Kelly Racing has taken delivery of more than 20 pallets of freight from Nissan sites in the United States as it gears up to race Nissan Altimas in the V8 Supercars Championship from next season.
The Melbourne-based race team, which will become Nissan Motorsport in 2013, has now received enough Nissan components to build nine race cars, with the team building six cars as well as establishing the necessary spare parts inventory.
The freight has come from the Nissan Technology Centre in Farmington Hills, Michigan and manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.
Genuine Nissan parts including doors, bonnets, boot lids, guards, front and rear lights, grills, badges and mirrors are all part of the freight.
A spirit of cooperation between Australia, the United States and Japan has accelerated the process of creating a supply chain for the team, with both the CAD (Computer Aided Design) drawings and parts from the Altima all reaching Kelly Racing’s Braeside facility before the car goes on sale in North America in July 2012.
“The arrival of a vast array of Altima components is exciting for everyone involved in the Nissan Motorsport project,” said Nissan Australia CEO Bill Peffer.
“Progress towards next year is strong and the race team should be commended for tackling such an enormous task with an incredibly professional and precise approach.
“The Nissan Altima is the second-highest selling passenger car in the United States and the new model is about to go on sale in the US. Here in Australia, we look forward to unveiling the first Nissan Altima V8 Supercar later this year ahead of the Australian launch of Altima in the second half of 2013.”
