Nissan put itself on the V8 Supercars map at Winton Motor Raceway on the weekend, claiming its first race win in its return season to top-level Australian touring car racing.
James Moffat took his and the Nissan Altima’s first race win in the V8 Supercars Championship on Saturday – the first Australian Touring Car race win for Nissan in 21 years.
It was the first time that Nissan has won an Australian Touring Car Championship race since Mark Skaife led home team-mate Jim Richards in the Nissan GT-R (R32) at Oran Park on June 21, 1992.
To make the momentous occasion even better, Moffat led home fellow Norton-backed team-mate Michael Caruso across the line, scoring a memorable one-two result.
The win came after a strong qualifying performance that saw Caruso claim second place on the grid behind three-time series champion Jamie Whincup. The qualifying result was a personal best for Caruso. Moffat started the race from third.Whincup led the opening stages of the 40-lap 60/60 Super Sprint race, only to suffer a mechanical problem early on.
Caruso led the first home in the first part of the race, but at the re-start Moffat got the jump and led the remaining 20 laps.
Sunday’s two races were not as fruitful for Nissan Motorsport, but the encouraging signs remain for the squad as it heads towards the all-important endurance races at Sandown, Bathurst and the Gold Coast.
Kelly finished 14th and 22nd in the first two races of the weekend before an incident with Mark Winterbottom saw him fail to finish the third race as a result of rear suspension damage.
The next event of the V8 Supercars Championship will be the first of the 2013 endurance races – the Wilson Security Sandown 500 on September 13-15.
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