Courtenay race car driver Nicole Havrda, 17, opened her season with a second-place finish at a Formula Pro USA winter series event last weekend at the Sonoma Raceway in California.
She kicked things off with a second-place in Saturday’s qualifying session, in wet conditions and near-freezing temperatures. The damp track proved a problem for the front row, as both cars dropped positions at the start. Havrda fell from second to fourth, but was back up to second by the fourth lap, in pursuit of the leader.
“I was in tight pursuit, but was held up in traffic and lost time,” she said by email.
Qualifying for Sunday’s race was a battle for pole between Havrda and another driver.
“Both of us kept chipping away at our times. Near the end of qualifying, I set a time that proved to be unbeatable and I had pole position.”
The weekend’s final race brought more rain as drivers lined up on the grid, again in cold, wet conditions. Havrda was unable to capitalize on her excellent pole position.
“On lap two, I was caught out by the wet conditions, spinning into retirement. Nevertheless, a pole and second place were an excellent way to start the season.”
This weekend, Havrda and her team are at Thunderhill Raceway Park for the next event in the Sacramento Valley.
READ: Finding her own lane: Comox Valley teen breaking barriers from behind the wheel
reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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