Nelson Mason comes off a tremendous season in F3 in Europe
Nelson Mason is one of those rare racers who have made his way based on the merits of his performances and his own work inside and outside the sport.
He was given an opportunity to drive for the UK based Team West Tec and he made the most of it. During the past racing season Nelson has performed very well in European F3 Open, winning the Winter Series Championship and 3 series races in while setting new class lap records at Paul Ricard, Nurburgring and Spa to go along with 4 pole positions.
Nelson's accomplishments did not go unnoticed in the racing community, and he recently received an invitation to drive at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix. For Macau, Nelson would be running in a different series (FIA Formula 3) in a different car ( Jo Zeller Racing) both unknowns and unsure how he would stack up- but true to form for Nelson adapted to the situation in a professional manner and completed every lap of the typically chaotic weekend without a scratch on the car.
From 2013 Autosport Driver Rankings:
"Nelson Mason's stellar European F3 Open campaign during which he won the Winter Series and finished 3rd in the seasonal table with 3 wins, 4 pole positions, 7 podium finishes and 4 lap records, as well as, his successful first visit to the treacherous Macau Grand Prix, have combined to elevate the Niagara native in the internationally recognized Autosport Driver Rankings (UK). The controversial rankings evaluate international series drivers from race and rally based on a complex system that factors; level of difficulty and type of series, and performance of the competitor. Nelson's 2013 performance ranks him ahead of such international luminaries as Ron Fellows, Jacques Villeneuve and Paul Tracy."
From PaddockScout Awards 2013: Breakthrough Driver of the Year:
"Some young drivers look like stars of the future from their first campaign in a single-seater. Other drivers can come across as distinctly average year after year. But sometimes drivers who have been relatively under-the-radar can enjoy a breakthrough season that thrusts them into the limelight", says PaddockScouts' David Gruz.
Team West-Tec's decision to sign a 25-year-old Canadian early in the pre-season, with just a couple of Formula Ford and Italian F3 outings behind his back and no major racing recorded since 2010, came a bit out of nowhere. And, yet, the more surprising part of the ordeal was how well Mason performed right from the beginning. He clinched the unofficial F3 Open Winter Series title, dominating the first race and finishing right behind the winner in the second one.
The first weekend of the regular campaign saw a Mason double pole, which resulted in a victory in the first race and a race-ending collision on Sunday. His erratic luck continued at Algarve as he left Portugal with zero points because of a crash on Saturday and technical problems on Sunday. However, the Canadian was back on form soon enough, hitting the podium once again at the Nurburgring, which was followed up by an impressive weekend in Jerez, where he picked up a double win.
Although Mason wasn't able to add more victories to his tally, he added more podiums on respected tracks like Silverstone, Monza and Spa-Francorchamps. He was, indeed, hardly slower than the title contenders, but lacked the consistency Jones and Stuvik had, settling for third. Mason finished off his season with a decent performance at Macau, finishing 17th in the main race as he made up eleven places from his grid position.
Considering his limited experience, finishing third in F3 Open and winning the Winter Series was more than good. Despite being 26, he definitely has some unfinished business in formula racing and is well-deservedly rumoured to step up to the FIA European F3 Championship, where he is expected to continue with Team West-Tec.
Finish Where You Started....
This December 14th and 15th will find Nelson at The Hermitage in Monaco for the black tie gala Banquet where he will be receiving his season award from the GT Open organization. It has been a terrific season for the sport, with expansion in all areas that matter, car counts at historic levels and broadcasts beamed into 109 countries.
Nelson served to multiply the exposure the series received with his exciting performances coupled with his solid effort at Macau. He brought further recognition to the series by being the first driver from F3 Open to be invited to Macau, an event usually reserved for the FIA F3 and Japanese F3 drivers.
Nelson will depart Monaco for Barcelona on the 16th of December then on to Valencia, Spain on the 17th where he will be on-track testing for the week with Team West- Tec, the very team he tested with at the beginning of the season... proving there is no substitute for hard work, talent and commitment.
About Nelson Mason
Nelson, a Canadian race driver from Niagara Falls, Ontario competing in the European F3 Open Championship. For more information on Nelson Mason please visit nelsonmason.com