Nissan is rolling out its latest racer for the first big race of the 2012 season: the Nissan GT-R GT3 will compete in the Dubai 24 Hours Jan. 13.
The Nissan GT-R GT3, developed in conjunction with JRM Racing, which took the GT-R GT1 to victory in its first season in FIA GT1 competition, will debut in Dubai, driven by Michael Krumm, Tom Kimber-Smith, Franck Mailleux, and Alex Buncombe.
Michael Krumm is one of the drivers who earned the GT-R GT1 its 2011 championship win; he also drove Nissans to titles I Super GT 2005–2007) and five JGTC titles. Tom Kimber-Smith won the LMS LMP2 championship and the Le Mans 24 P2 class in 2011, which he also won in 2006. Franck Mailleux won the 2011 ILMC LMP2 title, and Alex Buncombe took the 2011 Blancpain GT4 crown for RJN Racing, repeating his 2009 achievement. He, like his co-drivers, has many seasons of 24-hour racing experience.
“2011 was a great year for Nissan and I am very much looking forward to racing the new GT3 car in Dubai,” said Michael Krumm in Nissan press release. “The Nissan GT-R took us all the way to the top in 2011 so I hope we can have a good race with the new car.”
Along with the GT-RGT3, Nissan is also entering a Nissan 370Z piloted by past and present Nissan/PlayStation GT Academy graduates.
Many people thought Nissan execs were crazy when they announced that the best Playstation video racers would get a shot at a ride in a real car. When 2008 winner Lucas Ordonez turned his video-gaming ability into a successful pro racing career, minds changed.
