Norton Hornets Nissan Altima V8 Supercars ready to buzz into 2014 V8 Supercars championship

• 2014-specification Nissan Altima V8 Supercar unveiled in new Norton colors
• Drivers James Moffat and Michael Caruso excited for 2014 championship

MELBOURNE, Australia – Norton Hornets drivers James Moffat and Michael Caruso have revealed the 2014-specification Norton Nissan Altima, and the pair is hungry for more success in the V8 Supercars Championship this year.

After Moffat and Caruso's historic one-two race result at Winton last August, the Norton Nissan pairing will be armed with an updated aerodynamics package for the 2014 season.

The new-look Nissan Altima V8 Supercars features smaller scallops on the front bar, as well a revised rear wing uprights.

In the return year for Nissan to Australian Touring Car competition, Moffat and Caruso produced some fine results, adding to their Winton triumph.

While the livery of the 2014-specification Norton Nissan is similar to how it ended last year's championship, there are some subtle changes, including a pearl-based yellow paint, plus reflective white vinyl for the circle on Norton's famous "tick."

The two Norton Hornets, plus Nissan Motorsport's Jack Daniel's Racing entries of Todd and Rick Kelly, will hit the track for the first time this year at Sydney Motorsport Park for the traditional pre-season test this Saturday February 15.

James Moffat: #360 Norton Nissan Altima

"We had a number of highlights last year, and there were some tough times too, but we have put that behind us and we're looking forward to the 2014 season," said James Moffat.

"Motor racing is a 'must deliver' business, but more so for Nissan Motorsport this year.

"In this industry, nothing speaks stronger than results, and that's what we are here to achieve this year.

"It's difficult to have any expectations before the season starts, as we'll be heading into the new year with a new package.

"Until we hit the track for the first time at the Sydney test, we won't be getting too carried away with expectations. Hopefully it will be an improvement, and I'm sure it will be, so all we can do is head to the test, put our best foot forward and have a productive day.

"The most important thing for us at the test is to have a really productive day. We need to get through a lot of changes on the day, understand the new aero package and come out of the day with as much information as we can."

Michael Caruso: #36 Norton Nissan Altima

"I'm excited about the 2014 season. It's always great to continue with a great sponsor like Norton and our other backers like Toshiba and Steadfast who have come on bigger and stronger this year," said Michael Caruso.

"The re-homologated aerodynamics package should help us and that makes the opening test at Sydney very important.

"It's actually even more important for me, because due to some factors, I didn't do the pre-season test last year. Given we're racing there later in the year, it's an ideal chance to log some miles around the track.

"For Nissan Motorsport and the two Norton Altimas, it's important that we show strong improvement in our second year, and it's critical that we start to win races.

"Whether that happens straight away, I'm not sure, but as more upgrades come through, then all the signs are there that we can start challenging on a week-to-week basis.

"As a driver, you aspire to be in a position to head to every race track with a realistic chance of winning, and I feel that we're not far away from being in that place."

2014 V8 Supercars Championship Calendar
PRE-SEASON TEST, Sydney Motorsports Park, Eastern Creek, New South Wales, Feb 15
EVENT 1, Clipsal 500 Adelaide, South Australia, Feb 27-Mar 2
NON-CHAMP, Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park, Victoria, Mar 13-16
EVENT 2, Tasmania 400, Symmons Plains, Tasmania, Mar 28-30
EVENT 3, Winton 400, Winton, Victoria, Apr 4-6
EVENT 4, ITM 500 Auckland, Pukekohe, New Zealand, Apr 24-27
EVENT 5, Perth 400, Barbagallo, Western Australia, May 16-18
EVENT 6, Skycity Triple Crown, Hidden Valley, Northern Territory, Jun 20-22
EVENT 7, Townsville 500, Reid Park, Queensland, Jul 4-6
EVENT 8, Coates Hire Ipswich 400, Ipswich, Queensland, Aug 1-3
EVENT 9, Sydney Motorsport Park, New South Wales, Aug 22-24
EVENT 10, Wilson Security Sandown 500, Victoria, Sep 12-14
EVENT 11, Bathurst 1000, Mount Panorama, New South Wales, Oct 9-12
EVENT 12, Gold Coast 600, Gold Coast, Queensland, Oct 24-26
EVENT 13, Phillip Island 360, Phillip Island, Victoria, Nov 14-16
EVENT 14, Sydney 500, Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales, Dec 5-7

About Nissan Motor Company
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with approximately 236,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012.

Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN.

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