Drivers Christina Nielsen and Earl Bamber Picked Up Six Positions In No. 88 VB Enviro Care/Richard Mille Porsche 911 GT3 R Late After Early Incident
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 24, 2021) – Team Hardpoint EBM’s No. 88 VB Enviro Care/Richard Mille Porsche 911 GT3 R will start next weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship 24 Hours of Daytona on the seventh row of the GT Daytona (GTD) class of the after a 14th-place finish during Sunday’s Motul Pole Award 100 at Daytona International Speedway.
Drivers Christina Nielsen and Earl Bamber, who will share the car in the 24-hour race with Katherine Legge and Rob Ferriol, and the team’s pit crew showed resilience and true overall speed throughout the 100-minute race despite a challenging result.
Nielsen started the race 10th on the grid and, with the track wet from a morning shower, on Michelin rain tires. Nielsen climbed two more positions in the opening 30 minutes despite two early full-course caution periods. On the second restart of the race, Nielsen moved to seventh and was challenging for another position when contact forced a spin into the tire barrier in Daytona’s “bus stop” complex. The crash brought out a third full-course caution and damaged the right front fender and aero, and a series of pit stops for the crew to temporarily fix the damage left the Porsche three laps down from the leaders.
Bamber took over with just more than 50 minutes to go in the race. Running in 16th place and three laps down, Bamber and the team persevered to make up one of those laps in the short sprint and two more positions by the checkered flag.
“I think we started with a pretty solid car from the beginning,” Nielsen said. “We’ve been testing a few things, and might have gone a little bit too edgy in the final one. The nice thing is that our feedback is the same. It’s nice when the drivers are looking for the same car, because sometimes driver style means a little bit different preference for the car setup. Everyone seems to be on the same page. I’m glad we got to try it now and I feel like we’re nice and prepared for the setup and handling for the actual race weekend. IMSA races are competitive from the first lap, but I’m happy to be back and hoping for a better result next week.”
The 2021 event schedule features a quick turnaround following the Roar Before The 24 practice and qualifying weekend, with just four days until Team Hardpoint EBM and the rest of the field are back on track for Thursday’s practice.
“I think we’ve got a good car,” Bamber said. “We’re rolling about with a new bunch of guys, so I think it’s good to do a race. It gets everyone in tune, it’s a bit of a wake-up call. It was a shame that we had a bit of damage in the race, but we’ve still got a straight car. It was superficial stuff, so we can tidy that up now. We’ve got our starting spot, so there’s a lot of positives. Come the 24, we’re just going to keep building and building and get stronger as a team.”
At 3:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, the No. 88 VB Enviro Care/Richard Mille Porsche 911 GT3 R will begin the 24-hour test – the team’s debut effort in the race. The race can be viewed in its across the family of NBC networks, including NBC and NBC Sports, or in its entirety on the NBCSN app via Track Pass.
Noteworthy: Team Hardpoint EBM has welcomed the Florida Chamber Safety Council to the No. 88 VB Enviro Care/Richard Mille Porsche 911 GT3 R beginning with the 24 Hours of Daytona. The Florida Chamber Safety Council is a one-stop resource to help Florida employers successfully design and implement workplace safety, health, and sustainability initiatives.
“There is nothing like a well-prepared race car to show a true focus on workplace safety and health, and the Florida Chamber Safety Council is ready to go racing once again with Team Hardpoint EBM’s Porsche,” Florida Chamber Safety Council President Katie Yeutter
said. “We’re thrilled to be riding along with Katherine and Christina once again, and teaming up with Rob and Earl for the first time. We’re looking forward to a safe, fast 24 Hours at Daytona and happy to be a part of it.”
More information on the Florida Chamber Safety Council can be found at www.flchambersafety.com.
About Team Hardpoint EBM:
Hardpoint Motorsports was founded by Rob Ferriol in 2018 with the vision of combining his experience as a successful entrepreneur with his passion for racing. Team Hardpoint EBM is a joint venture between Team Hardpoint and Earl Bamber Motorsport formed in late 2020 to combine the resources of EBM and co-owners Earl Bamber and Will Bamber and the early success of Team Hardpoint. Headquartered at VIRginia International Raceway, the team’s 2021 plans include a full-season effort in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in a Porsche 911 GT3 R and a multi-car effort in the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America. More information on Team Hardpoint EBM can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
