PSCNA: Erika Hoffmann returns to the podium at COTA
- LIAM REDFORD
- 8 hours ago
- 5 min read
Erika Hoffmann continued her progress in her rookie season in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America as the Kellymoss driver returned to the podium in the Cayman Pro/Am class at Circuit of the Americas with third place finish in Race 1.
Erika Hoffmann continued her progress in her rookie season in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America as the Kellymoss driver returned to the podium in the Cayman Pro/Am class. Racing at another new track in the form of Circuit of the Americas, the Kellymoss driver secured a third-place finish in class in race one, before completing her weekend with a fifth-place result in race two.
Prior to round three, Hoffmann had enjoyed a positive start to her rookie season in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America. The Canadian racer has quickly adapted to the series and secured a breakthrough podium finish in the Cayman Pro/Am class last time out at Sonoma Raceway. Hoffmann’s consistency has been particularly impressive as she has been required to learn new circuits at every meeting to date.
This unfamiliarity continued to Circuit of the Americas with Hoffmann turning her first laps of the track during Thursday morning’s first test session. Erika’s fastest time came on the final lap of the session with a 2:20.180 placing her sixth in the Cayman Pro/Am class.
With her lack of experience at the circuit, gaining experience was the main focus of the day and Hoffmann completed 49 laps of Circuit of the Americas on Thursday. After improving by over a second to end the second test session with a quickest time of a 2:18.902, Hoffmann took another step forward in the first official free practice session. The Kellymoss driver ended the day fifth fastest in class on a 2:18.484, just over half a second away from third-place driver Loni Unser.
Hoffmann’s progress continued into Friday’s running which began with the second free practice session. Erika completed 17 laps, the most of any driver, while remaining on the same set of tyres throughout the session. Improving by a further second, Hoffmann ended free practice two in ninth position overall, fourth in the Cayman Pro/Am class with a fastest time of a 2:17.315.
Qualifying took place later that day and Hoffmann was aiming to continue her progress. It was difficult for the Canadian driver to get into a rhythm early in the session and this was made more challenging following a short red flag period. Hoffmann returned to the circuit in the final stages of qualifying and made a superb improvement on her lap of the session. Setting a time of a 2:17.795, Erika set the seventh fastest time in qualifying which placed her Kellymoss machine in fourth place within the Cayman Pro/Am class.
The first race of the weekend took place on Saturday morning with Hoffmann starting from the fourth row of the grid. The Kellymoss driver made a good start and held her position well during lap one, despite significant pressure placed upon her by a number of the Cayman Masters competitors. Hoffmann was the fastest driver through the second sector on lap two and this gave her some breathing space from Bill Fenech behind.
Tom Kopczynski was ahead and Hoffmann was remaining in contention with the Cayman Masters driver while showing excellent performance in the middle sector. By lap five, her margin to Fenech had grown to almost four seconds and on this lap she was faster than the next three drivers ahead. On lap six, Hoffmann showed her strength in the middle sector as she was the fastest Cayman Pro/Am driver through this part of the track.
In the middle portion of the race, Hoffmann was doing well to remain in touch with Kopczynski. Once again, her speed through sector two was a highlight and on lap 11, she narrowly missed out on the quickest time through this part of the track for the entire race. Despite no prior of Circuit of the Americas ahead of the weekend, Erika was continuing to remain in contention for a podium position in the Cayman Pro/Am class.
Her perseverance was rewarded on lap 15 when Loni Unser retired from the race with a technical issue and thus promoting Hoffmann into third position within class. With Unser’s car requiring recovery, the race entered a full course yellow period and with insufficient time to resume, the chequered flag was taken behind the safety car. This meant that Hoffmann secured her second podium finish of the season as she finished the first race of the weekend third in the Cayman Pro/Am class, sixth overall.
For the second race of the weekend, Hoffmann lined up from seventh on the overall grid, fourth in the Cayman Pro/Am class. It was a clean start from the Canadian driver who did well to maintain her position during the first lap. In front of Hoffmann, a number of Cayman Masters class competitors were battling for position and by lap three, Alain Scalzo had passed Daniel Ammann with the Vintage Racing Company driver now ahead.
As the drivers began lap four, Hoffmann drew level with Ammann and following a superb move, she cleared her rival on the exit of turn one. Erika was now up to sixth overall and she crucially put another Cayman Masters driver between herself and her nearest Cayman Pro/Am class challenger.
Shortly after completing the pass, the race entered a full course yellow period as the cars of Paul Bonderson and Thomas Kerr required recovery following a lap one incident. When the race resumed, Ammann applied the pressure and he was able to pass Hoffmann with a move to the inside of turn one on lap eight.
Hoffmann responded with back-to-back personal best times as the Canadian driver settled into a rhythm during the middle portion of the race. Following some good moves after starting from ninth on the overall grid, class rival Griff Asplundh was now directly behind Hoffmann. On lap 14, a small moment for Hoffmann allowed Asplundh to move ahead while Tom Kopczynski also found his way through.
As Hoffmann was getting back up to speed, Cayman Masters driver Greg Cecchi also passed the Kellymoss driver with Erika now in tenth position overall, fifth in the Cayman Pro/Am class. A solid end to the race saw Hoffmann protect this position to the chequered flag to bank a solid haul of points in race two, while maintaining her streak of top-5 class finishes to start the season.
After the first three rounds of the season, Hoffmann sits in an excellent third place within the Cayman Pro/Am class standings. Her consistently has been the key to her progress, while Erika has adapted well to learn new and challenging circuits.
The next round of Porsche Sprint Challenge North America takes place at Virginia International Speedway on the weekend of July 12th/13th.