Introducing Giti's Angels: An All-Women's Nürburgring Racing Team
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While you may think of angels are delicate, this team of impressive women is far more than just pretty faces. These inspiring females of varying ages and abilities have joined forces to take on a particular project that has not been done before. The Giti's Angels are the very first all-female Nürburgring racing team, and they are gearing up to make history in nine VLN races coming up this racing season. The Giti Angels have already dominated their debut race, and have officially proven they have the right to compete on the highest level.
Who are the Angels?
Giti's all-female team consists of three drivers, Jasmin Preisig, Carrie Schreiner, and Ronja Assmann. These talented ladies are backed by an entirely-female track crew and vehicle support team, the first team with no men in Nürburgring's 100-year history. Team Chief Ellen Lehmann puts respect, competition, and safety at the top of the list, making sure that all drivers got equal track time in the team's debut race at the end of March.
Nicole Willems, the team's manager, was very proud after the debut race. "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!"
The Angels' Debut Race
Our new favorite team chose the perfect time to jump into the spotlight. The ladies took to the track March 23rd and 24th , taking second place in the 2019 VLN Endurance R1 Championship behind the wheel a Volkswagen Golf TCR. In partnership with WS Racing and Giti Tires, the women were able to take the fastest lap in their class, at 9:21.725. In all, they came in second place in the SP3T Class for the weekend. Nerves were high, but the ladies remained calm through foggy weather conditions as they knew all eyes would be on them.
About Nürburgring
The famous raceway these women broke ground on has a long-founded history involving its two portentous tracks. Nürburgring is located in the German town of Nürburg, and it features both a newer Grand Prix track and the original "North Loop" track. The North Loop course, which our girls dominated in their debut race, is 12.9 miles long and undergoes a 1,000-foot elevation change.
Known as " Green Hell ", Nürburgring's North Track has a daunting reputation as one of the world's most challenging tracks for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the design of the track itself tests drivers and teams in almost every aspect. Drivers have to navigate through 177 corners, none of them exactly alike. Combined with temperamental and wet weather conditions, the track always proves to throw teams a curveball or two. However, it is also one of the most beautiful road courses in the world, which makes it a perfect fit for these dangerously beautiful women to show the world what they can do.
Race Day
Every racing team knows that preparation and planning start far in advance. The Giti Angel team spent months preparing both physically and mentally, ensuring that they were prepared for any obstacle this track was going to throw their way. Their hard work and meticulous planning paid off.
The first driver behind the wheel was Carrie Schreiner. She was able to start strong, setting the team up for success the rest of the race. Schreiner stated: "Because the qualifying was not 100% perfect, I had to fight the whole race and was able to make up a lot of places. New was the quantity of GT3 cars for myself and that was sometimes difficult within the traffic.". After a successful 5 laps, Carrie stepped out, and Jasmin Preisig took to the driver's seat to take on the middle stint.
Jasmin was able to keep very consistent lap times, keeping the team in the lead for the second set of 5 laps. "I had no problems. Unfortunately, I had 2x long Code 60 at the " Bergwerk", but that have had the competitors too. We have found a good setup for the car. The handling on the track was humane and fair and the tires worked perfectly. " After Jasmin's stretch of the race, Ronja Assmann hopped into the driver's seat to take the team all the way to victory.
Running on the new Giti Compete GT1 tires, the 350-horsepower VW Golf GTI TCR ran flawlessly all day. The Girls were leading most of the race but decided to take the extra time they earned to do something extraordinary. They chose to swap drivers at 5-lap intervals and give all three drivers equal time behind the wheel. Respect, comradery, and passion are surely what helped excel these ladies to their victory. While the Angels didn't finish first, they finished strong in second. Giti's Angels showed the world what they could do, and took a huge step for women in automotive racing in Germany and across the world.
Giti Tires
This year was Giti Tire's third straight year participating in this Nürburgring event, and they have a spotless 100% completion record despite the natural elements being against them. In addition to the all-women's Nürburgring racing team, Giti will sponsor 3 other vehicles in the 2019 racing season. Giti expects nothing but the best results from teaming up with Audi and other expert racing crews.
Giti is proud to support inclusive practices and the advancement of women everywhere. Giti has also pledged to make the environment a top priority, seeking to use only the greenest manufacturing processes and sustainably sourced materials. The most recent manufacturing facility recently opened its doors in South Carolina, USA, and it is the greenest Giti manufacturing site yet.
