Nissan customer team KCMG will contest this weekend’s FIA GT World Cup with a trio of Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 entries for Tsugio Matsuda, Alex Imperatori and Oliver Jarvis.
All three drivers have driven for KCMG throughout 2018, with the trio contesting this year’s Suzuka 10 hour and Matsuda and Imperatori racing in two and four rounds, respectively, in the Blancpain GT Series Asia.
The 6.120km street circuit in the former Portuguese territory is one of the longest and most spectacular street circuits in the world.
First used in 1954, the 19-turn circuit is unique with a 30-meter variation between its highest and lowest points, an incredibly fast and long front straight featuring two flat-out kinks offset by one of the slowest corners in the world – the seven-meter-wide Melco hairpin.
Matsuda will make his return to the Macau circuit after previously finishing fourth here in the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix in 1999.
“Macau is a very challenging course, but I’m really looking forward to racing there again,” Matsuda said.
“I remember fighting side-by-side with Jenson Button in Formula 3 down to the first corner at Lisboa. It was a shame I couldn’t get one more spot and get on the podium but hopefully, I can do that in the FIA GT World Cup.
“I think we should be very strong. The Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 was very fast when I drove it in Blancpain GT Series Asia and I’m looking forward to seeing how the car will perform in Macau.”
On-track action begins on Thursday with the first practice session. Qualifying is on Friday followed by a 12-lap qualifying race on Saturday and Sunday’s final 18-lap battle for the FIA GT World Cup.
This weekend will also feature the FIA WEC in neighboring China with the ByKOLLES team doing battle in Shanghai.
The Nissan-powered team finished fifth in the last round at Fuji Speedway with James Rossiter, Tom Dillmann, and Oliver Webb at the wheel.
The Chinese race is the final 2018 race of the 2018/19 FIA WEC Super Season, which will finish at next year’s Le Mans 24 Hour. The series resumes at Sebring International Raceway in March.
Source. Nissan
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