Did you guys already see this? http://jalopnik.com/cars/racing-news...008-332762.php

 

BY BLUEGOOSE AT 12/11/07 09:39 PM

Wasn't it a couple of weeks ago that Ghosn posed in a race suit next to the GT-R? He might as well have been wearing a skirt.

 

The only way this makes sense is if they develop a ***** DEEP GT-1 Run at the ALMS with the GTR.

Otherwise.. what a let down.

 

 

I'm sure it's a cost vs. return issue. If they don't see much revenue being developed by their presence in any of the racing they contribute to, then it makes sense to take a step back and re-evaluate where they should be in motorsports. I think it's a shame, though.

I always thought Nissan let down a large contigent of fans and failed to grab some would-be buyers by not putting together a factory effort to compete in the Koni Challenge or Speed World Challenge series. If Nissan provided the effort that GM gave the Solstice owners in T2, it would have gone a long way with customers and brand loyalty, I think.

So, I hope they see this and come back with a different approach, and more vigor on the racing scene. It's a shame I never saw a 350Z competing in something like the Speed World Challenge, but maybe a GT-R prepped for an ALMS battle aginst the Corvette isn't too hard for Nissan to imagine. I hope.

Will

 

Well if they did not waste their monies on a stupid truck series and stepped up like Mazda they would probably see more of a return. Mazda does more for folks who drive their products in motorsports than any other company I know.

Other than the trucks of corr, I can't think of one Z that was sponsored by Nissan (like the corr trucks were).

It would be nice to see them run GT2 in ALMS in the GTR, with the new corvette coming out in GT2 it would make for a great race.

off rant...

 

Nissan Sport Magazine is following this story. You can read our brief regarding Nissan Motorsports future on our website: nissansportmag.com.

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that the entire story on the future of Nissan Motorsports in 2008 and beyond is still evolving. Nissan Sport Magazine just completed editing the winter '08 issue material before this story broke. We remain committed to separating fact from fiction and will work to gather the full story.

David Muramoto
Editor-in-Chief
Nissan Sport Magazine

 

David maybe it's time to have a article featuring the grassroots effort of Nissan drivers in club racing?

 

What a let down.

 

Almost every issue of Nissan Sport Magazine has pictures or results in the motorsports section about Nissan drivers who've done well in SCCA Club racing. The upcoming winter issue has Runoffs results as well as coverage of Nissan racers from Japan and Europe. We remain dedicated to covering Nissan grassroots motorsports efforts- with or without "official" support!

 

The Mazda's were already very strong before the Company offered support. They saw the opportunity and went for it. It's the Chicken and egg deal. I think now that the 350Z's have reached a certain price point so we will see more and more at the grass roots level.

 

+1

 

David you are correct and I do enjoy my subscription. My reaction was a bit of a knee jerk, just if have been with Nissan products as long as I have it gets old.

pm sent.

 

PM responded. Thanks for the acknowledgement and I understand your reaction. I've been racing Nissan products since 1992 and feel the same disappointment everyone here has expressed. But one thing I've learned is to not allow corporate oversights, errors and plain stupidity to affect my own enthusiasm and judgement.

 

+1. Mazda's support of motorsports at ALL levels puts Nissan (and every other manufacturer that I can think of) to shame.

I'm sure the day will come when Mazda will be faced with the same choice that Nissan has recently made, but until then, I'll continue to look at Mazda in a different light than their competitors as a direct result of their support for motorsports.

 

Mazda has integrated grassroots motorsports into their overall marketing plan. It's a smart, effective plan and one I hope will be successful. But they need to have other strong contigency programs (like Nissan's) to compete with. It's not good news when anybody pulls out of supporting the grassroots racer. We have little enough support as it is!

Having said that, let's wait to find out if this is more of a 2008-only withdrawl for Nissan Motorsports. As I said in this thread (and the Nissan Sport Magazine website news release), the final story has not yet been told.

 

I was at the Monterey Historics a few years ago in the Z corral. We had one of the main guys out from the Nissan Motorsports program. Talking to him about why Nissan doesnt get more involved in racing here in North America was very disappointing. I think the current people involved in the program just dont get it. If you're going to produce a sports car, you need to race it. If you're going to produce trucks, you need to race them. There is this old saying "race it on Sunday, sell it on Monday." Nissan just doesnt get it anymore.

 

You got that right!

One of the things that impresses me so much about Mazda's program (and that I think further separates them from the pack) is their attitude. Of course they want to win, but they want just as much to engage in competition with other marques. A quote from Tim Buck of Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development, pulled from a Miata racing site:

"I have no problem with GM (Well...). We WANT to race against them. As fairly as possible. It's great for the brand. Similar cars battling it out on the track? Great! It generates public interest in both cars. Win-win, right? "

 

Actually, Nissan Motorsports did race their Titan and Frontier pickups in the CORR and WORR series this year. They won championships in their classes too! Nissan Motorsports provided contingency and parts support for many SCCA, Grand-Am, etc. sportscar teams over the past forty years. I think the current people involved at Nissan Motorsports "get it", but that makes little difference if upper management doesn't.

 

bingo... ironically the same people who's **** is on the line re: selling more cars.