RJN's Nissan 370Z at Brands Hatch (Photo Credit: Chris Gurton Photography)
Three Nissan cars, shared between two classes wil start next week's Dubai 24 Hours on Friday January 13.
The trio will be led by the manufacturer's new GT3-spec variant of the GT-R that debuted last Autumn. Running in the premier class in the race it will be entered under the JRM banner -the team that has run GT1 Nissans in the World Championship, securing the championship with Michael Krumm and Lucas Luhr in 2011.
“2011 was a great year for Nissan and I am very much looking forward to racing the new GT3 car in Dubai,” said Krumm. “The Nissan GT-R took us all the way to the top in 2011 so I hope we can have a good race with the new car. It's great to celebrate a successful 2011 for Nissan and I'm excited to see how the GT Academy guys get on in the 'All-Gamer' car.”
Krumm will be one quarter of what has been dubbed the 'Champions Car' with three other men who have won powered by Nissan. Briton Alex Buncombe was part of the team – with Jordan Tresson and Christopher Ward – that won the GT4 class in the Blancpain Endurance Series, while Frank Mailleux and Tom Kimber–Smith won the LMP2 class of the ILMC and 24 Hours of Le Mans respectively.
Michael Krumm, Alex Buncombe, Tom Kimber-Smith and Frank Mailleux will sahre a GT3-spec car celebrating Nissan's successful 2011 season
The story of 2011 success continues with the RJN Motorsport run Nissan 370Z 'all-gamer' car, crewed by four winners of the Nissan Playstation GT Academy competition, running in the race's SP2 class
Season two winner Tresson is joined by Lucas Ordonez who won the first competition and 2011 was part of the same Signatech Nissan as Mailleux that won its class in the Intercontinental Le mans Cup (ILMC).
The team is completed by the European and North American winners of the third year of the contest, Jann Mardenborough and Bryan Hietkotter taking their place on the grid as the main prize for the victory after a development program that has taken the pair through national events in the UK.
“It's a good feeling for me to go back to Dubai as this is where it all really started for me, just three years ago,” said Ordonez. “I know that Jann and Bryan will be very nervous but also very excited to take their GT Academy prize and compete in this race. I also know what an intensive development program they have been on so they are more than ready for the challenges ahead of them. I hope that, along with Jordan, I can help them to a good result. It's going to be a tough race due to the heat but I am convinced that Jann and Bryan will prove that they are real racing drivers now, just as Jordan and I did last year.”
A third car – another RJN run 370Z, but running in SP3 class – will be driven by Richard Meaden, Tetsuya Tanaka and Humaid Al Masaood.
Qualifying for the race takes place on Thursday January 12. The race is scheduled to start at 2pm on Friday January 13. 12 hours of the race is to be broadcast on MotorsTV while Radio Show Ltd will provide live radio coverage of the event.
