"Fred Smith" (porsche9146)
08/24/2013 at 03:23 • Filed to: V8 Supercars
5
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"Fred Smith" (porsche9146)
08/24/2013 at 03:23 • Filed to: V8 Supercars | 5
| 39 |
Nissan's first season in V8 Supercars was a bit of a struggle early, with few good finishes (or finishes at all!) to show for the converted Kelly Racing program, but something quite special happened today. In Winton, Victoria, Australia, James Moffat finally delivered on his development series promise and lead a 1-2 for the Norton-backed Kelly Racing Nissan squad.
The pace at Winton this weekend is surprising for Nissan, but not entirely unprecedented. The team was also quite quick at the Circuit Of The Americas round in Austin, but struggled otherwise for the majority of the season. In a wet practice session yesterday, the group lead a session on pace, and it proved that this weekend might see something special. What followed truly was, as a Nissan again lead in practice today and the two Norton backed "second team" Kelly Nissans (though all four cars are run out of the same shop) qualified second and third, even despite a late spin by Michael Caruso on a lap that could have lead the #36 Nissan to pole.
However, reigning champion Jamie Whincup took pole, and to many that lead to the assumption of another easy runaway for the Red Bull Racing Australia driver. Yet, just nine laps into the forty lap race, Whincup's Holden lost power from the lead, and the eternal V8 Supercar dominator walked back to the garage to merely observe the remainder of the event. With just eleven laps left before the half time break, second place starter Michael Caruso lead team mate James Moffat and a charging Ford of Mark Winterbottom by just a few seconds. Winterbottom seemed to have the pace to pass both, but had a fuel issue late and ultimately had to dial back his pace, allowing to the two Nissans to finish the first half in the order they ran.
At halftime, Nissan was in the best position they had ever been in a V8 Supercar race (and the best position they'd been in during a touring car race in Australia since the early 90s), but their leading drivers were two inexperienced drivers known more for causing issues on track than for winning. There were fears that the rolling double file restart that signaled the beginning of the second half could lead to an incident between the two young Nissan pilots that would take the program from it's strongest ever day with the Japanese marque to a day headlined by a fifteenth-or-so run by team co-owner Todd Kelly. However, this was not the case. On the restart, James Moffat got the best of his Kelly Racing team mate and took a lead that he would not relinquish.
20 laps and one absolutely insane ten car battle for sixth later, Moffat went on to score his first ever V8 Supercar win, and in doing so gave Nissan the same honors. Jason Bright passed Mark Winterbottom in the second half to take the final step on the podium, while former leader Michael Caruso held second place to complete Nissan's 1-2, their first in Australian touring cars since 1991. Despite falling to fourth, Winterbottom still had a great day, finishing a full 24 positions ahead of title rival Jamie Whincup.
The next two V8 Supercar races at Winton takes place tomorrow, and can be caught live anywhere in the world (save New Zealand) via the official V8 Superview streaming service, available for purchase at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . These events will be a pair of hundred kilometer sprints separated by about two hours.
(Title photo via MySanAntonio.com)
offroadkarter
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 03:31 |
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nissan.... V8.... volvo sponsor?
mind = *poof*
Atomic Buffalo
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 03:50 |
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I know Volvo Trucks is not Volvo Cars, but it's still VOLVO printed on a Nissan racecar.
For Sweden
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 05:56 |
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I'm drunk and I approve of this Datsun.
DoktorZombie
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 08:31 |
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I believe I can fly *sings*
Telumektar
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 08:50 |
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I can't believe anything with the name Norton A.V. stamped on can win at anything at all, props to the team for winning with this added handicap.
Supersonicgsxr
> offroadkarter
08/24/2013 at 09:30 |
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some team out there has continental tires for a sponsor... but they have to run a Dunlop control tire
nafsucof
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 09:36 |
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Volvo trucks, go home, you're drunk. You put your name on the wrong car.
Gaseous Clay
> offroadkarter
08/24/2013 at 09:38 |
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seems like a lot of these cars are sponsored by volvo trucks
TheMoosiah
> DoktorZombie
08/24/2013 at 09:46 |
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mrbwa1
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 09:55 |
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Anyone know how I can keep up with the series now the speed had been killed off? I had everything set to record, but it looks likes Fox Sports 1 is too busy with UFC and Late Model Modifieds to air one of the better racing series that speed carried.
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mrbwa1
> Telumektar
08/24/2013 at 09:59 |
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I'm guessing its not Norton AV as we know it in the US. Likely Symantec is using the Norton name in Australia for their corporate line. The corporate Symantec products are big business, especially their managed security that includes stuff like full disc encryption that can be remotely programmed to immobilize a PC if it gets lots.
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Telumektar
> mrbwa1
08/24/2013 at 10:07 |
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Could be, but I'm not from the USA and Norton is still pretty much a virus itself here too.
Autolegend86
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 10:17 |
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If you're confused on the Volvo branding on a Nissan.....
Nissan and Renault have been in an alliance since 1999
Renault sold the Renault trucking business to Volvo in 2001.
So Volvo is the current owner of Renault trucks.
Not really sure how that would merit a spot on the car because Renault sold all its Volvo shares last year.
atk09
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 10:24 |
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Congratulations Nissan! Now if only you would actually offer a V8 RWD Maxima or something like it in celebration! (Pretty please?)
macshome
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 10:52 |
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I like that the V8 Supercars actually look like the street cars they are "based on". NASCAR should do this.
OzyD
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 10:57 |
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Great article..Just the location of Winton Raceway is in Victoria (Southern part of oz) not Queensland (Northern part of oz)
Blondude
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 11:51 |
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Two wheels good!
Zagato-Zee
> mrbwa1
08/24/2013 at 12:16 |
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http://www.youtube.com/user/V8Superca…
Start there. Not sure if they are still doing it, but some of the races from last year and the COTA race this year, were streamed live on their youtube channel.
Stef Schrader
> Telumektar
08/24/2013 at 12:20 |
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I'm surprised anything labelled an Altima can win.
Clearly, that ain't no Failtima.
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Stef Schrader
> atk09
08/24/2013 at 12:21 |
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That needs to be a rule. If you enter a V8 RWD car, offer one, too.
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Zagato-Zee
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 12:25 |
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As for the "WTF Volvo trucks" branding....
Stop and ask yourself what it costs to transport a race team that travels over 50,000 km per year by road? Most teams run a minimum of 2 B-doubles to every event.
What are those rigs worth?
If you can trade a few sponsor locations for free - or heavily discounted prime movers, do you not think that makes some sound business sense?
jrcm485
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 12:34 |
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Volvo Trucks supply the transporters for Nissan as well as many other teams on the grid hence the sponsoring.
With Volvo/Polestar Racing entering V8SC for 2014 who knows if they will still be on the Altimas.
dapper_otter
> Autolegend86
08/24/2013 at 12:51 |
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I think it's as simple as just being a paid sponsorship by Volvo Trucks for advertising purposes.
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pdpfortune
> macshome
08/24/2013 at 13:35 |
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It would probably be too expensive to fix since they are always in tight groupings going around the oval/circle racetrack.
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Fred Smith
> mrbwa1
08/24/2013 at 13:54 |
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V8Supercars.com.au sells a live streaming subscription that will give you every race live and in HD if you have the bandwidth for it.
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Fred Smith
> OzyD
08/24/2013 at 13:56 |
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Thanks! That's what I'd thought Skaifey had said during the broadcast and thus what I had originally, but my quick googling told me Queensland. Never trust the first googling!
DannyCatSteve
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 14:04 |
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Go Wilson Security Racing
Red wants you to know
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 14:11 |
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Am I the only one who thinks this a little out of place? I know there are legitimate reasons, but still...
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Red wants you to know
> Stef Schrader
08/24/2013 at 14:15 |
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This. 1000 times this.
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Fred Smith
> DannyCatSteve
08/24/2013 at 14:26 |
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"I only regret that I have but one "recommend this post" to give to Wilson Security Racing" - Nathan "Wilson Security Racing" Hale
null1983
> atk09
08/24/2013 at 18:14 |
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v8 370z! all it's missing is a v8 rumble, then it would be my ideal car
Simplify, then add beer
> dapper_otter
08/24/2013 at 20:14 |
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Even more likely is that the GM of Volvo Trucks Australia likes his V8S, and by paying for a sticker on the car he gets pit road access, a corporate box at every race day and a couple of hot laps every year.
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Simplify, then add beer
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 20:19 |
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And here's the shitbox Altima we are actually going to get on the roads:
2.5l buzzbox
CVT transmission (urgh)
Front fucking wheel drive
I sat in one a couple of months back. It's so beige you need three cups of coffee just to stay awake long enough to start the ignition.
V8sAreTheBestRacingAndWhyDoesKinjaSuck
> Fred Smith
08/24/2013 at 21:36 |
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You seem to have conveniently missed the fact that the two Norton Nissan cars were running a new blend of E70 (I'm reading it may be E50) fuel. The rest of the field was on the old control E85 blend. As much as I wanted Nissan to win this season, this is a severely tainted win seeing as two upper mid pack at BEST cars just finished 1-2.
This didn't seem off to you at all?
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Fred Smith
> V8sAreTheBestRacingAndWhyDoesKinjaSuck
08/24/2013 at 22:14 |
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I didn't know about this until after I wrote the article (found out when I woke up this morning) so it wasn't reflected here but I agree that it definitely played a part. Look where they were in qualifying today after all...
P.V.B.
> Fred Smith
08/25/2013 at 10:12 |
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Does Nissan make a V8 car? No? Then they have no place in V8 Supercacrs. The same with Toyota in NASCAR.
AMCFan
> V8sAreTheBestRacingAndWhyDoesKinjaSuck
08/25/2013 at 12:22 |
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the fuel blend was an experiment for the 2 new manufacturers, they do not had more power from this blend, they just look to improve the fuel economy for the upcoming endurance races. I think that's valid, Ford and holden have more than 20 years in the field.
Jon
> mrbwa1
08/26/2013 at 09:12 |
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V8 Supercars has a decent YouTube channel, where they post highlights from the races after the fact. Last year they live-streamed the races, but not this year.
LJSearles
> Fred Smith
08/29/2013 at 02:27 |
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Skaifey often doesn't know what the hell he's saying.