Florian Strauss to replace Alex Buncombe for Nissan at 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour

• Former GT Academy winner Florain Strauss to make Bathurst 12 Hour debut for NISMO Athlete Global team alongside Katsumasa Chiyo and Wolfgang Reip
• Alex Buncombe to miss race due to birth of first child
• Strauss heads to Mount Panorama after impressing at recent Dubai 24 Hours, where he lead Nissan GT Academy Team RJN GT-R NISMO GT3 to fifth outright and second in class

BATHURST, AUSTRALIA – Florian Strauss will replace Alex Buncombe in the NISMO Athlete Global Team at the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour.

Buncombe had been confirmed to drive the #35 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3, alongside fellow NISMO Athletes Katsumasa Chiyo and Wolfgang Reip.

The birth of Buncombe's first child was originally anticipated last week. But with "Baby Buncombe" having other ideas, and now expected to arrive this week, Buncombe will miss the Bathurst 12 Hour to be with Gemma and their newborn.

The late call-up for Strauss comes after he was one of the most impressive drivers in the field at the 2015 Dubai 24 Hours last month. The 2013 GT Academy Germany winner was entrusted with duties as the "pro" driver in the Nissan GT Academy Team RJN entry despite holding a racing license for just 18 months.

Leading the way for his four 2014 GT Academy winner teammates – all competing in their first event – Strauss drove a superb race that saw the #23 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 finish fifth overall and second in GT3 Pro-Am category in a world class GT3 sports car field.

Driving alongside Buncombe in the 2014 Blancpain Endurance Series, Strauss raced with distinction at daunting circuits such as Spa Franchorchamps for the Spa 24 Hours and the Nürburgring Nordschliefe for the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

The 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour will be held at the Mount Panorama circuit on February 6-8, 2015.

Quotes:

Florian Strauss
"I remember arriving home from the UK after completing the Nissan Driver Development Program this time last year. One of the first things I did was watch the live stream from Bathurst and think how cool it would be if one day I could race at such a special place. I think that explains how thrilled I am with this opportunity. The track at Mount Panorama has always been a favorite of mine as it is like a little Nürburgring Nordschleife. The team put in a great effort last year, so now I am more than excited to take Godzilla around the mountain and team up with Wolfie and Chiyo-san. I've never been to Australia so I'm really looking forward to experiencing a new country and meeting lots of new people."

Alex Buncombe
"Pulling out of Bathurst 12 Hour has been a very hard decision as I'm still waiting for the arrival of my first child, who is late, and timings have not worked out. I feel we have unfinished business at Bathurst having shown our strength in 2014 and was looking forward to another challenge around the mountain in 2015. I wish the team the very best of luck and hope to be there next year."

Darren Cox - Global Head of Brand, Marketing & Sales, NISMO
"It turns out that Baby Buncombe isn't as fast as his or her Dad. It's great to be able to give Florian this opportunity though, as he has impressed us every time he has got into one of our cars. We hope Bathurst is ready for 'The Terminator'."

Driver Information

• Florian Strauss
• Date of Birth: November 6, 1984
• Nationality: German
• Hometown: Berlin, Germany
• Twitter: @FStraussGTA

Career Highlights

• Fifth place overall and second in GT3 Pro-Am Class at 2015 Dubai 24 Hours
• Made Nürburging 24 Hours debut in 2014 in Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3
• Raced in Blancpain Endurance Series in 2014 with Nissan GT Academy Team RJN
• Winner of Class at 2014 Dubai 24 Hours in Nissan 370Z NISMO GT4
• Winner of 2013 GT Academy Germany

Bio
Florian Strauss was working as a car rental manager when he took part in GT Academy Germany in 2013. Over 99,000 PlayStation®3 gamers had entered the gamer-to-racer competition, and Florian saw them off to become the next German NISMO Athlete, racing professionally for Nissan. 

Born and bred in Berlin, Germany, Florian first picked up Gran Turismo 2 when he was a young boy and he hasn't stopped enjoying the Gran Turismo series ever since. He has dreamed of being a racing driver for over 10 years, so he relished the chance to have his PlayStation hobby become the catalyst to his motorsport dreams coming true.

Florian is keen on sport, fitness, cycling and karting – the perfect hobbies for a racing driver. Before GT Academy, Florian had no motor racing experience. He had been karting for fun and attended two track days but had not set foot in a racecar before attending Race Camp in September 2013.

Having impressed head judge Nick Heidfeld with his performance throughout Race Camp, Florian was crowned the winner and has since completed an intensive Driver Development Program, developing the skills needed to compete with the best international drivers out on the track. In January 2014, Florian and his fellow 2013 GT Academy winners took a dominant class victory at the Dubai 24 Hours in a Nissan 370Z NISMO GT4.

Florian has gone on to race a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in the 2014 Blancpain Endurance Series, including prestigious 24 hour GT sports car races and Spa Franchorchamps and the Nürburgring Nordschliefe, and has already scored a trophy in 2015 with fifth overall and second in GT3 Pro-Am class at the 2015 Dubai 24 hours in January.

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