Le Mans – Satoshi Motoyama on the DeltaWing

That's it, the DeltaWing trio is complete for the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 16-17). Satoshi Motoyama joins Michael Krumm, his Super GT teammate, and Marino Franchitti. Aged 41, the Japanese has a rich record of three Super GT titles and four in Formula Nippon. Motoyama will make his first laps aboard the Nissan DeltaWing today at the British circuit of Snetterton. “I am very excited to join the Nissan DeltaWing project for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he confessed. This will be my first 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1999, but I am ready to race in Sarthe this year. The Nissan DeltWing is very innovative, and not meeting any regulations, we are racing in the “Garage 56” category. (reserved for a car of technological interest. Editor’s note), which will not give any classification. But the goal of this project is to prove the innovative side of this technology. It will be a real challenge, and a very exciting experience for the team and myself. Alongside my Super GT teammate Michael Krumm and Marino Franchitti, I can’t wait to drive this car at Le Mans and show everyone what Nissan DeltaWing can do.”

“At the 24 2011 Hours of Le Mans, two of the three winning drivers were regular Super GT competitors, and Benoît Tréluyer, ex-Nismo driver in Super GT, was one of them, continues Shoichi Miyatani, President of Nismo, Nissan Motorsports International Co. Being the most successful drivers currently in Super GT, Satoshi and Michael will know how to be effective at Le Mans. I can’t wait to see Nissan DeltaWing wow everyone at Le Mans.”

In 1998, Satoshi Motoyama finished his first 24 Hours of Le Mans in 10th place in a Nissan 390 GT1 shared with Takuya Kurosawa and Masami Kageyama, before retiring the following year in the company of Erik Comas and Michael Krumm again!) a Nissan R391.