Nissan GT-R Takes Silverstone GT1 Win...

Ahhh...that's better...

A Nissan win in the second event of the year in the recently rejuvenated FIA GT1 series. Finishing in the middle of the pack (at best) in the series' first event in Abu Dhabi a few weeks ago, the GT-Rs had been saddled with the most weight penalty of any model entered for that event with over 100 pounds of extra ballast added to slow the GT-R down to the speeds of the Ford GT (the only model given no weight penalty for that event, which it won).

In this event the FIA decided to not penalize the Nissan ANY weight and a GT-R finished 3rd on the day--that is, until the 1st and 2nd place finishers were severely penalized for some infractions found post race. Though this is a fantastic result for Nissan, one has to question the FIA...it seems kind of moronic to me that in one race you hand a team the most weight penalty in the field and then the second race, the least...I understand the desire to even the playing field to create more competitive racing but this seems the wrong way to do it.

A win is a win though and I and I'm sure Nissan will take it. Well done Sumo Racing!! Story from the GT1 website below and a link to the FIA GT1 website here--FIA GT1 Website

The Nissan GT-R of Jamie Campbell-Walter and Warren Hughes, which originally placed third, was awarded the victory in the Championship Race at Silverstone after penalties were handed out to the first two cars over the line.

The British duo had finished behind the Aston Martins of Young Driver pair Darren Turner and Tomas Enge and Hexis Racing's Thomas Accary and Frederic Makowiecki in an eventful second round of the championship.

But in an astounding turn of events, the Turner-Enge No.7 Aston Martin DB9 was excluded from the results by the race stewards because the underfloor skid plank on the flat bottom of the car was worn beyond the permitted minimum thickness.

The second-placed car of Accary-Makowiecki was given a 15-second time penalty for not serving a drive through within the required three laps during the race.

The decisions mean that the Hexis AMR No.9 is still classified second, behind the Sumo Power Nissan GT-R. The Reiter Lamborghini of Jos Menten and Frank Kechele moves up to third.

It means that Campbell-Walter and Hughes now find themselves the proud owners of the RAC Tourist Trophy.

For how long remains to be seen as the revised result is provisional and subject to an appeal by the Young Driver AMR team.

On hearing the news of the stewards' decision, Hughes said: "We were happy with third and then we were told it might be second so to get the call to say we won is incredible.

"I was actually giving the trophy envious glances during the press conference, thinking it would be nice to have my name on there, so this is a great result for us. I’m genuinely delighted to have the win as this is a great result for the championship.”

Campbell-Walter added: “For a British driver it’s a massive honour to win the Tourist Trophy and to be the guys who take the first FIA GT1 win for Nissan is incredible.

“I have to express my condolences to Darren and Tomas though as they did a great job today and it can’t be nice to have this taken away from you as a driver.

"When I won the FIA GT race in 2000 here at Silverstone I was presented with the Tourist Trophy but my name was never engraved on it as it wasn’t an official Tourist Trophy meeting.

"I feel like I’ve won it for a second time now but this time my name will go on there so that’s great. This is a fantastic result for Nissan and for the Sumo Power team.”