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Nissan ramps up Blancpain GT programme with Buncombe, Chiyo, Reip

Nissan will bid for overall honours in the Blancpain Endurance Series for the first time this year with an all-professional factory line-up

The RJN Motorsport team, which has run the Japanese manufacturer's programmes in the series since its creation in 2011, will field a GT-R NISMO GT3 in the Pro class for factory-contracted drivers Alex Buncombe, Katsumasa Chiyo and Wolfgang Reip.

RJN's move into the top class follows campaigns with graduates from Nissan's GT Academy gamer-to-race scheme in the GT4 category with the 370Z and subsequently with the GT-R in GT3.

Nissan global motorsport boss Darren Cox told AUTOSPORT: "We are one of the staunchest supporters of the BES and have done well in Pro-Am.

"We have been able to run at the pointy end at different times and now want to give it a proper shot at winning races."

It appears certain that RJN will field a second car in the Pro-Am class of the BES for a roster of drivers including members of its GT Academy squad.

Cox said that the four winners of the its 2014 competitions (there are separate European, International, US and German academies) would be "split between the BES and LMP3" in the European Le Mans Series.

RJN will also mount a attack on the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May together with Nissan's NISMO competition arm.

The line-up in its two GT3-spec GT-Rs will include its BES Pro drivers, as well as Nissan LMP1 signings Michael Krumm, Jann Mardenborough and Lucas Ordonez.

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