Nissan Motorsport and Nissan Ready to do Battle at Britcar 24 Hours

SILVERSTONE, UK – The Mission Motorsport team that will take on the 2012 Britcar 24 Hours were on track at Silverstone on Monday making final preparations for this weekend's race. The all-amateur crew took advantage of Nissan's GT Academy instructors to hone their newly acquired driving skills ahead of what will be one of their biggest racing challenges so far.

During ‘Racecamp,' the final stage of GT Academy, the competitors are put through their paces in a wide range of tasks to test their on-track skills.  Later, the winners are put through further tests as they learn their craft prior to their prize drive at the Dubai 24 Hours. It is this expertise that has been applied to the soldier's training regime.

Major James "Jim" Cameron, Tpr James "Jimmy" Gillborn and Sgt Gary "Gaz" Dunning - three of the four racing soldiers - were at Silverstone on Monday to practice pit stops, overtaking, pursuit driving and anything else they might need in their armory this weekend.  The fourth team member - L/Cpl Martyn "Copey" Copleston - was absent as his regiment is preparing to go back on operations so time off work is hard to come by. He does have leave booked for this weekend though!

The Mission Motorsport team will compete in the production class in the No.93 Nissan 370Z with a series production engine and modified gearbox.  Also joining the team at Silverstone was Crew Chief Tony Compson, an ex-Royal Marine, who will keep the boys in line throughout the Britcar event.  The No.93 Nissan will be driven and crewed by Mission Motorsport with advice from Nissan's RJN Motorsport team.

The team also has the support of Paralympic Gold Medallist, Pam Relph, who came along on Monday to meet them. Pam was on an Army scholarship and heading for a career in the Royal Engineers before arthritis put a stop to that.  Introduced to rowing in 2010 she immediately excelled and just a couple of weeks ago won her gold medal in the mixed coxed four rowing at Eton Dorney.  Pam can teach the boys a thing or too about teamwork and competition and was also pretty handy in the track-prepared Nissan GT-R.  She will be back at the weekend to support the team.

"This has been an incredibly compressed period of training," said Major James Cameron. "We really have pushed the boundaries of what's possible.  Many people felt what we are doing to be unachievable but I am very proud of the standard the guys are at now.  They are nervous but they are also confident that they have got what it takes for this race. I know they have."

"These guys are doing great work on and off the track and it is a pleasure to work with them," said Darren Cox, General Manager of Nissan in Europe.  "Most big companies talk about giving something back and this was a great opportunity to do just that, although I can't help but feel we are getting just as much out of this ourselves. Everyone involved from the Nissan side loves this project and we must admit we are pleased to see the Nissan 370Z doing another 24 hour race.

"We have been very proud of the progress made by our three GT Academy graduates this year," he continued. "But the Mission Motorsport guys make us realize what effort and dedication really are. They are already heroes but if they make it to the finish of the Britcar 24 Hours the sense of pride felt by everyone involved will be immeasurable."

The 24 hour race gets underway at SIlverstone this Saturday at 15:30hrs.

NOTES FOR EDITORS
Major James Cameron is 39 and from Harrogate.  James joined the Army in 1995 and served in Germany, Cyprus and Canada before becoming an Afghanistan and Iraq frequent flyer.  Latterly, he commanded the independent Armoured Group in Helmand, Afghanistan, resolving on his return to do everything within his gift for those whose lives had been affected by their experiences or the injuries that they sustained.  A seasoned racer and instructor, he co-founded Mission Motorsport in order to find opportunities for those affected and their families, using a tried and tested sports therapy mechanism with very real educational and vocational outlets.  The impact in just a short time has been dramatic.

Tpr James Gillborn is 23 and was born and raised in Cambridge. In 2009 Jimmy enlisted in the army and joined the 9th/12th Royal Lancers, Princess of Wales Regiment. After completing his training Jimmy joined his regiment at Hohne, Germany and in March 2011 Jimmy was deployed to Afghanistan as part of an advisory and training team where he patrolled and toured assisting the Afghan National Army. On the 8th of June Jimmy stood on an IED which resulted in him being flown back to the UK and under doctors' advice his leg was amputated below the knee. After his operation he attended Headley Court where he learnt to walk again using a prosthetic leg.  Jimmy has completed his rehabilitation and is now walking, running; cycling and swimming, living life to the fullest as a family man and enjoying his new found success in motor racing. 

L/Cpl Martyn Copleston 'Copey' is 22 and was born and raised in Poole, Dorset. Copey enlisted in the army on 14th December 2006. After completion of his training he joined the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment 2RTR. His first and only tour was to Afghanistan, being deployed in 2010 as part of Badger Squadron. Towards the end of his tour in 2011, the 'Warthog' armored vehicle that Copey was driving encountered an IED. He sustained a large laceration to his right leg from shrapnel and was casevac'd by helicopter, where after two days in hospital at Camp Bastion he was flown back to the UK for further treatment. Copey spent time in rehab at Tidworth and was eventually declared fully fit and back to Regimental duties in April 2012. Copey is a confirmed petrol head and is never far away from a vehicle, now holding a race license he was Mission Motorsport's first racing driver, learning in Lotus Elises.  A very capable mechanic, Copey has also supported Mission Motorsport racing, learning his trade as part of the pit crew team.  

Sgt Gary Dunning, 40, from Birmingham started his career in the army in 1991 in the Royal Pioneer Corps. His first posting was with the Engineers, preparing bridges for deployment to the Balkans. Gary then moved on to dealing with ammunition, based in Germany and then Cyprus and was sent on tour to the Falklands and Northern Ireland and in 2003 was deployed to Iraq. That experience left its mark on him.  At the end of his Iraq tour he was posted to Germany for two years but on his return to the UK his friends and family noticed a huge difference in him, the Gary they all knew and loved had changed. A very difficult time followed for Gary and his family, he was diagnosed with PTSD and life was then made worse by a huge motorcycle accident resulting in broken bones in his leg, ankle and foot, requiring large amounts of meccano and screws holding them together along with serious nerve damage, elbow injuries, broken ribs, lung damage and a new knee being required. Completing further tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gary is finally due to be medically discharged later this year.  He is regaining his confidence fast through his chosen sport, and is hoping to identify opportunity, through the engagement that motorsport is bringing, for a second career.

Mission Motorsport
Mission Motorsport was formed in 2012 as the Forces' Motorsport Charity at the request of the British Army Motorsport Association.  It has the lead for the provision of disabled and adaptive motor sport to the Defence Recovery Capability, and seeks to merge where possible the activities of the disabled with able-bodied personnel.  Its main audience are those who are brought to the charity through BattleBack - a tri-service initiative that aims to improve and formalize the use of adventurous training and sport in the aftercare of wounded Service personnel; in order to aid their rehabilitation and return to an active life.   Through the provision of experiences and in engendering competition, Mission Motorsport's activities generate interest and insight, which is channeled into vocational outlets, inspiring, educating and supporting the individuals in their life - post injury.

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Contact

Lindsay Morle
Motorsports Nissan Europe
lindsay@morle.com
+44 7971 481078