Archive News - August 2011
8 August 2011
Freddy battles his way into Porsche Carrera Cup GB
Regular Avon Tyres British GT racer Freddy Nordström made his debut in something new this weekend, as he switched his Lotus Evora for a Porsche Carrera Cup machine.
A summer break from his Lotus Sport UK commitments presented the youngster with the opportunity to contest the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship on the new Snetterton 300 circuit this weekend (6-7th August). Joining the GT Marques outfit for the weekend, Freddy battled through an eventful outing for what was his first racing experience in the impressive car.
Freddy sampled the car for the first time just one week ago, as the series headed to the Norfolk-based circuit for a pre-race test. After seeing his lap times progress throughout the experience there was a confident feeling throughout the team for race day.
Qualifying day saw the youngster end the session fifth in the Pro-AM 1 category, as he found his confidence within the car-track combination. With time to prepare for his very first race scenario in this prestigious category of the Porsche Carrera Cup Championship, Freddy readied himself for Sunday’s two races.
Freddy’s first race came bright and early Sunday morning. A feisty tussle between him and four other cars quickly ensued. As the five cars toured the circuit bumper to bumper a fierce battle engulfed the Pro-AM 1 class, with second place the overall goal. As the venture unravelled Freddy’s lap times again decreased, as he raced towards a potential class podium.
Sadly a puncture haltered his progress whilst he was on the prowl, although he still secured the second fastest lap in Pro-AM 1. “I really enjoyed the first race,” said Freddy. “It was starting to come to me and we were gradually getting quicker. I was confident of making up ground, until a puncture left us at the back. The second fastest lap was still an achievement though.”
The second adventure featured much of the same action, with Freddy eager to enhance his experience. A 
safety car on the second tour reduced the amount of race time available, however it was still plenty of time for Freddy to engage in another evocative battle. With little more than millimetres between the troop of Pro-AM 1 machines it was again a raging battle for second place, which lasted the full race distance.
Before long the chequered flag signalled the end to his inaugural Porsche Carrera Cup GB experience, as he lay fifth in class. “It has been a great experience,” beamed Freddy. “This is the fastest car I have raced, and we just progressed session after session. The more time we spent in the car the more the lap times decreased. Sadly the lap times in the second race weren’t reflective of our earlier pace due to following other cars, but we’ve shown what the car is capable of. There is more to come from it.
“I would like to say a big thank you to Paul Mace and GT Marques for this experience. They prepared a very good car!”
Freddy returns to the Avon Tyres British GT Championship in September, as the championship reassembles for round five at the Rockingham Motor Speedway. However, he is hopeful of returning to the final round of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship at Silverstone in October.
1 August 2011
Freddy joins Porsche Carrera Cup GB for Snetterton
Young racing driver Freddy Nordström is set to make his race debut in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship next weekend (6-7th August), following a successful test on the new Snetterton 300 circuit yesterday (Thursday 28th July).
Freddy’s main focus this season is the Avon Tyres British GT Championship with the Lotus Sport UK outfit. However with the series in the midst of a summer break, Freddy was able to take advantage of a chance to race the Porsche in the Pro-AM 1 category.
Freddy and the GT Marques team were pleased with the outcome after yesterday’s test session. Having never driven the brand new car before, Freddy was given three and a half hours of track time to gain some data and secure some lap times.
Despite his lack of familiarity with the car, Freddy was assisted by his knowledge of the new circuit, having raced his Lotus Evora there earlier this season. Regardless of this, the youngster took full advantage of the track time available, to become comfortable with the car by the end of the day.
With many of the top drivers from the series also present throughout the day, Freddy was able to gauge his lap times against them, to gain an insightful comparison. “It was a great day yesterday, everyone in the team was pleased with the outcome, which was the goal at the start of the day,” said Freddy.
“We spent as much of the time as we could out on track, changing the set-up and various things on the car as we progressed, but it became better and better as the day developed. It was extremely useful to have this time in the car before the race next weekend,” he continued.
With the race just one week away, Freddy is now in full preparation mode. This is currently a one-off venture for him in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship, with the possibility of the Silverstone round on the horizon.
“This is a good opportunity for me to be able to sample the car and also the series in a race situation. However I am still extremely committed to my British GT campaign, and look forward to being reunited with the Lotus Evora at Rockingham in September,” added Freddy.