Nissan signs off in LM P2 at Le Mans with its fifth class victory
NIssan actually filled 12 of the top 13 finishing positions to take its fifth class victory from six attempts.
#36 Signatech Alpine A460: Gustavo Menezes, Nicolas Lapierre, Stéphane Richelmi
Nikolaz Godet
Le Mans, France – NIssan has finished its stint in the LM P2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with another dominant performance including victory for the Signatech Alpine Squad.
The No.36 entry of Nicolas Lapierre, Gustavo Menezes and Stephane Richelmi took a two minute, 40 second victory over the Nissan-powered G-Drive Racing Oreca with the SMP Racing BR01 entry a further four laps adrift.
NIssan actually filled 12 of the top 13 finishing positions to take its fifth class victory from six attempts.
For 2017, the LM P2 class regulations will change with every car in the field using a mandated spec engine from Gibson Technologies
“This year is the final year of the Nissan LM P2 engine programme and I am very satisfied with our great result," said Motohiro Matsumura, NISMO Chief Operating Officer said.
"Top nine cars using the Nissan powertrain is a good way to finish for us,"
The Nissan VK45 engine was first developed for Super GT competition and used from 2007 through 2009. In 2008, the Nissan GT-Rs won seven victories out of nine races with the VK45 and the No.23 NISMO entry won the championship title.
The engine was re-developed for LM P2 and introduced in 2011. NISMO driver Tsugio Matsuda is the only driver who drove both the VK45 engine both in Super GT and LM P2.
This year there were a record 20 Nissan engines in the LM P2 class - 87 percent of the class and 35 per cent of the entire field.
Nissan Nismo
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