Sportscar News: Nissan/NMC announces motorsports programs

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Nissan Motorsports & Customizing Co., Ltd. (NMC) today announced the outline of their motorsports activities for 2024.

“Nissan has always walked hand in hand with motorsports. Only three years after its foundation, Nissan began in motorsports, and over the following 87 years has been competing in a variety of categories – honing skills and technologies. This year NISMO is celebrating its 40th anniversary,” said Takao Katagiri, head of Nissan Motor’s Motorsport Business Unit and CEO of NMC.

“To help achieve a carbon-neutral society, Nissan is also promoting electrification in motorsports and has been participating in the FIA Formula E World Championship since 2018. This March, a Formula E race will be held in Tokyo for the first time, showcasing the exhilarating and powerful performance of Formula E to fans in Japan. In the Super GT and GT4 categories, Nissan/NMC will develop and supply race cars based on the Nissan Z NISMO. The companies aim to build cars and engage in motorsports with more passion than ever before, bringing even greater excitement to fans all over the world.”

Works programs

ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
Nissan races in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship to bring the excitement and fun of zero-emission electric vehicles to a global audience. Season 10 marks Nissan’s sixth year in the series, with the campaign already underway.

This season is the second of the Gen3 regulations, which saw rule changes to enable more power and higher speeds. After a promising debut campaign last year, Sacha Fenestraz remains with the team in the #23 car, while Oliver Rowland returns in the #22 Nissan e-4ORCE 04 after two seasons away from the squad. The duo put in a competitive performance at the recent Diriyah E-Prix, with Rowland taking pole position and a podium finish, while Fenestraz secured strong points.

ABB FIA Formula E World Championship

Super GT GT500 class
Nissan/NMC will compete in the Super GT’s GT500 class together with the four teams which field the Nissan Z NISMO GT500, based on the Nissan Z NISMO, aiming to regain the series championship.

Super GT GT500 class 

Customer Racing Programs

GT3 programs
Nissan/NMC will continue to support the teams competing in the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 under FIA GT3 regulations.

In the Super GT’s GT300 class, they will compete with the official partner teams and customer teams, aiming to regain the championship title with the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3. They will also provide technical support to all the customer teams participating in Super Taikyu Series ST-X class and GT World Challenge Asia.

Super GT GT300 class

^{*Official partner teams}

Super Taikyu Series ST-X class

GT World Challenge Asia

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GT4 program
Nissan/NMC will supply the Nissan Z NISMO GT4 (pending homologation), based on the Nissan Z NISMO, to customer teams and provide technical support.

Super Taikyu Series ST-Z class (three units)

GT4 America Championship (four units)

Other programs

NMC will also provide technical support to customer teams participating in races with Nissan vehicles. In addition, they will supply engines for the LMP3 class around the globe.

Super GT GT300 class (GTA GT300 regulation)
The GTA GT300 regulation Fairlady Z (RZ34), which is being uniquely developed by Gainer Inc., will participate in the Super GT GT300 class.

Super Taikyu Series ST-3 class
Two Fairlady Z NISMO RC are scheduled to be entered by Okabejidosha motorsport.

Engine supply programs
Nissan/NMC will continue to supply the VK56 engine to all teams competing in LMP3 races around the globe. The engine will be used in series such as the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge in North America; the European Le Mans Series; the Michelin Le Mans Cup; the Ultimate Cup Series; the German Prototype Cup in Europe; and the Asian Le Mans Series in the Middle East and Asia.

Other activities

Nissan Mechanic Challenge
This season also Nissan and the Nissan Automobile Technical College will again continue the Nissan Mechanic Challenge, a human resources development program conducted through racing activities. Under this program, technical staff from Nissan dealerships and students from Nissan Automobile Technical College participate in the Super GT GT300 class and Super Taikyu series, aiming to improve their technical skills and teamwork through activities with professional race mechanics.

NISMO Driving Academy
Nissan/NMC will again host sports driving lessons this year for users of NISMO road cars, the Nissan GT-R, Fairlady Z and Skyline 400R. With Masataka Yanagida as the new principal and Masami Kageyama and Tetsuya Tanaka as the vice principals, NISMO contracted drivers will provide direct instruction. Classes have been set up to suit all levels, from classes to learn the basics of sports driving while experiencing the full potential of your car, which cannot be experienced on public roads, to practical driving on short circuits. The venue circuits and dates will be announced on the website later.

NISMO Festival
This year, NMC plans to again hold its fan appreciation event, the NISMO Festival.