Moffat set to Make International Driving Debut

V8 Supercars race winner James Moffat will make his international debut next month in the 2014 Dubai 24 Hour at the Dubai Autodrome in the United Arab Emirates.

This will be the first time an Australian Nissan driver has been used in the Nismo Global Driver Exchange program, which opens the door for the company’s roster of race drivers to compete in different events across the world.

Moffat will trade his #360 Norton Nissan Altima for the Nissan 370Z Nismo for the Championship-winning Nissan GT Academy Team RJN in the endurance event, to be held from January 9-11 in 2014.

After a breakthrough year in V8 Supercars, recording his maiden win at Winton Motor Raceway in August, Moffat has been handpicked to take part in the event.

“Australian James Moffat has impressed me this year in the competitive V8 Supercars Championship, not only with his win, but his speed and application across the season,” Nissan Global Motorsports Director Darren Cox said.  

“I am very pleased that we can now offer him this chance on the world stage.”

The 29-year old ‘Norton Hornet’ driver was pleased to be chosen to represent Nissan internationally.

“It’s great to be involved with the Nissan GT Academy Team RJN for the Dubai 24 Hours,” Moffat said.

“We’ve been fortunate to race our regular V8 Supercars in different parts of the world, but this will be a totally new and different experience for me in the 370Z Nismo.

“I’ve also never raced in a 24 Hour event before, so that will be a new challenge – adapting to a new car, around a foreign track and racing in the dark!

“I’m looking forward to being a part of the Nismo Global Driver Exchange program, and we’ll be aiming to finish as high as we can in Dubai.”

Moffat will be joined in the #126 370Z ‘international’ entry by former F1 driver Karun Chandhok, FIA World Endurance Championship driver Tor Graves, Middle Eastern GT Academy winner Salman Al Khater and South African GT Academy winner Ashley Oldfield.

The team’s #123 car will see Lucas Ordonez, Miguel Faisca, Florian Strauss, Nick McMillen and Stansislav Aksenov behind the wheel. The two Nissan 370Z Nismo machines will compete against a total field of over 80 entered race cars.

Ordonez earlier this year had the opportunity to test a Nissan V8 Supercar as part of the Nismo Global Driver Exchange and now it is Moffat’s turn to participate in a swap. Rick Kelly will be the next to participate in the program at the 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour.