Nissan Joins GRAND-AM as Official Promotional Partner

[GAFRACER]

GRAND-AM as Official Promotional Partner
Feb. 2, 2012

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Nissan has joined GRAND-AM Road Racing as an Official Promotional Partner, becoming the 10th participating original equipment manufacturer.

Nissan will support teams in both the Grand Sport and Street Tuner classes of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. The auto manufacturer will also participate at four GRAND-AM events with its Nissan consumer display.

"GRAND-AM welcomes Nissan's participation in our 2012 OEM partnership program," said GRAND-AM President Tom Bledsoe. "Our concerted effort to embrace international manufacturers continues to bear fruit, and we look forward to seeing Nissan increase its involvement in both classes of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge."

Nissan's GRAND-AM history includes three Rolex Series victories, including the SRP II class in the 2003 Rolex 24 At Daytona in a one-two finish for Team Seattle. Hypersport - today's Dempsey Racing - also ran an Infiniti-powered Doran Daytona Prototype in two 2005 races.

Nissan has four victories in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition, winning two races and finishing second in the 2004 manufacturers' championship standings.

"Nissan is delighted to be a part of an expanding field in GRAND-AM racing," said Ron Stukenberg, Nissan's senior manager of motorsports marketing communications. "Any racing series benefits from diversity and Nissan is happy to add its rich racing tradition to GRAND-AM's growing roster. We anticipate a great season of racing, and we look forward to interacting with racing fans at the Nissan Innovations display and owner car corrals in 2012."

Nissan played a dominant role in American sports car racing in the late 1990s and early 1990s, winning four consecutive IMSA GTP championships beginning in 1988. Scott Pruett scored his first victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 1994 driving a Nissan 300ZX. It was Nissan's second overall triumph in the Rolex 24, following a 1992 win in a Group C Prototype.