Nelson Mason is a Canadianracing driver currently racing in the World Series Formula V8 3.5 for Teo Martín Motorsport. He is one of only a handful of Canadian racing drivers who made the step into the European motorsport scene with some success. He added the 2013 European F3 Open Winter Series Championship to his crown and made the move up into World Series this year.
Career
Early career
Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Mason came from a family rooted in motorsport. His father and grandfather designed and built the RTJ Formula Vee that his father raced to many championships in North America in the 1980s and 1990s in the SCCA and in the Canadian Automobile Sport ClubsASN Canada FIA. His brother, Jesse Mason was also a successful racing driver, competing Internationally and finishing 3rd in the Indy Lights championship in 2004. Mason began racing in motocross in 1992, when he was 4 years old. At the time he was too young to race in karting in North America, so Motocross in Canada in the CMRC was the only option. By the time Mason hit his 8th birthday in 1995, he had won the Ontario Provincial Motocross Championship and the Canadian National Motocross Championship. He did double duty in 1996, racing in both the CMRC and starting his first year in karting in the United States. That year he added another Provincial Championship to his Motocross resume, and went on to take the New York State Karting Championship, forcing him to miss the Canadian Nationals in ’96. That led to focusing on 4 wheels from then on. In 1997, he began racing in the World Karting Association. Mason took a multitude of wins as he progressed through the karting classes, including international wins in the 1999 Constructor's Cup. In 2002, he moved up to the SKUSA ProMoto Tour in the 80cc Shifterkart class with the MBA karts team. In 2003, Mason was picked up by the First Kart North America team. He shifted his focus to the Champ Car Stars of Tomorrow Karting Championship. He also did some appearances in SKUSA that year, scoring Pole Positions in Jacksonville and Texas. Mason won in the Champ Car series first time out, and went on to the Champ Car World Finals in California to qualify pole and win the Pre-Final, before finishing 3rd in the Final and taking 3rd in the overall Championship. Later, he competed in the British Universities Karting Championship from 2006 - 2008. He scored a multitude of victories for his Oxford Brookes University Kart team, and finished 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, in the Championship respectively.
Early car career
Mason made his open-wheel racing debut, competing in his father's Formula Vee in the SCCA in 2004. Due to budget limitations he was only able to run several rounds, but scored a podium at Pocono Raceway. In 2005, Mason got a late chance to race in the Walter Hayes Trophy Race in a Spirit Formula Ford. His first foray in European racing and in Formula Ford, Mason excelled around the Silverstone Circuit, in a car prepared just by him and his brother. In a field of over 150 cars, Mason battled his way through the rainy conditions to make the final, and go from 18th to 3rd within the first 3 laps. After a race long battle for 3rd position, Mason slid off the road into the gravel with 2 laps remaining. In 2006 Mason headed back to North America, racing again in Formula Vee in the SCCA. He scored wins, podiums, and lap records on way to finishing 3rd in the championship at the 2006 SCCA Runoffs. His European racing continued, competing in the Formula Ford Festival in 2007 and 2008. His best result was 21st in 2007 after looking set for a top 10 finish, setting fastest lap, but was taken out of 4th place in the semi-final race, forcing him to race his way into the final through the Last Chance race. Also he spent six races in 2010 Italian Formula Three season with Team Ghinzani.
