Nissan’s LM P1 team completed an intensive four-day test at NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, this week. After a static show for the fans at last weekend’s WEC season-opener at Silverstone, the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO was all-action for this important test.
NCM Motorsports Park was chosen as it has corners that mimic various sections of the Le Mans track as NISMO’s Darren Cox explained:
“This circuit was a great find as we now have a very good idea how the GT-R will perform through Mulsanne Corner and the Playstation chicane. This track also has its own version of the Porsche Curves – in curvature but not in topography – so it is the ideal place for us to test.
The team could choose the configuration of the circuit for testing but unfortunately couldn’t control the weather. Torrential rain at Bowling Green means that the team will have a head start if it rains at Le Mans in June! "
“Testing has been going well,” said Tincknell, who did the lion’s share of the driving this week. “We managed some laps in the dry on the first morning but it has been mainly wet since then. We have had the car running smoothly and are still learning masses every day. We have learnt a lot about the Michelin ‘wets’, especially our bespoke designed rear tyre, so it has been very useful.”
The Nissan GT-R LM NISMO will be homologated at the end of April. Nissan has just two more days of running in the US in early May before the entire LM P1 team decamps to Europe in preparation for Le Mans.
Image: Nissan Motorsport