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Nissan Altimas Have the Speed!

09 Mar 2014
Now consistency and top 10 finishes are needed.
3 mins by James Pavey
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Nissan Motorsport is confident the Altima V8 Supercar now has the straight line speed to contend with its rivals. The next challenge is to post consistent results reflecting that. 

That was something the two Jack Daniel’s Altimas driven by Rick and Todd Kelly and the Norton Hornets of James Moffat and Michael Caruso could not achieve at the Championship-opening Clipsal 500 Adelaide.

Between the four cars there were two engine changes, four drive-through penalties, a steering failure, a broken throttle pedal and at least two significant race-changing on-track altercations including one in which Red Bull’s Jamie Whincup ran into Caruso, broke his rear suspension and ended a real chance of a top five finish in Sunday’s Race Three.

Yet the four drivers were also able to claim three top 10 qualifying positions over the three sessions and five top 10 race finishes in Saturday’s two 125km races and Sunday’s 250km mini marathon.

The end result was that Rick Kelly stands fourth in the Drivers’ Championship, Moffat 10th and Caruso 11th. Todd Kelly, who endured the worst luck including a DNF on Sunday, languishes 20th on the points table.

“The pace is there,” Todd Kelly, who is also team technical director and co-owner, told v8supercars.com.au. “There is certainly enough speed there to build on to have a good year.”

The Altimas entered the Clipsal 500 Adelaide with a revised aerodynamic package homologated over the summer to replace the original set-up, which the team believed was producing too much drag and slowing acceleration beyond 220km/h.

Kelly said the changes undoubtedly worked on the Adelaide Parklands street circuit.

“We can stay with the cars in front and not get gobbled up from behind. It (the new aero) has moved us up a little bit in our pace relative to everyone else.

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“There were a lot of times we were right in the top 10 there and our genuine pace is realistically between fifth and 10th – not better than that – and we just have to make sure we finish between fifth and 10th.”

Kelly made the point that qualifying and racing consistently in that bracket meant avoiding the midfield scrums and wrecks and being in great position to move forward when dramas happen up front.

“If you can be between fifth and 10th regularly that’s when things happen and you end up on podiums and you accumulate good, solid points.” 

And what about consistently showing the pace to qualify and race between fifth and first? Kelly says that’s dependant on continued upgrades, including engine performance boosts expected by mid-season.

“There are plenty of development items in the pipeline to move forward from where we are. It’s just a matter of getting them in the car, including the engine bits and pieces and so on. It can’t happen fast enough.”

While pleased about the overall performance, Kelly was frustrated to again be the lowliest placed on points of the four Nissan drivers. Pre-season he told v8supercars.com.au he was desperate to move up the rankings and avoid again becoming the operation’s testing guinea pig.

His problems included a Saturday engine change after a broken valve and a “once in a  lifetime” throttle pedal breakage on Sunday.

“It’s just disappointing to leave the first round right up the end of the field in the points,” he lamented. “The very start of the year and we are already on the back foot. But we just forget about that now and try and get some good results.

“I am really looking forward to Albert Park. I really enjoy that place and I reckon the cars will be quite good there this year.”

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