Check it out...

http://www.speedtv.com/article...6033/

 

muhaha
nissan drew me in too

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kamin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">muhaha
nissan drew me in too </TD></TR></TABLE>

...so did nASScar

 

hey hey hey i do NOT like/work for nascar...

 

I knew this was coming after I heard a pretty reliable rumour that a truckload of Nissan engines was delivered to the RTR shop last December

After emerging from the red ink, Nissan appears to have gotten its **** together and is returning the nameplate to the enthusiants want-list. Competition is a good thing!

 

Will RTR still be racing the DC5 for the world challenge?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FrostyDC4 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Will RTR still be racing the DC5 for the world challenge?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I wondering the same thing..

 

i would think that they will still be running the DC5. they still have Plumb and Kleinubing (sp?) right? i would be that those two will be driving the DC5, and PD will be driving the Nissan. while i am excited that nissan is getting involved again, i was hoping that PD would be piloting the 350Z in GT (has the NSX made an appearance this year?).

anyway........i'm glad to nissan back in the game, but i would hate to see the staple of SWC go away, and that's from an owner of 3 nissans.

 

the car was unveiled at IAS yesterday (friday).

 

A 350Z in the GT class would be awesome

 

Real Time will get rolled buy Mugen/King.

 

Crap!

&lt; wanted to see a DC2 take home first at least one more time, but now it doesn't seem like it will happen.

 

The reign of the DC2 in touring has finally come to an end. We will always remember the 1998 and 1999 seasons though!

SPiFF, currently backing: Foo & Taz, any1 still running a DC2, the IS300s, and King's DC5.

 

So many diplomatic people here. I for one am glad Nissan is in the series, and with a works team. I do not like the fact that RTR seems to be switching though. I cant see the RSX getting the attention that the works team will. Pierre is a good driver, the best IMO but still. Next year I suppose this means he will be in a Nissan too. Hopefully King motorsports in in the series for the long haul. It would be aweful if PD and Pierre begin to dominate the series in a 250 hp 2.5l Nissan.

Either way this series has just gotten more interesting.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FrostyDC4 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">A 350Z in the GT class would be awesome </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes it would.
I am very happy for Cunningham...Nissan has a killer lineup this year and I am glad they are willing to back RTR in the Speed TC series. I am greatly looking forwards to PD's run in the new nissan next race.

Nissan=

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by alphadrewdc2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the car was unveiled at IAS yesterday (friday).</TD></TR></TABLE>

yup, its a nice car, AIR JACKS :drool:

I wonder how he will do. He will probably remind the RTR drivers that he is the one signing the paychecks at the end of the race haha

 

Here's how I look at it.

Nissan-
Honda-
Cunningham-

Cunningham + Honda=
Cunningham-Honda=

Since this is HONDA-Tech and I drive a Honda vehicle it is only natural for me to cheer on my own car company. Especially when RTR has done so well with them. Now Nissan is great and I love competition, but when it comes down to race day my heart is with Honda.

Therefore Peter Cunningham must die a traitor.

&lt; plans to redeem the DC2R when he gets the money to fund a team (equal to a time period of about 20 years if I'm lucky )

 

As always, I speculate that there is more to this than we will ever know.

A group like RTR is at the forefront of modern-day SWC racing and you better believe they will go where-ever the sponsorship (and free ****) leads them.

They have had many good years with H-A products but now's the time to think to the future not the past. This is a low level self funded pro racing team we are talking about, and by design they go whichever way makes the most business sense. If the Nissan plan makes more sense than any other plan they proposed, so be it... they are still an awesome racing effort regardless of brand name, and they have honestly earned everyone's respect over the years with their incredible successes!

I am a longtime Nissan guy but I am also one of the ones who has his doubts about this new step because the B15 chassis SE-R has not yet proven itself in any kind of serious competition. In SCCA Showroom Stock on a national level, these cars have a reputation for self destruction. How it is that RTR (or Sunbelt, or whoever) is gonna get 250 reliable HP out of that ill-flowing, poorly-supported 2.5 POS that eats itself in stock form on street cars under warranty is beyond me... not to mention overcoming the long-wheelbase, high-center-of-gravity, high-polar-moment-of-inertia, strut-front/twist-axle-rear suspension dynamics... long story short they have a significant development program in front of them IMHO.

But regardless, I am excited about this new effort. It will be another manufacturer into the folds of what has become the most exciting, most progressive form of televised roadracing that this country has seen in years.

to PD Cunningham & Co. with this new effort... good luck!

All late night IMHO ramblings of course,

Jon

 

Well that's racin folks. You do what you gota do! PD is thinking ahead and obviously the benefits of starting a relation with Nissan is the best thing to do. I am sure Nissan is "helping" RTR out tremendously here (if not just about fully funding this ) to get a piece of this great series that has now become a spotlight for manufacturers. What better way for Nissan to really enter this series (read: spend money!) than to do it with such a professional team such as RTR. It's a win win situation for both parties involved. Plus this opens RTR the door for a very well funded GT effort, too, with the new and hot 350Z - something I am sure the guys at Nissan have a lot more motivation in seeing placed in the spotlight than the Honda guys had with the relatively outdated and exotic (not at all a volume seller) NSX. Such real motivation brings along money. We first saw it with mazda not too long ago, the lexus effort, while bmw and honda have been doing it for some time, and now it's nissan joining the party. This series has reached a point where it is really starting to grow/benefit quite significantly on its own success.

edit: getfast, ya beat me to it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by getfast &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How it is that RTR (or Sunbelt, or whoever) is gonna get 250 reliable HP out of that ill-flowing, poorly-supported 2.5 POS that eats itself in stock form on street cars under warranty is beyond me... not to mention overcoming the long-wheelbase, high-center-of-gravity, high-polar-moment-of-inertia, strut-front/twist-axle-rear suspension dynamics... long story short they have a significant development program in front of them IMHO. </TD></TR></TABLE>

lol, I guess we'll never know for sure. But one closer look at a Touring Protege might provide for some insight. If the rules package for the protege allows for relocating (swapping out even?) major steering and suspension components, run massive brakes and allow for engine mods that produce more than double the advertised hp for the stock car, I think RTR will (eventually) be able to find some ways to get the SER up to speed as well. The reason why this series is so successful is because it seems to be based around this principle.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Hracer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">lol, I guess we'll never know for sure. &lt;snip&gt; The reason why this series is so successful is because it seems to be based around this principle.</TD></TR></TABLE>


Lol, well the rules do allow for those kinds of adjustments, and people who have forgotten way more than any of us will ever know have committed countless corporate $$$ into this project, so, long story short, good luck to 'em, I wish 'em the best of luck and I can't wait to watch it develop

Jon

 

"Nissan is eager to compare its performance sedan against not only them, but against strong teams from other premium brand manufacturers like Lexus, Audi and Mercedes-Benz for the championship. "

wouldn't the 'premium brand' be infiniti...or does the spec-v badge place it among other such luxury vehicles .

best of luck to peter in sorting that car out and bringing home more wins for RTR!

 

I am all for sportsmanship. In fact how can anyone that has followed PD not wish him the best. Its just that if we were going to lose a Honda racer to Nissan I would much rather it had bee Taz or like a couple years ago Roger Foo. The #1, IMO belongs on a Honda. As for Nissan, I feel enough money can make that truck engine run. It has tons of torque too, may be bad for the tires produce a lot of Torque steering but it also will pull hard from slow turns. I dont dislike 'em I just dont support them.

Could King Motorsports involvement be a factor? Isn't this the closest thing to a works Honda deal? Maybe this a "motivation" for PD too, besides the money he is undoubtably being paid.

 

I think the Honda/Acura defections can be explained by $$$$. I have been told that Honda simply does not spend the amount of money on World Challenge that people think they do and has been explained in posts above, the racers are going to go where the money is. Sponsors are beginning to dribble in the the SWC series, but not enough at this point to inspire brand loyalty methinks.

 

Honda/Acura came to WC 1st with handfulls of money. Then BMW followed and so on. I hated 98-99 season, I was crew chief for the MBZ team. Talk about getting your *** handed to you every weekend. Benz offered no money and made us sign paper work stating we where in no way affiliated with MBZ. PD went where the money was for business reasons I am very sure of that, he is a great business man. I am also sure that Nissan/Nismo is throwing tons of money and what ever tech help they may need, I know that's what Acura did for them.