1. Overview
Christoffer Nygaard (born 24 March 1986) is a Danish auto racing driver from Gentofte, Denmark. He is known for his extensive career across various motorsport disciplines, including karting, touring car racing, and GT racing, and is currently active in the FIA World Endurance Championship. His career highlights include podium finishes in major endurance events and a significant progression through international racing series. An alternative transcription of his name in Japanese is クリストフェル・ニギャルドJapanese.
2. Early Life and Career Beginnings
Christoffer Nygaard began his racing journey in the early 2000s, gradually progressing from karting to professional auto racing. His formative years in motorsport laid the groundwork for his later success in various championships.
2.1. Karting Career
Nygaard commenced his competitive karting career in 2001. Over the course of four seasons, he honed his skills, achieving his best result in his final karting season in 2004, where he secured a third-place finish in the Nordic Formula A Championship.
2.2. Touring Car Racing Career
Following his karting tenure, Nygaard made his debut in auto racing in 2005. He competed in the German ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup from 2005 to 2006. In 2007, he transitioned to the SEAT Leon Supercopa Germany series, racing for the Fischer Racing team. He achieved a notable success in this championship by finishing third overall in the 2008 season.
2.3. GT Racing Career
In 2009, Nygaard shifted his focus to GT racing. He continued his association with Fischer Racing, driving a Ford GT GT3 in both the ADAC GT Masters and the FIA GT3 European Championship. His involvement in GT racing expanded further in 2010, when he made his debut in the FIA GT1 World Championship and competed in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time. He continued to race in both the FIA GT3 and FIA GT1 championships throughout 2011. In 2012, Nygaard returned to the ADAC GT Masters and later that year began competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship as a driver for Aston Martin Racing.
3. Major Race Results
Christoffer Nygaard has participated in several high-profile international endurance and GT racing events, consistently achieving competitive results throughout his career.
3.1. 24 Hours of Le Mans Results
Nygaard has made multiple appearances at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Young Driver AMR | Tomáš Enge Peter Kox | Aston Martin DBR9 | GT1 | 311 | 22nd | 3rd |
| 2012 | Aston Martin Racing | Kristian Poulsen Allan Simonsen | Aston Martin Vantage GTE | GTE Am | 31 | DNF | DNF |
| 2013 | Aston Martin Racing | Kristian Poulsen Allan Simonsen† | Aston Martin Vantage GTE | GTE Am | 2 | DNF† | DNF† |
| 2014 | Aston Martin Racing | Paul Dalla Lana Pedro Lamy | Aston Martin Vantage GTE | GTE Am | 329 | 26th | 6th |
| 2015 | Aston Martin Racing | Nicki Thiim Marco Sørensen | Aston Martin Vantage GTE | GTE Pro | 330 | 27th | 4th |
† Allan Simonsen died on Lap 3 of the race. Neither Poulsen nor Nygaard had driven in the race at the time of the crash.
3.2. FIA World Endurance Championship Results
Nygaard's full results from his participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship are detailed below.
| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Aston Martin Racing | LMGTE Am | Aston Martin Vantage GTE | Aston Martin 4.5 L V8 | SEB | SPA | LMS Ret | SIL | SÃO | BHR | FUJ | SHA | NC | 0 |
| 2013 | Aston Martin Racing | LMGTE Am | Aston Martin Vantage GTE | Aston Martin 4.5 L V8 | SIL 1 | SPA 2 | LMS Ret | SÃO Ret | COA 2 | FUJ 1 | SHA Ret | BHR 1 | 4th | 104.5 |
| 2014 | Aston Martin Racing | LMGTE Am | Aston Martin Vantage GTE | Aston Martin 4.5 L V8 | SIL 2 | SPA 3 | LMS | COA 1 | FUJ | SHA | BHR | SÃO | 2nd | 164 |
| 2015 | Aston Martin Racing | LMGTE Pro | Aston Martin Vantage GTE | Aston Martin 4.5 L V8 | SIL 4 | SPA 6 | LMS 6 | NÜR 4 | COA 5 | FUJ 5 | SHA | BHR 4 | 8th | 81 |
4. Coaching Activities
Beyond his professional racing career, Christoffer Nygaard is actively involved in motorsport education. He serves as an instructor at the Power Racing Gokart Academy located in Herlev, Denmark. At the academy, Nygaard oversees the Race Club, a regular class where he provides expert coaching services to both novice and advanced karting drivers, sharing his extensive racing experience and knowledge.