MOTORSPORT: Nissan 'wins' one and loses one

Nissan's struggling four-car V8 Supercar team has had a victory, of sorts, before Sunday's Sandown 500, but it has lost the major backer of two of its Altimas beyond this season.

As happened last year, in the first season of the new-generation V8 Supercars, a minimum of four pitstops now have been mandated for all cars at Sandown – and seven at next month's Bathurst 1000.

These rules were only reactivated yesterday by the V8 Supercar Commission after a finding by its technical department that there can be up to 13 per cent difference between the most and least fuel-efficient cars in the field.

For the best cars Sandown otherwise would have been potentially a three-stop race and Bathurst a five-stopper.

The Kelly family-owned Nissan Motorsport is seen as being the biggest beneficiary of the minimum-number-of-pitstops rule.

The newer and more successful Volvo of Garry Rogers Motorsport – driven by young gun Scott McLaughlin, with recalled Frenchman Alex Premat for the enduros – probably is the next biggest gainer.

Nissan Motorsport co-owner and driver Todd Kelly had led the campaign for the reintroduction of the fuel-stop rules in an effort to make the four Altimas more competitive in the endurance races against the Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons, in particular, as well as Erebus Motorsport's AMG Mercedes E63s and the Volvo S60s.

Beyond Sandown and Bathurst there also will be a slight tweak to the fuel rule for the Gold Coast 600, where there are two 300km races.

Meanwhile, computer security brand Norton – major backer of the James Moffat and Michael Caruso Altimas – will quit V8 Supercar sponsorship at the end of the season.

It was those cars that delivered the first-and-second result for Nissan – the manufacturer's only victory in V8 Supercar racing – at Winton last year. That also was the only race in which some cars (the Nissans and Mercs) were allowed to use E70 fuel rather than the usual E85.

Norton came into the sport seven years ago supporting Craig Lowndes and then also began backing Moffat at Dick Johnson Racing.

Nissan Motorsport is intent on continuing to run four Altimas but not only needs to replace the Norton sponsorship but also renegotiate the Jack Daniel's backing on the cars of Rick and Todd Kelly.

The latter's future in the driving seat is unclear, with more management responsibilities looming for him with the imminent departure – before Bathurst – of mentor and team chief executive John Crennan.

In an optimistic but selectively-released statement Nissan Motorsport said it was "well down the track regarding commercial partnerships for the future".

"We look forward to revealing our plans ahead of the 2015 V8 Supercar season. Until that time Nissan Motorsport will not make comment on the team's commercial arrangements".

Norton said its decision to withdraw "came after a thorough review and evaluation of our brand objectives and priorities".

"Norton has been involved in the V8 Supercars for seven years and we have thoroughly enjoyed our partnership with the Nissan Motorsport team over the past two years," it said.

"While our involvement in V8 Supercars has been successful our company has evolved and Norton brand objectives have changed.

"We hope to identify new opportunities and suitable platforms that will align more closely with our brand promise of making security simpler for our customers.

"We wish Nissan Motorsport, V8 Supercars and all the drivers continued success in the future. Norton would also like to thank Nissan Motorsport and all the drivers for their amazing innovation and strong spirit to win.

"We would also like to extend our thanks to the V8 Supercars fans who have been very supportive of the Norton brand throughout this partnership."

While Nissan's involvement in V8 Supercar racing has been underwhelming – with Caruso the best-placed of its drivers in this year's championship in 12th place, Moffat 14th, Rick Kelly 16th and Todd Kelly 24th – more light may be shed on the manufacturer and the team's plans when Nissan Australia chief executive Richard Emery attends the Sandown event.

Apart from the need to lock in new commercial arrangements, the team needs to try to retain Caruso, who has been linked to a return to GRM and its Volvo squad – which could expand to as many as four cars next year.

While the S60s might all be built by GRM, or Volvo Polestar as it is widely known now, two of them may be run by another outfit – perhaps Erebus if it does not conclude satisfactory arrangements with AMG.