AUSTIN, Texas and ADELAIDE, Australia – Pirelli World Challenge aces Bryan Heitkotter and James Davison both showed impressive pace on board the Always Evolving/AIM Autosport Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3s at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas last weekend.
Former GT academy winner Heitkotter and Australian ace Davison both recorded laps at the front of the pack in the two World Challenge races on Saturday and Sunday.
Heitkotter made a stunning start in Saturday’s race to leap from sixth on the grid to lead the race. He held the top spot until the dying moments of the race before finishing second.
Davison was also strong with a fourth place finish.
Sunday’s race however, did not go quite to plan for the team. While both drivers led laps in the event, Heitkotter (who started from pole after recording the fastest lap on Saturday) and Davison both struck trouble.
Davison was forced to complete a stop, plus a 10-second penalty for contact in the run up to the first corner while Heitkotter fell out of the race lead after suffering a flat tire. The issues pushed the pair back to 13th (Davison) and 19th (Heitkotter) at the checkered flag.
“Sunday started really well, and we were 1-2 exiting the first corner which was a great start to the race,” Heitkotter said. “We ended up having some problems and both didn’t have the finish we wanted, but we know the team was strong and the cars were strong. I feel bad for the guys and Nissan, but we gave it everything but just had some bad racing luck. I was really pleased about second place on Saturday, but obviously were we finished today isn’t good for the championship. But its a long season and anything can happen. We’ll keep pushing hard at St Petersburg next week.”
CARUSO AND NISSAN LEADS AUSTRALIAN V8 CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER ADELAIDE
NISMO V8 Supercars driver Michael Caruso leads the 2016 V8 Supercars Championship following a drama-filled opening round of the championship on the streets of Adelaide, Australia.
It’s the first time that a Nissan driver has led the Australian Touring Car Championship (now V8 Supercars Championship) since Mark Skaife won the 1992 title at Oran Park June 21, 1992.
Caruso finished second in the final 250km leg of the season-opening event, which began in scorching 97-degree degree, heat but soon turned into a race for survival as torrential rain descended on the Adelaide Parklands street circuit.
Three Nissan drivers are in the top 10 in points after the season-opening Clipsal 500, which included two x 125km races on Saturday and the 250km race on Sunday.
Brothers Todd and Rick Kelly sit eighth and 10th in the title chase on 181 and 171 points respectively. Caruso enjoys a 15-point lead at the top of the pack with 222 points earned with finishes of 13th, sixth and second in the three races.
“A lot of effort has gone in over the off season to start the championship in the best way possible, and there’s no better way to finishing the weekend in the lead of the championship,” Caruso said. “A lot of credit to everyone involved – not just at the track, but also back at the factory for their hard work. Now the real hard work begins and we have to maintain these results and keep pushing hard so we can stay at the front of the field.”
The V8 Supercar teams now begin preparation for the non-championship Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix support races at Albert Park on March 17-20.
NISMO CALENDAR
March 9-10:
Blancpain Endurance Series Pre-season Test, Circuit Paul Ricard, France
March 11-13:
Pirelli World Challenge, St Petersburg street circuit, Florida
March 17-20:
V8 Supercars, Australian Grand Prix Support Race, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
March 22-23:
European Le Mans Series Official Test, Circuit Paul Ricard, France
March 25-26:
FIA WEC Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard, France
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Contact
Jane Johnstone
Marketing Communications Director
Global Motorsport Communications
Nissan/NISMO
Phone: +44 7979 710646
Email: jane.johnstone@nissan.co.uk
Paul Ryan
Marketing and PR Manager
Phone: +1 678 644 0404
Email: paul@nismosupport.com