Caruso, Moffat Confirmed As Nissans Unveiled
NISSAN Motorsport has today unveiled theirfour-car racing team that will contest the 2013 V8 Supercars Championship.
In a showy launch at the Melbourne showgrounds,the team took the wraps off their 2013 liveries and also confirmed the much-anticipatednews that that Michael Caruso and James Moffat will join the team this season.
Moffat and Caruso will drive a pair of Nortonby Symantec-supported Nissan Altima’s, alongside existing drivers Todd and RickKelly, under the Norton 360 Racing banner.
The Kelly brothers will continue to sport theJack Daniel’s colours they have worn for the entire time they have raced fortheir own team.
The announcement of the new sponsors anddrivers comes almost 12 months to the day that the team announced they had securedthe support of the first manufacturer to compete in V8 Supercars outside ofexisting rivals Holden and Ford.
This year will mark 21 years since Nissanlast supported a team in Australia’s premier Touring Car category.
Caruso joins the team following five yearsdriving Holden’s at Garry Rogers Motorsport – his departure from the FujitsuRacing outfit finalised earlier this month when the team confirmed Alex Prematwould return alongside rookie teammate Scott McLaughlin this year.
Moffat moves to Nissan Motorsport following two seasons with Dick Johnson Racing, and continues the longstandingrelationship with Norton and Toshiba – brands who have sponsored much of hiscareer and now appear on the Nissan Altima he will race this year.
The team has unveiled the livery of both cars– the Jack Daniel’s vehicles sporting a similar theme to their existing blackand white livery that is familiar to V8 Supercar fans thanks to theirlongstanding involvement in the sport.
The Norton entries sport a bold, yellow andblack livery – with both cars sporting red highlights within the Nissanbranding.
Though the Nissan Motorsport Altima wasformally unveiled to the public late last year, today marks the first time thatthe entire outfit has been seen in what the team is calling their ‘combatcolours’.
“Last October we unveiled the Nissan AltimaV8 Supercar but today, we’re unveiling the Nissan Motorsport team,” says NissanAustralia Managing Director and CEO William F Peffer Jr.
“Our Altima’s are now in combat colours andready for battle. Nissan is thrilled to be partnering with strong, globalbrands like Jack Daniel’s and Norton.
“Nissan has a raft of new models soon to bereleased in Australia, including the all-new Altima sedan. The 2013 V8 SupercarChampionship is an important part of the Nissan Altmia’s marketing strategy.Australian new car buyers will have an entire year to get to know the Altimaname and shape before it goes on sale later this year.
“The V8 Supercar Championship is also a greatenvironment to showcase our brand and the innovation and excitement Nissanseeks to deliver.”
The Nissan Motorsport Altima’s have completeda series of aerodynamic testing and were recently signed off by V8 Supercars intheir final specification they will compete with this year.
The team has confirmed all four of theirAltima’s will be on track at the official V8 Supercars pre-season test atSydney Motorsport Park this Saturday, February 16.
Stay tuned to V8Supercars.com.au as we continue our coverage from the Nissan Motorsport launch today, as we catch up with Nissan's management plus the four drivers.
