KCMG, Kondo to Spearhead Nissan’s Nürburgring 24 Return

Nissan will be represented on the Nürburgring 24 Hours grid for the first time in three years with a trio of GT3 cars in the 2019 edition.

KCMG will field two Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3s in the endurance event held at the Nürburgring Nordschleife on Jun. 22-23, while Kondo Racing will enter a single car.

Hong Kong-based KCMG, which is also contesting the Intercontinental GT Challenge by Pirelli this season, will run a car for Edoardo Liberati, Josh Burdon and Philipp Wlazik and one more to-be-announced driver.

German racer Wlazik is the only confirmed member of the crew with prior experience in the race, although the 32-year-old’s last GT3 appearance came back in 2011.

KCMG also announced that both cars will contest the opening three rounds of the VLN series in preparation for its Nürburgring 24 debut, while its second driver lineup is yet to be revealed.

“Since I established KCMG, it has always been my aim to take on new challenges and make a massive impact as an Asian-based team in the motorsport sphere,” said team founder Paul Ip.

“To add VLN to our 2019 GT programme, and in particular the Nürburgring 24H, is a gargantuan feat that we will take on with Nismo and the Nissan GT-R.

“It will be a difficult and ambitious undertaking, but as always, we are up for a new challenge that pushes our boundaries and we are very much looking forward to our GT debut at the Nordschleife.”

Kondo Racing is also set to make its Nürburgring debut with the 2018-spec Nissan GT-R.

The Japanese squad, which first revealed its 2019 plans in October, will feature Tsugio Matsuda, Mitsunori Takaboshi,  Tomonobu Fuji and Tom Coronel in its driver lineup.

Super GT regulars Matsuda, Takaboshi and Fuji are all set to make their first Nürburgring 24 appearances, while experienced Dutchman Coronel raced a Zakspeed Nissan GT3 in the 2016 edition, when the marque was last represented.