NISSAN will enter the 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour with a star-studded driver line-up next month.
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Entering the classic GT endurance race with two cars, Nissan has selected 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour winner Katsumasa Chiyo, experienced Bathurst campaigner Alex Buncombe and local gun Michael Caruso to drive the #23 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3.
Fellow 2015 race winner Florian Strauss will be joined by race debutants Jann Mardenborough and Todd Kelly.
Japanese star Chiyo has been one of the most popular drivers at the race in recent years, with his on-track flair and his off-track personality proving a winner with the fans.
Chiyo’s co-drivers, Buncombe and Caruso, will prove to be one of the fastest line-ups in the competitive 61 car field.
“I’m really excited to finally get a crack at the Bathurst 12 Hour,” Caruso said.
“It’s a race that I’ve followed for the past few years, and to go there with the Nissan factory team, I’m extremely motivated to get a top result and I can’t wait to get there.
“Alex and Chiyo are both very accomplished drivers with a lot of experience in the GT-R NISMO GT3s at this track. With our experienced team, I think we have a good mix of knowledge and speed.
“Of course we are going there to win the race. The team has won there before and they know what to do, but the race has never been so competitive so we’ll need to be at our best.”
The #24 car sees 2005 Bathurst 1000 winner Todd Kelly joined by two GT Academy stars that have made the most of their ‘gamer to racer’ status.
Strauss needs no introduction to Bathurst having finished first and second in his two attempts (2015 and 2016).
Mardenborough is regarded as one of the best GT Academy talents to filter through the system and starred in his first season in Japan last year in Super GT and Formula 3 – he will be one to watch as he makes his Mount Panorama debut.
The Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 has been a dominant global performer in recent years having tasted championship success in both Europe and Japan and as well as winning races in Australia and the USA.