Legge, Nielsen Join Team Hardpoint EBM for Daytona

Katherine Legge and two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar class champion Christina Nielsen have joined Team Hardpoint EBM for next weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The experienced GT Daytona category drivers will share the No. 88 Porsche 911 GT3 R with the previously-announced Rob Ferriol and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Earl Bamber.

The team, which is a partnership between Ferriol’s Hardpoint squad and Earl Bamber Motorsport, has also revealed the livery for the race.

Both Legge and Nielsen are set for their first IMSA outings since last year’s Rolex 24 which they contested at the wheel of a Grasser-prepared Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo.

Furthermore, Legge is poised for her first race appearance since her recovery from a leg fracture sustained in a heavy accident during an LMP2 test at Paul Ricard last July.

“I am excited on so many levels to get our season kicked off with Team Hardpoint EBM,” said the British racer.

“Last year was one to forget for me, but my legs are 100 percent race ready and I am chomping at the bit to get back in a race car.

“I am very grateful to the team and to Porsche for this opportunity, and for helping in my quest to showcase female talent.”

Whilst Ferriol and Bamber form Team Hardpoint EBM’s full-season driving pair for 2021 in the No. 88 Porsche, Sportscar365 understands that Legge and Nielsen could be in line for further GTD outings with the team this year, potentially in a second Porsche for the WeatherTech Sprint Cup.

The Daytona entry marks the start of the Hardpoint/EBM partnership, which also includes a multi-car program in the new Porsche Carrera Cup North America series.

“So much has been written and said about Daytona over the course of its history, to be able to debut Team Hardpoint EBM at this storied event is just an amazing and humbling opportunity,” said Ferriol, who made a series of GTD starts last season in an Audi.

“We’ve been hard at work since the checker dropped not long ago at Sebring, bringing together two organizations to create what we hope will be a lasting presence in the IMSA paddock for years to come.

“We’ve put together a wonderful team for the 24 Hours, both on and off the track.

“It’s no secret that Earl, Katherine, and Christina have all had success in IMSA, but to be able to bring all that experience together into one entry, and then join them on track as a driver, is the icing on the cake.”