This weekend saw a JR Motorsports-built Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 record its first Avon Tyres British GT Championship victory, when customer team GT Academy Team RJN won round six at Brands Hatch. The success comes exactly a year after JRM began the car’s test and development programme in June 2011. Using the 2.433-mile ‘Grand Prix’ version of the circuit, an incredibly close qualifying session on Saturday – with just 0.5-second separating the top 12 cars – saw the RJN car line up 10th on the grid. Then on Sunday, just before the start of the two-hour race – in keeping with other rounds of the championship so far this season – it started raining.
Alex Buncombe – who was first to drive – moved up to fourth by the end of the first lap and then took the lead on lap three. As the track dried out, he pulled away from the field and built-up a margin of seven seconds before the first of two safety car periods, which ultimately reduced his advantage. At half-distance Buncombe handed over to Jann Mardenborough and, even though the Nissan Playstation GT Academy winner came under intense pressure during his stint, he was able to stay in front of the pack before crossing the line to win by a margin of just two-hundredths of a second. Coincidently, the victory comes exactly a year to the day that Mardenborough won the GT Academy competition.
Driving the second of the JRM-built Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3s competing this weekend, in the car run by JMH Automotive, Benji Hetherington also made an impressive start in the race, progressing from a grid position of 15th and up to fourth place. But, after clipping a kerb at Stirlings bend on lap 21, his day came to an abrupt and premature end in a barrier. Although the car – in which he and his brother Freddie won a round of the GT Cup in April – was extensively damaged, Hetherington thankfully walked away unscathed. Following the race, both Buncombe and Mardenborough praised their car’s performance, the win moving them up to third in the British GT Championship standings. With four rounds to go they are now strong contenders for the title, which also means that a Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 could well secure a championship crown in its very first season of competition.
The next outing for one of the JRM-built cars is this coming weekend, when GT Academy Team RJN contests round three of the Blancpain Endurance Series at Paul Ricard HTTT in southern France.
Quotes
James Rumsey – Executive Director JRM
“The British GT Championship victory this weekend is another milestone for the Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 and I congratulate GT Academy Team RJN for such an excellent result. From the day we carried out the first test 12-months ago, we always knew the car would be a contender in both domestic and international championships. This win goes to show just how far things have come in a year.”
Bob Neville – Team Principal GT Academy Team RJN
“I’m delighted with the result. The Nissan GT-R ran exceptionally well in the race and I’m sure we would have won by a bigger margin had it not been for the two safety car periods. Both drivers did a fantastic job and reported they were very impressed with the drivability of the car. We’ll keep developing the set-ups on the car and I’m confident, even though we won this weekend, there’s still more to come.”
Source : JRM