Nissan Super2 fleet set to expand
The build of a new car at Nissan Motorsport will see a third Altima join the Dunlop Super2 Series later this season.
Nissan Motorsport has sold a third Altima to Matthew White Motorsport, allowing 18-year-old Territorian Bryce Fullwood to upgrade from a previous generation Ford Falcon.
MWM gave Nissan its Super2 debut in Adelaide last month running Altimas for Jack Le Brocq and Shae Davies alongside Fullwood's Ford.
White had initially hoped to have three Nissans for the start of the season, but the need for Nissan Motorsport to keep a spare saw the plan delayed until Townsville in July.
“We didn't want to release our spare car and then be in an average situation if we have an accident,” Nissan team owner Todd Kelly told Supercars.com.
“It’s still going to be pretty tight to finish building up our current spare for Matt and build a new car by then (Townsville), but it’s certainly achievable.
“It was good that Matt understood the situation and was still able to press forward with his program.”
White says he’s itching to get Fullwood into newer machinery in order to progress the youngster’s career.
Fullwood impressed driving the team’s ex-Prodrive Falcon at the season opening Clipsal 500 and sits eighth in points amid a sea of Next Generation cars.
“We see Bryce as being at a critical point in his career,” White told Supercars.com having fielded the youngster since the 2015 season finale.
“He has done his apprenticeship and he’s racing well and his feedback is good.
“I think he’s going to be a real contender once we get him into the Nissan.”
Le Brocq and Davies meanwhile left Adelaide third and 14th in points respectively, with the former dicing with the front-runners despite engine overheating issues.
“It’s been a massive change for the team,” said White of the transition to the Nissans, which sees MWM lease engines from the main series squad.
“Changing to the Next Generation cars is probably the biggest thing, as well as going from Prodrive Fords to the Nissans.
“We were a little bit on the back foot with the temperatures in Adelaide.
“Being an aluminium block they’re a lot harder to keep cool, so that’s something we’re working on at the moment to give ourselves a bit more margin.
“There are some processes involved with that, including educating the drivers on what to do.
“The cars themselves are substantially different to set up, the whole tool box has changed dramatically so there’s still a fair bit to learn.
“The feedback from the drivers has been really good and consistent which makes it a lot easier.
“Overall we were rapt with it. The car speed was great. I think we had the speed to take it to anyone.”
MWM is also gearing up to run Le Brocq in two rounds of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship as a wildcard, helping the youngster prepare for his Pirtek Enduro Cup duties alongside Todd Kelly.
