- Nissan becomes first Japanese car company honored as featured marque during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca
- More than 50 vintage Nissan and Datsun racecars help celebrate fans’ brand passion
- Nissan Formula E race car to highlight next generation of motorsports at Nissan
- Much anticipated North American debut of new Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign
MONTEREY, Calif. – The organizers of the 2018 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (RMMR) recognize Nissan as the first-ever Japanese featured marque. Held annually during Monterey Car Week, which features the world-renowned Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, the RMMR is one of the most prestigious vintage racing events in North America.
“Since the first Nissan race win in 1936 in Tokyo with the supercharged Datsun NL-75, motorsports has been a core element of the company’s success – redefining the limits of man and machine, fostering ambition, stoking passion and cultivating a tireless drive for victory – all of which continues today,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s global design chief. “For others, the cool marine layer and dew-covered fescue of Pebble Beach creates a perfect stage for beautifully-restored cars of significance, but Nissan is a brand that is quite at home spending the week powering down the corkscrew at Laguna Seca.”
Over the past 50 years, Nissan (and Datsun) has won more than 100 Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) National Championships and more than 200 races in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) competition in the U.S.
More than 50 Nissan/Datsun race cars have registered to compete on track at RMMR this year. These include IMSA champion Steve Millen in his Daytona and Le Mans-winning Nissan 300ZX Turbo and Hall of Fame racer John Morton driving the BRE Datsun 240Z. Comedian and vintage car collector Adam Carolla will drive his SCCA National GT-1 Championship 300ZX Turbo, originally raced by Paul Newman.
“The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion has honored a variety of legendary marques steeped in racing history since the event began in 1974,” said Barry Toepke, vice president of communication and historic racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. “Never before has a Japanese automaker been so honored. We wanted to change that course and feature Nissan and Datsun because the brands resonate internationally and have fully established their racing pedigree. We felt it was time to recognize and honor the Nissan brand for its past, present and future.”
A variety of historic Nissans also will be on display in the paddock, including the original BRE Datsun 510 John Morton drove to the 1971 and 1972 SCCA titles, the GTP ZX-Turbo Geoff Brabham piloted to eight consecutive wins and an International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) driver’s championship in 1988 and Bob Sharp’s four-time SCCA C-Production Champion 240Z.
Nissan North America has curated a special collection of 14 cars in its paddock area display, three of which are making U.S. debuts: the 1969 Japan Grand Prix winning Nissan R382, the one-of-a kind Nissan R390 GT1 road car and the just-introduced Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign.
“After making a grand global entrance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, I can’t think of a better setting than Laguna Seca for the North American debut of the GT-R50 by Italdesign,” said Albaisa. “Monterey Car Week is a special place and time for automotive aficionados, collectors and dreamers.”
Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the brand’s vision for bringing leading technologies to the market is on-display through the 2019 Altima and the 2018 Nissan LEAF, featuring ProPILOT Assist and the all new Nissan Formula E race car, which previews the next generation of Nissan motorsports.
In addition to the collection of special cars, Nissan’s large paddock display will feature Adam Carolla’s popular “CarCast” podcast live from noon to 1 p.m. PDT (3 – 4 p.m. EDT) Saturday, Aug. 25. Legendary driver, designer and car builder Peter Brock will join Carolla to talk about the beginning of BRE and the team’s run to history more than 50 years ago.
For more information on the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, including race schedules, entry lists and up-to-the-minute event updates, go to www.weathertechraceway.com/rolex-monterey-motorsports-reunion. Spectator tickets are available at http://www.weathertechraceway.com/ticket-information
About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.nissanusa.com and www.infinitiusa.com, or visit the U.S. media sites nissannews.com and infinitinews.com.
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2017, the company sold 5.77 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.9 trillion yen. On April 1, 2017, the company embarked on Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, a six-year plan targeting a 30% increase in annualized revenues to 16.5 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2022, along with cumulative free cash flow of 2.5 trillion yen. As part of Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, the company plans to extend its leadership in electric vehicles, symbolized by the world’s best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia Oceania; Africa, the Middle East India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors in 2016. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is today the world’s largest automotive partnership, with combined sales of more than 10.6 million vehicles in calendar year 2017.
For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
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Contact
Steve Yaeger
Manager, Product and Heritage Communications
615-725-4443
steve.yaeger@nissan-usa.com