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Giti Tyre Angels: First all-female Nürburgring racing team

Have you heard of the first all-female Nürburgring racing team?

They call themselves the Giti Tire Angels, and they are as powerful and graceful as their name implies.

This fine racing team of women consists of female drivers, a female vehicle crew, female track teams, as well as a female manager and chief.

GITI female racing

                                                                                        Image: Supplied

In fact, they are the only all-girls team in the 100-year history of the famous racetrack in Nürburg, Germany. Very recently, the Giti Angels made their very first appearance at a major race. Their debut was very successful, as the team wasn’t going to settle for anything less. It was just the first out of 9 races in this series that the team is planning on competing in. The Angels had their first official race on March 23 - 24h.

Three drivers shared the race behind the wheel a Volkswagen Golf TCR. They took second place in the SP3T Class for the 2019 VLN Endurance R1 Championship, but were first most of the race. They even had the fastest lap time at 9min21.725. One of the greatest aspects of how these ladies raced was their dedication to companionship and fairness.

Each of the three female drivers was given equal track time, 5 laps. The first driver was Carrie Schreiner. She was able to overcome an imperfect qualifying round by swooping to the lead position.

 

GITI female racing

                                                                                             Image: Supplied

She kept the lead for her stint in the race, before handing over the wheel to the team’s second driver Jasmin Preisig.

Jasmin Preisig was able to keep perfect and consistent lap times, keeping the team in the lead with defensive and offensive driving skills most of us could only hope for. For the second 5 laps, the team continued to lead the pack around the 177 curves and turns on the Nürburgring track. Taking the team passed the finish line for the last set of laps was Ronja Assmann. Ronja was stuck in second, despite her driving faster than the leader and showing a flawless performance. However, the team still came in second in their first ever Nürburgring race.

They were also able to grab the fastest lap time out of all competitors. About the Race Giti’s Angels handled the 20km long track with grace despite the nearly huge increase in altitude. The women had to have extensive knowledge of their car, the track, and of track conditions which were not ideal. Foggy conditions and cold temperatures made for an interesting start to the competition, as rules and processes had to be changed to accommodate the weather day of. Handling and attention to detail were key components of keeping control of the 260kW Volkswagen Golf TCR under these disagreeable conditions. 

Meet the Team

These capable ladies have an impressive selection of talents from the drivers to the tire changers. Speed, agility, endurance, and strength are all critical when it comes to the automotive racing world. These women show more passion and dedication than any other teams around them, and it is paying off so far. Nicole Willems, the Angels’ team manager, was very excited about race and its ending.

GITI female racing

                                                                                                Image: Supplied

Willems said: "This was such an emotional moment today. To be honest, the words are missing for the moment. Thanks to the girls for such a great job, and thanks to all our supporters who believed in us and in our project. I think today we were able to prove to everyone that we are really competitive. I am so proud. And now we are celebrating!"

Team Chief Ellen Lehman stated of the girls’ performance: "We clearly had the motto to finish the race, because in the first race, with such a large starting grid, we did not want to risk anything and take the pressure off the team because the nervousness was already in the air. But that will disappear within the next races and I'm very proud of "my girls", how they did that.

"Overcoming the fears and nerves was a top priority for the team. They had to continuously focus on themselves and each other, as it was obvious all attention was on them. But let’s not forget about the many women standing behind the lines ensuring perfectly timed pit stops and a perfectly tuned car. The impressive women that make up the Giti Angel team are individually spectacular, but together they have proven they can accomplish amazing feats and beat the odds. With the right team members, good sponsors, and a knowledgeable leader, anything is possible. Keep an eye out for this impressive team as the 2019 season continues on."

They will be competing for the rest of the 2019 VLN Endurance Championship races, R2-R9. Our favorite angels will also be competing in the world-renowned 24 Hours Nürburgring event coming up in June. Stay tuned as we find out how the rest of the year goes for this groundbreaking team of women. 

Article by: GITI Tyre Corp

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