Nissan DeltaWing and LMP2 teams ready for Le Mans 24 Hour – Nissan power a quarter of 2012 field

June 7, 2012

• Nissan engines used by 25 percent of the field, more than any other manufacturer
• More than half the LMP2 field – 13 out of 20 cars – Powered by Nissan
• Revolutionary Nissan DeltaWing – which aims to use half the fuel and tyres of conventional racers – ready for race debut after successful Le Mans test
• Former Le Mans 24 Hour winner and Formula 1 driver (now F1 commentator) Martin Brundle returns to Le Mans to race with son Alex
• Australian driver John Martin will be Powered by Nissan in LMP2 – racing in the #25 ADR-Delta entry
• GT Academy graduates Lucas Ordonez and Jordan Tresson competing in Nissan LMP2 entries
• Nissan entries won both pole (Signatech) and class victory (Greaves) in LMP2 class in 2011 Le Mans 24 Hour

Nissan DeltaWing ready for race debut after successful Le Mans test

The revolutionary Nissan DeltaWing is ready for next weekend's 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans after successfully completing the pre-event test at the classic French circuit.

Invited to compete under the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's 'Garage 56' classification that showcases new and innovative technology, the Nissan DeltaWing completed 54 laps at last Sunday's official test day with drivers Michael Krumm, Satoshi Motoyama and Marino Franchitti at the wheel.

The team enjoyed a virtual trouble-free day and completed every lap but one on a single set of Michelin slick tyres. A sole lap on wet tyres during a brief rain shower was the only time the team switched tyres all day.

Motoyama completed the fastest lap of the day at 3 minutes, 47.980 seconds. The Nissan DeltaWing technical team led by concept originator Ben Bowlby, believe they are comfortably within reach of their target pace of 3 minutes, 45 seconds as requested by race officials.

The unique Nissan DeltaWing features half the weight, half the horsepower and half the aerodynamic drag of a typical prototype and is expected to enjoy significantly lower tire and fuel consumption.

Powered by a 300 horsepower 1.6 litre Nissan DIG-T turbocharged engine, the Nissan DeltaWing also features specially developed Michelin tyres which are four inches wide at the front.

Official practice kicks off on Wednesday June 8, with the race staged on June 16/17.

Nissan set to defend LMP2 crown at Le Mans with star-studded driver line-up

Nissan will be the dominant force at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours, with a quarter of all entries Powered by Nissan.

Nissan's defence of the Le Mans 24 Hour LMP2 crown began in earnest with the official test day on Sunday, with all of the drivers completed the mandatory 10 laps to qualify them to take part in the 2012 event.

Leading the charge in the LMP2 class, in which NISMO-produced Nissan units power more than half of the competing cars (13 of 20 entries), are Nissan's partner teams, Signatech Nissan (2011 Le Mans LMP2 polesitter) and Greaves Motorsport (2011 Le Mans LMP2 category race winner).

Among the drivers vying for LMP2 victory this year will be two graduates of Nissan's unique GT Academy initiative, which has made motorsport careers a reality for Playstation 3 gamers; Lucas Ordonez – who will share his car with ex-Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle –- and second GTA champion, Jordan Tresson.

Last weekend's test marked the return of Martin Brundle to Le Mans, competing for the Greaves Motorsport team alongside his son Alex who is racing in his first Le Mans and Nissan's first GT Academy winner in Ordonez. The Spaniard finished in second place in LMP2 last year and is gunning to go one place higher this year.

The second winner of GT Academy, Jordan Tresson, also took to the incredible Le Mans track for the first time at the weekend in the Signatech Nissan LMP2 car.

Martin Brundle has come back to Le Mans so he can share the experience of the world's greatest race with his son, Alex. Taking to the track today has brought back many memories for the winner of the 1990 Le Mans 24 Hours.

After the successful Le Mans debut of Ordonez in 2011, Tresson becomes the second GT Academy winner to be promoted through the ranks to the Le Mans 24 Hours. With Tresson in the Signatech Nissan and Ordonez in the Greaves Nissan, this is the first time that two GT Academy winners will compete against each other in a world-class event.

Australian John Martin looking to win LMP2 glory for Nissan in Le Mans debut

Australian driver John Martin makes his Le Mans debut this year for the ADR-Delta team under the watchful eye of team boss and expatriate Australian Alan Docking.

Martin recently took pole position at the most recent round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the Spa Francorchamps circuit, finishing second in the WEC LMP2 classification, therefore leading that category's points standings entering Le Mans.

Martin, who celebrates his 28th birthday on June 8 just a week before the race, will team with Tor Graves and Jan Charouz in the #25 ADR Delta Oreca 03 Nissan.

The Queenslander will be looking to join the likes of Vern Schuppan (1983), Geoff Brabham (1993) and David Brabham (2009) as Australians to take victory at the Le Mans 24 Hour.

GT Academy graduates Lucas Ordonez and Jordan Tresson competing in Nissan LMP2 entries

Nissan's involvement in LMP2 is similarly ground-breaking, thanks to the presence of GT Academy graduates – Spaniard, Lucas Ordonez and Frenchman, Jordan Tresson.

Winner of the first Nissan GT Academy in 2008, Ordonez finished second in LMP2 at Le Mans in 2011 and this year will race with the Greaves Motorsport team alongside 1990 Le Mans 24 Hour winner and former F1 racer, Martin Brundle and his son Alex.

Also aiming to become the first gamer-turned-racer to win Le Mans outright, Tresson – winner of the second GT Academy in 2010 – joins 2011 Le Mans LMP2 winner, Olivier Lombard and runner-up, Franck Mailleux, at the Signatech Nissan team.

About GT Academy
GT Academy is a project created by Nissan and PlayStation that grants wings to the dreams of Gran Turismo players. Gamers who prove their skill within the Academy programme may win the chance to become real racing drivers on real life circuits. Since its start in 2008, there have been four winners who have grabbed this golden ticket to racing. And all of them are achieving fabulous results at racing circuits today.

The first winner, the Spaniard Lucas Ordonez achieved 2nd place in his debut season of 2009, in the FIA GT4 series. In 2011 he stepped up to the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, winning the series championship and ranking 2nd in the LMP class at the world famous Le Mans 24 Hour Race.

The second winner, Frenchman Jordan Tresson won his class in the 2011 Spa 24 Hour race, and has also achieved a class championship win in the Blancpain Endurance series. Last year's English winner Jann Mardenborough is also following in the steps of Tresson, racing in the Blancpain Endurance Series this year in a Nissan GT-R.

In addition, the excitement of the GT Academy has crossed the Atlantic to North America, where their first year winner Brian Heitkotter is taking on the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge this year in a Nissan 370 NISMO RC.

2012 Le Mans 24 Hour – Race Preview and Post-Test Day Quotes:

JOHN MARTIN – ADR Delta – #25 Oreca 03 Nissan
"I'm really looking forward to racing at Le Mans. It hasn't really sunk in that I will be racing at one of the world's largest motorsport events.

"I feel very privileged to be one of very few Australians that get the opportunity to race at the Le Mans 24 Hour. With our Nissan-powered Oreca I believe our ADR-Delta team have a really good chance of achieving a great result in what is a very competitive LMP2 category.

"It's an exciting time to be racing with Nissan, with over half the entries in LMP2 powered by Nissan and the Nissan DeltaWing making it's racing debut at Le Mans, which is certain to draw a lot of attention. And, of course, there is a lot of talk back home in Australia about Nissan entering V8 Supercars next season.

"Hopefully my week goes to plan and our team can give Nissan a victory at Le Mans. It would be a dream come true to stand on that famous podium on Sunday afternoon."

MARTIN BRUNDLE – Greaves Motorsport – #42 Zytek Z11SN Nissan
"I had to pinch myself in the driver's briefing to believe that I was really here. It is a rare privilege to race at Le Mans again; something I didn't think would happen in my lifetime.

"We have had a good day testing and it is a case of mission accomplished for us. I didn't manage to get a single clear lap, which has never happened to me before, but we have finished the day with a nicely balanced car.

"It is a good starting point for our race week so it will be good to pick it up again when we come back. I was a little worried at lunchtime but we had a great afternoon and we are very happy with the position we are in."

LUCAS ORDONEZ – Greaves Motorsport – #42 Zytek Z11SN Nissan
"The car was a bit tricky at the rear to start with but we spent the rest of the day working through set-up changes and we have found a good balance now.

"The car feels amazing through the Porsche Curves so that is a lot of fun every lap. I think we are in a good position with the car for next week. I felt a little rusty in the morning but the test day has blown away the cobwebs and I'm ready for Le Mans."

JORDAN TRESSON – Signatech Nissan – #23 Oreca 03 Nissan
"The test day has been amazing for me. I first came here two years ago as a spectator, then last year I was here working as an engineer. To be here as a driver though is something else, especially taking an LMP2 car through the Porsche Curves at full racing speed.

"I have been practicing day and night on my PlayStation and I must say that GT5 is very accurate. We did a lot of hard work today and we feel like we are used to the track now."

PAUL WILCOX – Senior Vice President, Nissan in Europe
"This year's Le Mans 24 Hours will be our biggest yet and the Nissan DeltaWing shows the direction we are looking to take with motorsport technology in the future. We are already dominant in LMP2, where teams know that we can help them win, while the DeltaWing project is the kind of experiment in design and technology that only a company as forward-thinking and bold as Nissan could get behind.

"As a test bed for future road car and motorsport innovations, there is no greater, more publicly-scrutinised laboratory than the Le Mans 24 Hours for the experiment that DeltaWing represents, but the concept will prove that the technology for a vastly more efficient future is viable now, whether the car finishes the race or not."

MARINO FRANCHITTI – #0 Nissan DeltaWing
"We've certainly had a very productive test day and it has been great to get so many laps under our belt. Other than the one lap I did on wets, we spent the entire day on a single set of Michelin tyres which is quite amazing.

"The important thing for us was to get Michael and Satoshi qualified for the race and we achieved that quite easily. I'm really pleased for everyone involved in putting the Nissan DeltaWing program together. There has been an enormous amount of work and it is very gratifying that today has gone well.

"I've really been looking forward to driving the car and it didn't disappoint. We gathered a lot of data which we'll examine over the next week and work on making the car even better."

MICHAEL KRUMM – #0 Nissan DeltaWing
"We had a great day and ran without any issues or troubles all day – that is fantastic for the project. We tested out different setups, collected data, worked on fuel consumption and everything went very well with all of that.

"We managed to meet our targets on fuel consumption which was great. All in all, it was a really successful test. We're now going to analyse all the data and looking forward to next week. We hope we can continue to run without trouble.

"It is also great for me to be back at Le Mans. Some things have changed around the circuit but all the improvements have are really good. The car feels great around here. I was a little concerned about how the Nissan DeltaWing would feel through the Porsche Curves but it is absolutely fantastic and very stable. You can push really hard - so much fun to drive. I can't wait for the race."

SATOSHI MOTOYAMA – #0 Nissan DeltaWing
"It has been 13 years since I raced here and I was a little nervous before the test as I had to try to remember everything about the circuit. But it was a very good test and everything went far better than I expected. The Nissan DeltaWing felt really strong and it was great to get in plenty of laps because I now feel really comfortable in the car.

"There are fans around the world who are eagerly awaiting the chance to see this car run at Le Mans. That does provide a bit of added pressure but I am really looking to the race and it is great to be back at Le Mans again."

BEN BOWLBY – Originator and Designer, Nissan DeltaWing
"I'm certainly very happy with the (test day) results. It would have been tragic if we had been plagued with technical issues when we were just trying to get drivers qualified for the race.

"We've shown the ACO that we've met their desired criteria to run a lap time of around 3 minutes, 45 seconds in around the same cadence as everyone else on pit stops. We're very close to that time so you'd have to say today has been a great success. The physics didn't lie and we've produced a car that does what it says on the box.

"There is still a lot of preparation to do this week and there is everything to play for. We have to be very sensible about it and try to put on a good show for Nissan and Michelin."

DARREN COX – General Manager, Nissan in Europe
"Myself and everyone from Nissan are very happy with how the test day went and Ben Bowlby and all the team should certainly have a smile on their face. Ben (Bowlby) certainly looks like he has aged 20 years in the last five weeks.

"There was a huge amount of tension in the garage as there was a lot of apprehension as to how things would go, but everyone knew individually they had all done the best job possible. Everyone's efforts have been rewarded with a great day."

DON PANOZ – Managing Partner, Nissan DeltaWing
"I am very pleased for everyone involved in the project from the race team, Nissan, Michelin, our suppliers and partners. We've been working on an extreme tight time frame to bring their dream to fruition and having such a strong day today puts a real spring in everyone's step.

"There is still a lot of work to do for the race. However, our plan is to just work hard on demonstrating the concept. We're not going to charge over kerbs, chasing fast times or taking risks – this is all about completing 24 hours of Le Mans using significantly less resources that anybody else. I'm very proud of everyone's efforts and really looking forward to the race."

NISSAN DELTAWING – Technical Specifications:

The experimental Nissan DeltaWing will make its race debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 16/17. The most innovative and ground-breaking motorsport concept of its generation, the Nissan DeltaWing aims to complete the famous endurance race using half the fuel and half the tyre material of a conventional LMP race car. Visit www.deltawingracing.com for further information.

THE NISSAN VK45DE V8 LMP2 ENGINE – Technical Specifications:

The NISMO-tuned Nissan VK45DE 4.5L naturally-aspirated V8 engine has been supplied to 10 teams for Le Mans, for 13 LMP2 cars. The engine is an evolution of the VK45DE, which was originally developed for GT500 cars in the Japanese Super GT series and its performance, durability, and reliability are race proven.

In 2011 a Nissan-powered car won every round of the Le Mans Series, along with the Le Mans Series title, the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup title and first and second place in the LMP2 class at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Nissan Drivers of Note:

#0 Nissan DeltaWing

Marino Franchitti
Marino Franchitti has had a long and successful career in sportscars. His experience and his history with Highcroft Racing made him the ideal man to drive Nissan DeltaWing.

Michael Krumm
Michael's career has taken him all over the world but the focus of his racing has been in Japan where he is a NISMO contracted driver. Michael is married to professional tennis player, Kimiko Date-Krumm.

Satoshi Motoyama
Satoshi's career has been predominately based in his native country, Japan, where he has been multiple champion of Formula Nippon and Super GT. He has also raced for Nissan at Le Mans.

ADR Delta – #25 Oreca 03 Nissan (LMP2)

John Martin
John Martin was raised in Blackwater in rural Queensland and now splits his time between Yeppoon, Queensland and Silverstone, England. He won the 2006 Australian Formula Ford Championship before turning his attention to European racing, where he is a race winner in the British Formula Ford Championship and Superleague Formula Championship.

Greaves Motorsport – #42 Zytek Z11SN Nissan (LMP2)

Alex Brundle
Alex Brundle has competed in both single-seaters and sportscars in recent years. In 2012 he teams up with his father, Martin, to take on the Le Mans 24 Hours. He will also compete in the full European Le Mans Series with Greaves Motorsport.

Martin Brundle
Martin Brundle brings vast experience to the Greaves Motorsport team. He spent a total of nine years in Formula One and has also set pole position at and won the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Lucas Ordonez
Lucas was studying for an MBA when he saw an advertisement for the GT Academy. He entered and won the inaugural competition in 2008 and since then has worked his way up Nissan's sportscar racing ladder, through FIA GT4 and ILMC before making his Le Mans debut last year, finishing second in LMP2.

Signatech Nissan – #23 Oreca 03 Nissan (LMP2)

Franck Mailleux
Franck actually started his career on two wheels, winning major BMX and mountain-biking championships. Success followed in single-seaters before his switch to sportscar racing in 2009.

Jordan Tresson
Frenchman Jordan won the second GT Academy in 2010 and has followed Ordonez through the ranks of Nissan's sportscar racing programme, winning the GT4 class in last year's Blancpain Endurance Series.

Olivier Lombard
Olivier Lombard burst into the limelight in 2011 when he joined the Greaves Motorsport team and promptly won Le Mans in LMP2.