Heinricher Racing Acura Finishes 10th at Mid-Ohio

Photo by Brian Cleary / BCpix.com

Lexington, Ohio (6 May 2019) – A promising start to the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio ended in disappointment as the No. 57 Caterpillar Acura NSX GT3 of Heinricher Racing with Meyer Shank Racing overcame several setbacks to come home with a 10^th place finish on Sunday.

After a disappointing qualifying run on Saturday, Christina Nielsen and Katherine Legge were focused on going to the front in Sunday’s two-hour and 40-minute race.

Taking the green flag Nielsen made an impressive start, gaining 10 positions by Lap 2 to run in fourth position. Nielsen set consistent lap times throughout her stint but suffered contact from another car on Lap 31 sending her off track briefly before pitting a few laps later.

Taking the controls, Legge pushed through the challenge of driving with a bent toe link but never looked back as she ran in the top five for 20 laps. Midway through the race Legge experienced an electrical issue which left her stopped on track to recycle the car. After quickly recycling the car to get back on pace, Legge made the most of her final sprint to the finish where she rounded out the top 10.

Team / Driver Quotes:

Jackie Heinricher:
“First of all, congratulations to the No. 86 car of MSR. A well-deserved podium after their strong weekend. Our No. 57 team worked hard, jumping ahead of many cars at the start, to overcome a difficult qualifying position. Unfortunately, the car was damaged after being hit by another car. We, our entire team of drivers and MSR, worked to make the best finish we could given our challenges. I’m very proud of Katherine and Christina’s effort today. We will find our way to the top!”

Christina Nielsen:
“There was so much potential for today that was not shown in our final result. I am very proud of the team and how prepared the Acura NSX was for the race and it shows how well Meyer Shank Racing and Heinricher Racing work to get these cars ready. I really enjoy driving the car and had the best start of my life gaining ten positions. Unfortunately, we had contact on track that was out of my control. He was a gentleman and apologized after the race which I really appreciate since we are all fighting in the heat of the moment and he acknowledged that he made a mistake. I’m proud of all of the hard work that was put in this weekend.”

Katherine Legge:
“The race started really, really positive. It was the best I’ve ever seen Christina drive where she was just passing cars and was unstoppable. And then we sustained the damage which cost us in the end. The car became kind of unpredictable to drive and we just tried to make it through to the end. The guys did a really great job sorting out the problems as they were thrown at us. It’s a shame because I think we had a really good chance for a good result here with such a strong car. Congrats to the sister car for their second place finish. We will just look at the positives and head to the next one.”

Mike Shank:
“Today was a tough day for us. We had such a strong car and I think that showed in the race. Christina drove an amazing first stint and her start is what really put us in a good position for the remainder of the race. A few things happened on track that were out of our control but had a big impact on our race. All we can do is look forward to the next one and keep working at getting results.”