Nissan Motorsport has confirmed Alex Buncombe will return to partner Todd Kelly in the 2015 V8 Supercars Pirtek Enduro Cup.
In a continuation of the successful Nissan Global Driver Exchange program, British driver Buncombe will partner Kelly for a second-consecutive year, driving the #7 Nissan Altima V8 at the Sandown 500, Bathurst 1000 and Gold Coast 600 events.
Buncombe earned numerous plaudits following his V8 Supercars debut last year, coming 10th in the 20-lap single-driver sprint race at Sandown, his very first V8 Supercar race, before finishing seventh in the Bathurst 1000 alongside Kelly, making him the highest finishing ‘Great Race’ debutant.
Nissan confirmed the news today at the Le Mans 24 hour event in France, where Buncombe is part of the driver line-up for the debut of the manufacturer’s ground-breaking Nissan GT-R LM NISMO LM P1 car.
“I’m delighted to be heading back to Australia for the enduros with Nissan Motorsport,” said Buncombe.
“Last year was tough as it was my first time in a V8 Supercar but what I did then will stand me in good stead for this year.
“Knowing the car is what it’s all about so I’ll know what to expect and I should be a lot more comfortable than last year.
“I’ll also have good knowledge of Sandown and Gold Coast, which are tricky circuits and were new to me last time out.
“Top ten results would be great and it would be good to improve on the P7 we took in Bathurst last year and maybe go for a podium there.”
Kelly has made no bones about wanting Buncombe back and is delighted to have linked up with the highly regarded NISMO driver again.
“I’m really excited to have Alex back in my Altima for the endurance races later this year,” said Kelly.
“It’s great to be able to do it two years in a row. Last year was the first time he drove our cars and circuits and it was always going to be a big challenge for him – especially at tracks like Bathurst and Gold Coast – so having that experience under his belt will make it a lot easier for him this year.
“Alex is one of the top Nissan global drivers, and the proof of that was when he was selected to drive in Nissan’s three-car Le Mans line-up.
“For me, he proved how good he was by adapting so well to our unique cars last year.
“He’s had the opportunity to drive a lot of fast cars over the past 12 months and I really think we can be even more competitive this year.
“He’s also a great match for me height and size wise, so we both fit in the car perfectly.”
Buncombe’s signing completes the Nissan Motorsport line-up with Dean Fiore and Taz Douglas confirmed alongside Michael Caruso and James Moffat and recent ADAC GT Masters winner David Russell teaming up with Rick Kelly for a fifth successive year with the Kelly Racing outfit.
