NES S4 LMP & GT3

[GRM Bandit]

@ConfusedPS4

I am currently looking for an AM level driver, and I'm pretty sure that the rules force all new drivers into the AM class for their first season. So if I need a spot, and the rules do not change/you are put into the AM class, I'll give you a shout.

 

[Clean Racer]

@ConfusedPS4

I am currently looking for an AM level driver, and I'm pretty sure that the rules force all new drivers into the AM class for their first season. So if I need a spot, and the rules do not change/you are put into the AM class, I'll give you a shout.

AM level driver here.

 

[Clean Racer]

@ConfusedPS4

I am currently looking for an AM level driver, and I'm pretty sure that the rules force all new drivers into the AM class for their first season. So if I need a spot, and the rules do not change/you are put into the AM class, I'll give you a shout.

It's funny because I am looking for a Pro level driver to field a Team - "Gentleman Racing Team"

 

[PSN offapple]

and I'm pretty sure that the rules force all new drivers into the AM class for their first season.

Not necessarily. If their Driver Rating is A or above then it's automatic Pro Split. There will probably be a new ranking system for next season though either involving some "Split Placement Races" or "Time Trial Qualifyers". Not sure yet, as S5 is a while away and there's still S4.5 to run.

 

[GRM Bandit]

Not necessarily. If their Driver Rating is A or above then it's automatic Pro Split. There will probably be a new ranking system for next season though either involving some "Split Placement Races" or "Time Trial Qualifyers". Not sure yet, as S5 is a while away and there's still S4.5 to run.

@PSN offapple I forgot about that. And the new system isn’t a bad idea. I wonder how effective it will be. Maybe I should interview you about it

 

[PSN offapple]

@PSN offapple I forgot about that. And the new system isn’t a bad idea. I wonder how effective it will be. Maybe I should interview you about it

Oh boi...

 

[ConfusedPS4]

Ok noted @GRM Bandit let me know! I will be participating in S4.5 events so you guys can gauge my skill level.

 

[GRM Bandit]

The Offseason Articles: Britannia Moves On and Grip Runners Keeps Running Away From Troubling Problems

Photo courtesy of Jim38737 (@Jim38737)
​

The past few days have been interesting to say the least. Adam Levine trolled everybody at the Super Bowl by playing Sicko Mode while also teasing Sweet Victory. The Bathurst 12 Hours just ran and the NES group chat has exploded with memes. But what I’m here to discuss is the breaking news of Jim38737's (@Jim38737) announcement. Britannia Racing has been bought out, and replaced with Ravenwest Motorsport. I was able to to catch an interview with the ex-Britannia owner, and current Ravenwest owner, Jim38737.


GRM_Bandit: Thanks for having me. So firstly, what happened at Britannia Racing that caused the buyout?

Jim38737: Well 2018 was quite a rocky year for us with sponsor's not paying ontop of bills and some very up and down results like the 2nd place I managed to get back at Tokyo expressway for the GT3 AM race, then Sniperator winning a week later for the LMP AM at the same track then after the season finale at the LMP race I retired with an electrical fault and that was pretty much the nail in the coffin for the team as sponsor's weren't convinced with how the team was doing and so went elsewhere.

GRM_Bandit: So was the name change to your idea, or was it the sponsors who decided to change names?

Jim38737: Actually I forgot to mention that I was approached by an American and a Scottish guy who both offered alot of investment into the team and of course I couldn't say no to the offer they was making and they basically said that I can remain the team owner as long as the name is changed to Ravenwest Motorsport, so here we are, ready to face 2019 and the next season of the NES.

GRM_Bandit: So is the old driver roster of Britannia going to remain, or is the team looking to replace the Britannia drivers?

Jim38737: The team is looking to replace and expand its driver lineup with the hope to field cars in both AM and PRO classes and really take the fight to the bigger teams and push for both championships in both classes, so we'll be reviewing alot of S4 footage and seeing who might be a good fit for the team for the two classes.

GRM_Bandit: As of right now, is Ravenwest negotiating any deals with new manufacturers, or is the team looking to reuse the old Britannia cars?

Jim38737: I can confirm that the team is in talks with new manufacturers for both classes for S5 and what I will say is the GT3 car we're looking at using might come as a surprise to the readers at home, however, we will make car announcements as we get nearer season 5.

GRM_Bandit: Is there anything else that you would like to add about the Britannia buyout?

Jim38737: I think that's everything, I look forward to revealing our season 5 challengers as we get close to season 5, thank you Bandit for having me on NES TV today.

GRM_Bandit: Thanks for having me Jim.


As I conclude my interview with Jim, I realize that the other team bosses should be afraid. Three new teams have entered into NES within a month of each other. Britannia dissolved to become Ravenwest, and the upstart Grip Runners Motorsport is starting to make a name for itself on GT Sport. Not to mention the strong finish from newcomer GentlemanRacing (@Clean Racer). However, with Grip Runners Motorsport in shambles after their first two debut rounds, it makes sense to interview Grip Runners Motorsport driver and team boss GRM_Bandit (@GRM Bandit).

(Above) A frustrated GRM_Bandit avoiding the press after Round 10 Race 2 of the Nukeshot Endurance Series. An incident with a LMP Pro car and poor pit strategy in Round 10 Race 1 pushed GRM_Bandit and his engineer to the limit. Just hours before Race 2, the SRT Tomahawk of GRM_Bandit had a pre-race engine failure, while the SRT Tomahawk of his teammate had been shipped back to Australia for maintenance after Round 9 Race 2. This, coupled with the poor performance of the team at Blue Moon Bay caused the head engineer to resign after Round 10 Race 2.
Photo courtesy of GRM_Bandit (@GRM Bandit)
​

While interviewing myself is not ideal, I had this interview planned and completed about three weeks ago, so it seemed logical to place it here while talking about the Britannia Buyout. I apologize in advance for interviewing myself, and in the future I will have my colleague and boss gugas99 (@gugas99) interview me.

Do you plan to make a deal with Ford again for the next season?

A contract with Ford is definitely being considered, but I am definitely looking at buying two of the old Ford GT LM Spec II’s that PD (Polyphony Digital) had setup ages ago. While the FR layout is a specialty of mine, a midship V8 is not out of the question for Grip Runners Motorsport. As much as I like the Mustang, the car felt like it had something lacking, and I want to be competitive next season.

What is going to happen to the Grip Runners Motorsport team?

More than likely, I am going to dissolve the LMP team. If I can get a contract with Ford, the most likely scenario is that Grip Runners will race the cars, much like the Chip Ganassi Ford GT GTLM program in the WEC or IMSA. As for the LMP team, I hope to get picked up by a LMP AM team that already has experience with the cars. My biggest thing for Season 5 is securing a car and teammate as soon as possible.

Are you going to setup a LMP team this season?

I don’t know. I guess it depends on how the rosters form and what deals I'm offered. While the guys at SRT make an excellent car, I feel that the BoP was not properly adjusted for the car. However, if I cannot secure a drive for Season 5, I will use the Grip Runners SRT Tomahawk and enter under the Grip Runners banner.

Is a deal with SRT still on the table?

As I said before, if I cannot make a deal with another team in the LMP AM class, I will enter privately with the SRT Tomahawk. Since the team budget has grown since Le Mans, there might be room for a some acquisitions into the Grip Runners fleet.

What happened between you and the head engineer after Round 10 Race 2?

We had disagreements after our poor debut performance at Blue Moon Bay. And I think he was frustrated that we weren't getting the results we hoped for. So he gave me his two weeks notice, and I told him best of luck.

Are you going to replace your engineer?

No. I'm more concerned with getting a second driver so Grip Runners Motorsport can have a chance at a Team Championship for Season 5.

Do you have any other offseason plans?

While away from NES Season 4.5, I am going to continue my career in Endureon IMSA on Forza 7. I would feel bad for leaving IMSA so soon in its season, and I actually hope to do pretty well in that series. I may also start a touring car style GR.4 series in Gran Turismo, but I have other fish I need to fry too. So for the most part, I am aiming to develop my driving skills on GT Sport, while also doing my best to participate in the leagues I am already signed up for.


And that concludes my interview with myself. As I have said before, I’ll actually have my fellow journalist gugas99 to interview me next time around. I would wish myself luck, but that would be vain. So instead, to all of the new teams and drivers in NES, good luck to you guys. I’m GRM_Bandit, signing off, and I hope to see you on the track very soon!

 

[DaGiBUS]

@ConfusedPS4

I am currently looking for an AM level driver, and I'm pretty sure that the rules force all new drivers into the AM class for their first season. So if I need a spot, and the rules do not change/you are put into the AM class, I'll give you a shout.

Probably not AM pace but I'm still B DR (albeit due to not running Sport Mode).

 

[CrazyJohn]

Probably not AM pace but I'm still B DR (albeit due to not running Sport Mode).

We will probably do a placement test before the season starts anyway.

 

[GRM Bandit]

The Offseason Articles: Mika's Offseason Just Got Interesting​

It has been an exciting week in the NES. Jim announced the Ravenwest Motorsport buyout of Britannia Racing and a shiny new GR.4 program. Grip Runners Motorsport announced a partnership with Cobb Tuning and Subaru, and claimed Dutch driver Mika as a teammate. But the most important thing today is Mika announcing his debut as a team boss in the NES. This week could not have gotten crazier!

*Note: At the time of interviewing, Grip Runners Motorsport did not confirm Mika as a driver, so there won’t be any questions on Grip Runners Motorsport's GR.4 program, but there will be many questions on the Motul Racing startup. So without further delay, I present the interview between myself and mika8102k!

Photo courtesy of mika8102k (@Mika8102K)​

GRM_Bandit: Today I’m here with our favorite hotboxing Dutchman mika8102k (@Mika8102K). So Mika, what made you decide to start a new team?

mika8102k: Hi there. Best introduction ever haha. Uhm I think I’ve thought about setting up a team halfway trough season 4 for season 5 I can do whatever I want have my own car choice because I was struggling in GT3 alot. I thought why don’t I set up my own team

GRM_Bandit: You had expressed interest in joining a team with both an LMP program, and a GT program. So is it possible that you are going to setup a LMP program this season?

mika8102k: At the moment its just GT3. But if there is alot of interest in the team and people that need a seat for S5 I’ll consider setting up a LMP team as well

GRM_Bandit: You had said before that another team was offering you a spot. Not to mention that Grip Runners was offering you a spot too. Is it possible that Bandit or another team boss could convince you to join or merge with one of their teams?

mika8102k: Uhm thats a good question. There have been some great offers yes. I think there is always a possibility to merge teams but im always really hard on car choices. I don’t know what will happen now. I wanna do a lot of research on cars and see which is best. But to merge this early in the offseason I don’t know yet we'll see

GRM_Bandit: Does Motul Racing have plans for the offseason?

mika8102k: Yes we do. Taking part in most of the GT3 races to test different cars to make out choice which car we want and having back-ups if we cant get a deal with the brand we want. And here and there some private testing for LMP if that is gonna be a thing

GRM_Bandit: Does the team have any goals for Season 5?

mika8102k: The goals are in the top 5 GT3 Drivers or constructors. Rake up some podiums and maybe even a win.

GRM_Bandit: Would you like to add anything else for the readers at home?

mika8102k: I'll promise not to crash alot of cars I think haha. And stay in school kids don’t do drugs or smoke haha

GRM_Bandit: Thanks for having me Mika!

mika8102k: Thank you too (smiles)

Spy shots of Motul Racing's NES Season 4.5 entry.
Photo courtesy of mika8102k (@Mika8102K)​

And there you have it, Mika the new team boss is ready to enter the fifth season of NES with a bang. And by the looks of things, he is doing so before the season starts. Having run several teams for leagues, and now an e-Sports team, I can tell the readers that Mika is definitely looking at a challenge this season. Hopefully he can see it through to the end. However, if Motul Racing fails one of the bigger teams like Nukeshot or VERT will most likely absorb the team. And while that happens often in motorsport, I would definitely like to see another small team succeed and maybe become something more than just another failed dream. Mika definitely has my support this season, and hopefully we can see some Motul Racing fans on the HTRG streams. Well, this has been the second installment of The Offseason Articles, I’m GRM_Bandit, signing off, and I hope to see you on the track very soon!

 

[PSN offapple]

For those of you who have been living under a rock today, we have a new thread!

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/nes-s4-5-special-events.384430

 

[GRM Bandit]

The Offseason Articles: Livery and Car Reveals Week 1
​

These are some exciting times for sure! The Space Radish has finally announced dates for the NES Season 4.5 events, the Nurburgring 1 Hour event reached the maximum entry limit in nine hours, and teams are looking for permanent drives for Season 5. But today is especially important, because the NES Group Chat has been exploding with livery and potential car reveals. This week, we have reveals form Nukeshot Motorsport, Ravenwest Motorsport, and Motul Racing, with a guest teaser from the Virtual Endurance Racing Team. So without further delay, lets show off some liveries!

Nukeshot Motorsport

​

It would appear that the glorious Space Radish has decided to keep the same color scheme as Season 4, but updated some of the sponsors and design elements. While the BMW Z4 looks to be the Space Radish's choice of GT3 machine for Season 5, the LMP is not the R18 from last season. So is our favorite radish looking at a new contract with Toyota? It would certainly make sense with BMW and Toyota collaborating on the new Supra. But in a casual conversation with the Radish himself, he did say that car choice is not final. I think that Space Radish is trying to mislead us, and he is actually going to pick the Z4 GT3/TS030 combo. However, I could be wrong.

Motul Racing

​

Mika's new team Motul Racing has a few spy shots, the first from the Nurburgring, and the second from Monza. While Mika says he is confirming the discount C7.R, the Aston Martin looks to be either the first or alternate choice. Sadly Mika has confirmed in a previous interview that a LMP program is not a high priority of Motul Racing. Although Nukeshot could give Mika a contract in place of the Rotterdam team, Grip Runners has also expressed interest in the Dutchman (having signed him for the NES 4.5 GR.4 events). It will be interesting though to see how the rest of the Motul Racing team's livery fleshes out. I still have high hopes for Mika this season, and his GT3 program will definitely add some variety into the AM class.

Ravenwest Motorsport

​

British driver Jim has went German with his car choice. The Ravenwest cars look subtle, a nice addition to a GT field full of harsh color changes (looking at you Space Radish). It also seems that Jim is using some quick German promotional cars to advertise the new Ravenwest team.

Virtual Endurance Race Team

​

As of right now, Virtual Endurance Race Team owner CJ has only given the press a singular photo. VERT's full reveal soon to come.

This concludes NES's Week 1 Season 5 livery and car reveals. We will return to the regular articles for next week. Until then, I'm GRM_Bandit, and I'll see you on the race track!

**Edits**
Nukeshot's livery reveal used the Toyota TS030, not the TS050.
Edited grammar and sentence structure in the Motul Racing reveal.
Edited the caption under Ravenwest's reveal due to the team's car choice being unconfirmed.

 

[GRM Bandit]

The Offseason Articles: Nukeshot Motorsport, offapple, and Drama

​

Firstly, sorry to everyone who was expecting the Week 2 livery reveals. I decided to do a quicker article as a sorry post for you guys. The livery reveals will continue as soon as I can get to them. Sorry for the inconvenience again. In the meantime, I interviewed series organizer, Nukeshot Motorsport team principal, and long time friend offapple (@PSN offapple).


GRM Bandit: Do you have anymore insight into who you’re three potential picks for the Nukeshot Motorsport team are?

offapple: I have a few ideas for Season 5, but I can't say much right now. We had a strong line up for Season 4, which showed with our 2 squads taking both 1st and 2nd in the Pro-Am championship. Y_bearr is one that I am especially considering a contract extension, while Waike has his own plans with SRP. I doubt Zephyr will make a return for us, so there are a couple of spaces to work with.

GRM Bandit: Is a contract between Nukeshot and BMW likely to happen again, or is Nukeshot looking at other options?

offapple: The reason that there were doubts if the BMW partnership would continue was due to trying to find a compromise with ex-S5 driver Sniparator. As you may well know, Sniparator and Nukeshot parted ways after a troubled time for him in DRL DTM. Now that it's confirmed that he's gone, the partnership with BMW looks to be continuing for another season unless something else comes up.

GRM Bandit: Did Snip leave because of the BMW partnership exclusively, or were there other factors leading to Snip leaving?

offapple: There was just generally a lack of team chemistry between myself and him which became apparent in DRL DTM. He also announced his retirement from the series publicly without giving me, his then team principal, any notice. That's basically what pushed me to make the decision to drop him entirely from Nukeshot Motorsport's future plans.

GRM Bandit: Is Nukeshot planning on creating a sister team, or is Nukeshot going on the customer team route? Or is is possible that Nukeshot will absorb one of the struggling small teams?

offapple: I'm hoping to go down the route of having 2 teams again as there's strength in numbers. Having a customer team on top of that would be quite a controversial move as it would bring Nukeshot's car total to 5, so I doubt I would do that. Regarding absorbing another team as you put it, it all depends on whether I can get an independant sister team to work or not. If not, then a merge with another team might be necessary.

GRM Bandit: What is Nukeshot’s main goal this season?

offapple: To burn rubber and chew bubblegum. Maybe get another teams championship while we do it too.

GRM Bandit: Do you have anything else you want to add about Nukeshot’s future plans?

offapple: The new partnership with medicinal drug chemists Atomic Injectables will hopefully give us that extra bit of backing that we need going forward, not to mention a new special chemical designed to improve the fuel combustion that we've been developing. We'll be trialing it at the upcoming Nürburgring 1 Hour event with our old faithful Peugeot RCZ.

GRM Bandit: Thanks for having me Radish.

offapple: No problem.


Well to wrap up this article, offapple seems to know exactly what he's doing. To be honest, that should be expected of the four year team principal. While it is sad that Snip left Nukeshot, there are plenty of drivers in the series who would be eyeing up a nice Nukeshot contract. In the meantime, I'm GRM Bandit, terribly sorry for the delay in Week 2's livery reveals, signing off.

 

[PESCAROLOP902]

PSN ID: PESCAROLOP902
Racing Number: #18
Current Driver Rating: B/Amateur

I hope to race in LMP. Preferably in a Prototype with a hybrid system. Even more hopeful would be the R18. However, I have nothing against the 919 and TS050.

 

[Neyrox]

PSN ID: PESCAROLOP902
Racing Number: #18
Current Driver Rating: B/Amateur

I hope to race in LMP. Preferably in a Prototype with a hybrid system. Even more hopeful would be the R18. However, I have nothing against the 919 and TS050.

next season is a couple of months away m8, probably late summer, signups aren't open just yet.

 

[PESCAROLOP902]

next season is a couple of months away m8, probably late summer, signups aren't open just yet.

I know. I have been talking to offapple.

 

[PSN offapple]

next season is a couple of months away m8, probably late summer, signups aren't open just yet.

It's just for the Driver Market, don't worry. I had a chat with them and I advised them to sign up for it

 

[Neyrox]

It's just for the Driver Market, don't worry. I had a chat with them and I advised them to sign up for it

didn't know my b, just trying to be a good air conditioner

 

[PSN offapple]

didn't know my b, just trying to be a good air conditioner

Don't worry, you will always be a good Air Conditioner lol

 

[GRM Bandit]

The Offseason Articles: Week 2 Livery Reveals (Finally!)
​

Livery reveals are finally back! Sorry for the wait guys, some more stuff came up after my Wednesday deadline. But I come back briefly to show you liveries. So sit back, grab some popcorn, and throw it at your computer screen. These liveries are hot, hot hot!

Nukeshot Motorsport (Update)

Photos courtesy of @PSN offapple (offapple)​

Nukeshot Motorsport has come out with some exciting news over the course of the two, three, however many weeks I have taken to publish this livery reveal post. As you can see, one is not like the others. One is very red, while the other two are very lime green. So what gives? Why has offapple released a press photo of a Reb3llion Racing car? Well the rumor around the NES TV headquarters is that offapple wanted to start a sister team to Nukeshot. Reb3llion Racing will the be the namesake of this team. The car looks great too! But there is another rumor floating around; offapple has already signed both of the Reb3llion seats to AM drivers. As of right now, the media does not have access to the Reb3llion drivers' names, but we hope to see some confirmation of drivers soon from offapple. Also to be noted, the Nukeshot N1 has seen a change in livery already. Both the Pescarolo based PlayStation car and the new Atomic Injectables cars sport a lime green and white paint.

Ravenwest Motorsport (Update)

Photos courtesy of @Jim38737 (Jim38737)
​

Ravenwest has recently-ish announced a partnership with BWT for NES Season 5. And with that has come an update to his original livery. It is pink now, and arguably more noticeable that the Nukeshot cars. But it is interesting to note that the BWT pink cars herald from the days of Raamstappen. Could the original Citroën driver return to the NES? Is Jim out of his mind? Is BWT willing to stay with Ravenwest? All questions that will be answered throughout this season of NES (good luck this season Jim).

Virtual Endurance Racing Team

Photos courtesy of @CrazyJohn (CrazyJohnIsHere)
​

This is pretty self explanatory. CJ is sticking with the same livery. While car choice is unconfirmed, he has expressed interest in both of the pictured cars. Although it is strange that CJ wants the Hyundai seeing as it isn't the strongest car on the grid. Is it possible that CJ has some sort of ungodly quick tune? We'll just have to wait for Season 5.

Grip Runners Motorsport

Photos courtesy of @GRM Bandit (GRM_Bandit)
*Note: as of right now, there is no second driver for Grip Runners. These photos were just Nürburgring 1 Hour promotional photos.
Livery by @PSN offapple (offapple)
​

Bandit has finally released his photos to the media! Oddly enough, Bandit went retro using the style of the original Grip Runners livery. It will definitely be interesting to see how the financially struggling team gets on with a new car for Season 5.

Sadly it is time to conclude the Week 2 livery reveals. I hope everyone enjoyed the somewhat brief return of livery reveals. I'm GRM_Bandit, and I hope to see you at the Nürburgring 1 Hour this weekend.

Edits:
Added some more relevant information to the Ravenwest reveal.
Added information regarding VERT and some more commentary.
Edited grammar and sentence structure to the Grip Runners reveal. Also added livery credit (Bandit did not create the livery).

 

[gugas99]

I’m confused

 

[Clean Racer]

I’m confused

Hey @gugas99 , how does anyone know what they are driving for Season 5?

 

[GRM Bandit]

@gugas99 cut me some slack, I wrote this at like 2:00 AM while falling asleep.

@Clean Racer through the power of God and Anime, I know that GRM is getting a phat GT-R from the Nismo Gods

 

[gugas99]

#banter

 

[PSN offapple]

PSN ID: PESCAROLOP902
Racing Number: #18
Current Driver Rating: B/Amateur

I hope to race in LMP. Preferably in a Prototype with a hybrid system. Even more hopeful would be the R18. However, I have nothing against the 919 and TS050.

Sorry for it taking so long, but you have now been added to the Driver Market list! If we keep growing in popularity in terms of entries for next season we might have to have 2 seperate lobbies!

 

[GRM Bandit]

The Offseason Articles: Nürburgring Special
​

Oh boy! It was an exciting week at the Nukeshot Endurance Series’s Nürburgring 1 Hour. Congratulations to all of our finishers, among with our podium finishers. So without further delay, let’s get into our livery reveals.

Martini Racing

Photo credit: gugas99 (@gugas99)
​

Gugas has released the initial Martini racing liveries for Season 5. As of right now Martini has used both championship winning cars in their promo. Is is possible that the Martini guys are planning to take the championship cars from CJ? Who knows.
*Note: apologies for not adding this reveal in Week 2’s reveal. I was going to add it, but then forgot. Better late than never!

New Rivalries?

​

It would appear than the Mika and Bandit we’re having some scraps at the Nürburgring 1 Hour. As we know, Mika left Rotterdam to create his new team. And Bandit, despite his team’s financial struggles, still appears to be holding on to whatever he can. Even though Bandit’s pit strategy ended up ruining his race, Mika ended up having his best drive when it mattered most. If Season 5 is anything like the Nürburgring 1 Hour, then Mika and Bandit are definitely going to have some interesting battles.

Another rivalry that seems to be brewing is between the LMP Pro champion Joe, and armoredcore. Near the end of the race, both Joe and armoredcore had a hard fought battle for podium position. It’ll be interesting to see if Joe and armoredcore end up becoming full blown rivals during Season 5.

Maarten, Nilsemann, and Waike could also become a heated rivalry within the NES. There was a bit of battling between the three, but not enough to determine if a solid rivalry can form. Either way, it will be interesting to see these three go at it (given that Nilsemann makes it into the Pro split).

There we have it, another week and some NES news. The Nürburgring 1 Hour has added some spice to the offseason. Will Grip Runners collapse under its own weight? Will Mika and Bandit continue their battling into Season 5? Will Nilsemann get put into the Pro split? Everything is unsure right now, but the excitement just keeps piling on! That’s all I got guys, until next time, I’m GRM Bandit, and I hope to see you back on the track soon!

*Edit: fixed broken image.

 

[GRM Bandit]

Breaking News: Motul Racing Partners Up

Photo courtesy of mika8102k (@Mika8102K)
​

Earlier today, Mika the Hotboxing Dutchboi and The Space Radish came out with an announcement. Mika announced a merger between Motul Racing and Nukeshot Motorsport in the LMP class. Mika also decided to take the theme of the prototype, and apply it to the GT team. An official statement from Space Radish regarding the merger, “For clarification. The LMP team is still Rebellion by Nukeshot Motorsport, and is the official 2nd team of Nukeshot Motorsport. The GT3 team is Motul Rebellion Racing, and has Nukeshot Motorsport backing but is ran independently by Mika, and therefore isn't a Nukeshot Motorsport second team.”

Some of the sharper eyed viewers can probably spot the Rebellion prototype sporting the number of American driver and Grip Runners Motorsport team boss GRM_Bandit. It was also confirmed by Mika that Bandit would indeed be driving for Motul Racing. In a not-so-shocking turn of events, Bandit confirmed bankruptcy for Grip Runners Motorsport. An official statement from GRM_Bandit revealed, “Grip Runners had been struggling financially since entering into the Nukeshot Endurance Series. Our problems were only worsened when we lost our number two driver before Blue Moon Bay, and our lead engineer during LeMans. Because of the internal problems and missing the final round of LeMans, Ford backed out of a Season 5 deal with the team. Nissan had stepped in to supply a GT-R for Season 4.5, but they backed out after my poor performance at the Nürburgring 1 Hour. As for the Subaru and Cobb partnerships, it’s still going strong, but there is the possibility that both companies will stop providing support due to the bankruptcy. To be completely honest, I’m glad I don’t have to run a team for the time being. It was perfect timing actually, because I was ready to declare bankruptcy and move on to another team before being contacted by Mika. Speaking of, I have full confidence that Mika will perform well as both a driver and a team boss. I’m not concerned about the team falling apart, the chemistry is there, I just need some consistency in my drive. At the end of the day, I’m hoping for a great ‘debut’ season in the NES, and a spectacular debut for Motul Racing.”

Photo courtesy of offapple (@PSN offapple)
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Excitement is still brewing as Mika and Bandit prepare for the coming season. It will be interesting to see how this dynamic duo stacks up against the rest of the field. Another important note is some drivers voicing their displeasure of Nukeshot backing so many cars in the series. While Nukeshot currently has confirmed two teams, the Radish did mention that the Motul GT team is technically a separate entity to the Rebellion team of the LMP class. Motul driver Bandit also stated publicly to Radish, “I’m still gonna fight for my points apple. Just coz we’re the Nukeshot LMP (sister) team, doesn’t mean that I’m not fighting for Motul Rebellion Racing.”

While Radish, Mika, and Bandit figure out Motul Racing’s future, I’m going to hand off the tread to the readers. I’ve been posting way to much, and it’s about time I take a few days for myself. Stay classy racers I’m GRM Bandit, and I’m going to take a nap. Good night everybody!

*Edits and additions: Grammar and sentense structure fixes.
Grip Runners entries in the Season 4.5 thread have been renamed. Subaru-GRM is now Subaru-Cobb Racing, and Bandit signed a contract with BMW in the Toyota vs. Porsche event. Bandit had no comment for the media or confused drivers when asked about the M-Power Supra. It is also confirmed that Bandit is signed with Motul Rebellion Racing for the Sainte-Croix 1 Hour.