kox lost one position due to the
repairs late in the race, but finished third and took a podium spot in the very
first 24h race of Young Driver AMR.