Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008 - Jalopnik Comments

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

velocecrat — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:41:27 EST

"What series could we be in that would be consistent aross all markets?"

Back before the FIA became FOCA's lap dog, they would have an answer for this. Carmakers, please help ACCUS help you.

velocecrat

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

Trick — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:29:23 EST

Nissan did this back in the 80's with the H.D.R.A (High Desert Racing Association) that is now part of S.C.O.R.E.

Anyone remember the celebrity cup races?

They will be back...

Trick

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

FЯeeMan is slowly cЯawling out of the new commenting system — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:51:17 EST

@Rust-MyEnemy: ROFL!

FЯeeMan is slowly cЯawling out of the new commenting system

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

Mike the Dog — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:24:56 EST

@brandegee: "Yota and Nissan dont build pushrods, so why pretend?" Doesn't seem to refer to legacy. They both have plenty of pushrods in their past, but they've only had V-8s for 10 years or so. That being said I think Ford put its last pushrod V-8 in a Mustang about 1995 or so (go ahead and nitpick my numbers, everybody, they aren't researched). Personally I think NASCAR should return to the good old days of strict body templates and drivetrain homologation. It might make the sport more relevant.

Mike the Dog

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

brandegee — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:18:06 EST

@Mike the Dog: I don't follow NASCAR at all, but I believe they all have to run pushrods. What Danio is referring to is the fact that Toyota (and Nissan I think) have no pushrod motorsports legacy. At least nothing with 8 cylinders.

I think they'll be back. Likely they took a look at the bottom line and realized their motorsports efforts were becoming a money drain. They'll streamline and return. I personally would like to see some Japanese teams return to the European circuit.

brandegee

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

Mike the Dog — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 06:52:52 EST

@danio3834: Ford doesn't do pushrod V-8s anymore, either If I have my facts straight. Not for regular rear-drive cars and trucks, anyway.

Mike the Dog

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

MrWizard45 — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 06:08:33 EST

@TomAnderson: No way the will put the GT-R into GT1, the last time they tried that, they got killed by the Mclaren F1 and the Mercedes CLK-GTR. Thats why they created the R390 GT1 (which wasn't that sucessfull either)... Come to think of it Nismo hasn't had the best of luck in the US...

Oh well, the best we can hope for is that the GT-R will one day duke it out with the C6.R's in GT2. *cross fingers*

MrWizard45

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

JB* — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:26:43 EST

@danio3834: Joe Gibbs, evidently.

JB*

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

danio3834 — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:54:35 EST

What, Nissan isnt getting in on NASCAR? Darn...

@Mike the Dog: Hahaha, yeah that'd be the day. Couldnt Toyota and Nissan just be content with a few billboards at the track?

I mean unless they start running production engines, wtf is the point. Yota and Nissan dont build pushrods, so why pretend?

Toyota hasnt fooled anyone but Darrell Waltrip into thinking theyre an American car company...or have they?

danio3834

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

yellofury * * * * * — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:52:28 EST

the white truck in the snow blizzard rox

oh man I need rest

yellofury * * * * *

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

Tomsk the red-nosed reindeer — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:38:31 EST

Looks like they've even suspended the picture of the truck already. Feh.

@diskreet: Maybe they're taking a year off to come back in '09, all guns blazing, with a GT1-class GT-R?

Tomsk the red-nosed reindeer

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

diskreet — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:10:51 EST

Fingers crossed for a GT-R-based ALMS GT1 or GT2 entry.

diskreet

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

smokyburnout — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:56:54 EST

@mcguirev10: actually, it was Nextel Cup all year... the Sprint name change is for the 08 season.

i inda wonder how high up this decision goes... i know Ghosn isn't really a race fan at all (he's been looking for any excuse to shut down Renault F1)...

smokyburnout

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

Solo_Racer — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:55:28 EST

@mcguirev10: Not true. Nextel Cup for 2007; switched to Sprint Cup for '08 because Sprint bought Nextel. And I don't follow that roundy-round crap either.

Solo_Racer

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

mcguirev10 — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:40:09 EST

@Mike the Dog: It hasn't been the "Nextel" cup for most of this year. (And I don't even like that turn-left crap.)

Seriously, how is this news? They weren't exactly a major force in North American motor sports. You might as well announce that VW won't be running any monster trucks in 2008.

mcguirev10

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

Bluegoose — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:39:48 EST

Wasn't it a couple of weeks ago that Ghosn posed in a race suit next to the GT-R? He might as well have been wearing a skirt.

Bluegoose

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

Sonic84 — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:17:22 EST

Nissan was the biggest supporter manufacturer wise in CORR, this hurts. :(

Sonic84

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

Uncle Bo, averting foreclosure — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:04:30 EST

Bring back the BRE Datsun 510's and the Electromotive/NPTI Nissan 300ZX in IMSA GTS trim and all will be forgiven.

Uncle Bo, averting foreclosure

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

kingfling — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:42:22 EST

That's gotta hurt for CORR in a big way.

kingfling

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there! — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:41:26 EST

Maybe the 2008 race cars will change their branding to Datsun?

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there!

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

Skydiver — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:34:00 EST

Exclusive: Jalopnik "suspeneding" all spell-check operations

[/pedant]

Skydiver

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

GreenVanMan — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:28:37 EST

oh cock, those racing trucks are tops.

GreenVanMan

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

Mike the Dog — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:18:50 EST

I'm thinking a try at Nextel cup starting midseason '09, with a full schedule in '10. Joe Sixpack would be mighty PO'ed if the top 10 at Daytona was 6 'Yodas, 3 Nissans and a Ford....

Mike the Dog

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

JayP71 — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:09:17 EST

@scotte: Couldn't have said it better.

JayP71

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

scotte — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:06:00 EST

Fuck.

scotte

Exclusive: Nissan Suspending All North American Racing Operations for 2008

roberttr6 — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:56:12 EST

Considering their recent corporate relo to TN it's clear that Nissan is a bit out of touch with the rest of the automotive world that keep primary offices or at least design centers in CA

Its amazing they were able to cover as much motorsports ground for so long with so few people/resources.

roberttr6