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january 20, 2016 - Nissan Motorsport

Nissan confirms driver lineup for Bathurst 12 Hour defense

Nissan has confirmed the driver line-up for its #bathurst12hour defense, with former V8 Supercars champion #rickkelly to partner 2015 winners #katsumasachiyo and GT Academy winner #florianstrauss at the #endurance classic on February 5-7, 2016.

The trio will drive the 1 #nissan #gtrnismogt3 for the NISMO Athlete Global Team at the iconic Mount Panorama circuit, where #nissan will aim to win back-to-back #bathurst12hour victories, emulating the success of the #nissan GT-R at the Bathurst 1000 in 1991 and 1992.

Kelly enters the #bathurst12hour for the second time, after a strong showing in the opening stint of the race in 2014, only for the NISMO entry to fall out of the event in the early stages. 

Chiyo will return to the #bathurst12hour after starring in last year's race, where he jumped into the lead on the penultimate lap to claim a spectacular win. Chiyo was one of the most successful GT sportscar drivers in the world in 2015, winning the Blancpain GT #endurance Series PRO Class title in Europe as well as the Super GT Championship GT300 Teams title in Japan.

Strauss was a late inclusion in the NISMO entry in 2015 but shone at the event, despite it being his first race at Mount Panorama and only beginning his #racing career 18 months prior. Previously the manager of a car rental center, Strauss won the 2013 #nissan PlayStation GT Academy competition, switching from gamer-to-racer to become a professional #racing driver for #nissan.

"The combination of Rick, Chiyo-san and Florian gives us a very strong line-up for our #bathurst12hour title defense," said #nissan #australia managing director and CEO Richard Emery. "We had very accomplished drivers from all over the #nissan world keen to race our new #nissan #gtrnismogt3 at Bathurst. In the end, we are pleased to be giving Rick a second chance to race in the #bathurst12hour, alongside Chiyo-san, who had an outstanding season in 2015, and Florian, who did the GT Academy program proud with last year's win.

"The 2015 #bathurst12hour victory was a momentous occasion for #nissan and NISMO. Our aim is to repeat the success of 1991 and 1992 and give the GT-R back-to-back Bathurst wins, but that will be a tough task given the very high level of competition in this year's race.

"It's also great to see the global collaboration that is going into our #bathurst12hour entry, which is further evidence of how highly #nissan rates this event and how seriously NISMO is treating our efforts to defend last year's spectacular race win."

The NISMO Athlete Global Team, based at NISMO headquarters in Japan, will return to the #bathurst12hour for the third consecutive year, with support from the #nissan Motorsport V8 Supercars race team, as well as UK-based #nissan GT Academy Team RJN, the 2015 Blancpain GT #endurance Series PRO Class champions. 

"We have built a brand-new 2015 specification #nissan #gtrnismogt3 for the 2016 #bathurst12hour," said Toshikazu Tanaka, team director and corporate vice president of #nissan Motorsports International Co., Ltd. (NISMO). "2015 was a remarkable year for the #nissan #gtrnismogt3, with race wins on four continents and championship victories in the Blancpain GT #endurance Series in Europe and GT300 Super GT Championship in Japan.

"Last year's #bathurst12hour win was the start of an outstanding year for the #nissan #gtrnismogt3, with wins following in the Blancpain GT #endurance Series in Europe, Super GT Championship in Japan and Pirelli World Challenge in the United States. It is not an easy task, but we are determined to defend last year's victory with our colleagues from #nissan #australia."

While the traditional #racing number of #nissan and NISMO globally is the 23, the entry will carry the 1 at the 2016 #bathurst12hour, to signify its status as defending race winner.

The car will remain in #australia permanently following the race. The latest specification car includes improvements to brakes, handling, aerodynamics and driver ergonomics.

Australian gamer-turned-racer Matt Simmons, winner of the 2015 #nissan PlayStation GT Academy International competition, will form a part of the NISMO Athlete Global Team crew at the 2016 #bathurst12hour, learning from drivers and engineers as he prepares to make his professional #racing debut in the 2016 Blancpain GT #endurance Series in a #nissan #gtrnismogt3.


QUOTES

Katsumasa Chiyo (Japan)
1 #nissan GT-R NISMO GT3

"Winning the #bathurst12hour last year was the biggest race win of my career," said Chiyo.

"Driving a GT-R to victory at Bathurst was an honor for me and something I will never forget.

"The race was so exciting and stressful right until the end, and then to win was so emotional. That win gave me the confidence that I can race against the best because the competition at this event is extremely strong.

"I am so happy to be coming back to defend last year's win. We will have an even stronger car this year, but I know that the competition will also improve.

"It is very exciting to have Rick and Florian as teammates this year. Rick is a great driver and knows the Mount Panorama circuit well. I am confident he will adapt to the #nissan #gtrnismogt3 very quickly just as he did in 2014.

"I'm also pleased to race with Florian again. He did an outstanding job at Bathurst last year – a memory we will always share. He should be even stronger this year with another season of #racing experience.

"It will be a great event for all the fans again this year. The #bathurst12hour is one of the biggest GT races in the world. I hope that we can do a good job for #nissan and NISMO and give the GT-R back-to-back wins like in 1991 and 1992."

 

 Rick Kelly (Australia)
1 #nissan GT-R NISMO GT3

"I am really happy to be coming back to the #bathurst12hour with NISMO," said Kelly.

"We showed great pace and potential in 2014, but unfortunately our race ended early in the day. Then in 2015, the team, car and drivers all performed superbly to take a spectacular win. I was so pleased for #nissan to win, but it was tough to watch as opposed to being a part of it.

"So I'm really happy to be coming back to reunite with the NISMO team, with Chiyo-san, Florian and the #nissan #gtrnismogt3. That car is just amazing to drive, especially around Bathurst, where it is unbelievable.

"I'm grateful that #nissan and NISMO have given me another opportunity to drive the GT-R at such a spectacular circuit and race. The #bathurst12hour is a great way for #nissan to kick off its 2016 motorsport season, which includes programs such as Super GT, GT3 and V8 Supercars.

"The #bathurst12hour continues to grow from strength to strength, so I know the competition will be fierce, with lots of strong cars and teams and a great mix of local and international drivers. I think we can be right up the front but Bathurst usually puts on crazy #racing so the idea will be to play it smart and be in the mix come the last hour of the race."
 

Florian Strauss (Germany)

1 #nissan GT-R NISMO GT3

"It's great to come back to #australia to race again in the #bathurst12hour," said Strauss.

"The track is for sure one of the most spectacular in the world. Not only will it be great to be back behind the wheel at this particular place, but also the ability to defend the victory from last year – the absolute highlight in my career so far.

"I'm sure with the strong competitors and the great support of the Australian fans it will again be a breathtaking race. I hope we can show a great performance again with the NISMO Global Athlete Team.

"It will also be nice to represent the GT Academy program in #australia again. The fans at Bathurst will know a lot more about the program now that #australia has its own GT Academy winner in Matt Simmons.

"The GT3 category is booming at the moment so the field is very tough. The range of cars is diverse, but our new #nissan #gtrnismogt3 will suit Bathurst, so hopefully we have another strong race like last year and can challenge for the win at the end."