Nismo Global Driver Exchange

The race-winning Nissan GT-R of Katsumasa Chiyo, Wolfgang Reip and Florian Strauss at the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour.
Nissan Altimas from the International V8 Supercars Championship.

The Nismo Global Driver Exchange (also known as the Nismo Global Athlete Program) is an initiative from Nissan and Nismo to share driving experience from various motor racing categories around the world.

The program was launched in February 2013 and currently consists of drivers racing in the All-Japan Formula Three Championship, Blancpain Endurance Series, FIA World Endurance Championship, GP3 Series, Super GT and V8 Supercars.[1][2][3][4] Drivers from the program have also raced Nissan cars in various endurance races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dubai 24 Hour, 24 Hours Nürburgring, Spa 24 Hours, Bathurst 12 Hour and the Sepang 12 Hours.[2][5] Examples of driver exchanges include Michael Krumm and Lucas Ordóñez testing a V8 Supercar in 2013 and James Moffat racing in the 2014 Dubai 24 Hour.[5][6]

In February 2015, Katsumasa Chiyo, Wolfgang Reip and Florian Strauss drove their Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 to victory in the 2015 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, after Chiyo took the lead with four minutes remaining.[7] Chiyo and Reip also won the 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series along with Alex Buncombe.[8]

Current drivers

Driver Series
Saudi Arabia Ahmed Bin-Khanen None
United Kingdom Alex Buncombe Blancpain Endurance Series
Australia Michael Caruso V8 Supercars
Japan Katsumasa Chiyo Blancpain Endurance Series
Portugal Miguel Faísca Blancpain Endurance Series
United States Nicolas Hammann None
Australia Rick Kelly V8 Supercars
Australia Todd Kelly V8 Supercars
Germany Michael Krumm Super GT
United Kingdom Jann Mardenborough GP3 Series, FIA World Endurance Championship
Japan Tsugio Matsuda Super GT, FIA World Endurance Championship
United States Nick McMillen Blancpain Endurance Series
Japan Satoshi Motoyama Super GT
Spain Lucas Ordóñez All-Japan Formula Three Championship, Super GT
France Gaëtan Paletou Blancpain Endurance Series
Belgium Wolfgang Reip Blancpain Endurance Series, Super GT
Mexico Ricardo Sanchez Blancpain Endurance Series
Russia Mark Shulzhitskiy Blancpain Endurance Series
Australia Matthew Simmons None
Germany Florian Strauss Blancpain Endurance Series
  – denotes a driver who came through the Gran Turismo Academy program.

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Nissan announces 2015 motorsports activities". Nismo. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Nismo Global Driver Exchange Program Launches". Nissan Global. 17 February 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "Nissan GT Academy Team RJN". Blancpain GT Series. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  4. ↑ "Red Bull F1 to back Nissan GT Academy's Jann Mardenborough in GP3". Autosport. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  5. 1 2 "James Moffat to make International Debut in 2014 Dubai 24 Hour aboard Nissan 370Z Nismo". JamesMoffat.com.au. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Nismo Global Driver Exchange embraces V8 Supercars". Motoring.com.au. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "NISMO Godzilla claims tense Bathurst 12 Hour". Speedcafe. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "McLaren wins iRacing.com GT500 at the Nürburgring - Chiyo, Reip, Buncombe take 2015 Blancpain Endurance drivers title". Blancpain GT Series. 20 September 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
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