PHILLIP ISLAND, Victoria, Australia – Nissan Motorsport overcame a challenging start last weekend to record a top six finish at the V8 Supercar Phillip Island SuperSprint round.
After starting Sunday’s 200km race in 10th, Michael Caruso was able to advance through the field and cross the line in sixth.
Good strategy and strong pace allowed Caruso to battle near the front and demonstrate the kind of pace the team were expecting all weekend from the Altima. The #23 Nissan NISMO driver now sits in P7 in the championship point standings.
The #15 Sengled Racing Altima of Rick Kelly showed strong speed during qualifying to record the eighth-fastest time. Despite being unable to carry that pace into the race, Kelly still worked his way through the field following an early pit stop, eventually finishing in 11th place.
Todd Kelly spent much of his race stuck under the rear wing of his brother’s Altima to finish 12th, with Dale Wood completing the Sunday race in 18th. Sunday’s results followed finishes of 11th (Todd Kelly), 13th (Caruso), 14th (Rick Kelly) and 20th (Wood) on Saturday.
“It was great to not only qualify consistently but also make it count in the race and move up some spots,” said Caruso. “It’s a great positive for our car and everyone here at Nissan. This moves us back up in the Championship standings and keeps us in a great position to move forward.”
NISMO Calendar
April 23-24
Blancpain GT Endurance, Monza, Italy
Pirelli World Challenge, Barber Motorsports Park, Alabama, USA
May 3-4
Super GT, Fuji Speedway, Japan
May 7-8
FIA WEC, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Blancpain GT Sprint, Brands Hatch, England
V8 Supercar, Barbagallo Raceway, Western Australia, Australia
May 14-15
ELMS, Imola – Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Italy
Blancpain GT Endurance, Silverstone, England
Micra Cup Canada, Calabogie Motorsports Park, Ontario, Canada
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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