Struan Moore is back for a second crack at the Blancpain Endurance Cup, but this time with Team RJN driving a Nissan GT-R GT3 with new teammates Matt Parry and Matt Simmons. Fresh from a challenging debut year in the Blancpain Endurance in 2016, and a successful LMP2 campaign in the Asian Le Mans Series, the 22-year-old Jersey native is set for a new challenge.
Last year he competed with Garage 59 alongside Andrew Watson and Alex Fontana, as part of the McLaren GT Driver Academy programme, which provided him a valuable learning experience in what is an extremely tough championship with a dense grid.
Moore though feels he’s more prepared for his second year. Having already competed in the series, and its bigger races like the 24 Hours of Spa, there should be less surprises along the way.
“I’m really pleased to be back in the Endurance Cup again this year,” he said to DSC when asked about his outlook for 2017. “It may be a new team and a new car for me this year, but after a year racing in Blancpain I feel more comfortable. The whole season is now a known quantity because I’ve done all the races before. Because of that I know what I need to do, to better myself and finish higher up the standings.
“I think I have a good chance with my new teammates too. We’ve got a young lineup, but a hungry and smart one which is needed to be competitive in the Blancpain Endurance Series. I’m looking forward to racing with Matt Parry, who I haven’t shared the same paddock with for a long time.
We’ve got a young lineup, but a hungry and smart one, which is needed to be competitive in the Blancpain Endurance series
“Matthew Simmons too will be good to work with, he’s apart of the Nissan family already, he has a year of experience in the car and he knows the team too, so he’ll be great to have alongside me and Matt Parry.”
It will be a new challenge to adapt to the GT-R, which is fundamentally different from the McLaren 650s GT3. It’s an obstacle which Moore aims to overcome quickly.
“I’m expecting the car to have a different feel to what I’ve experienced in the past,” he said. “It’s a car with a high top speed as its strongest advantage. I anticipate it to have less mechanical grip than the McLaren and more roll, but it certainly has its strengths.
“It’s won the Blancpain Endurance title before and big races, such as the Bathurst 12 hour, so with all that in mind it has little to prove. I can’t wait to drive it and work with everyone at RJN and Nismo.”
Before the season, Moore will get extended running with his new team, at both Monza and Paul Ricard for the Official test, to ensure he’s prepared for the opening round of the season.
“We’re going to be testing at Monza before we head off to Paul Ricard for the Official Test Days.”
RJN are a professional team, they may not turn up with loads of cars like HTP and WRT, but they know how to win with the resources they have.
“As a team, we’re all heading out to Monaco for some training and team building” he continued. “I’ll also get some sim time with Nissan too. I’m looking forward to working with Alex, Lucas and Chiyo. I raced against Lucas and Chiyo in Japanese F3 two years ago so it’ll be nice to share a garage with them again. Alex, I’ve known for a year now who is a quick and well known competitor.
“Between the three of them, their very specialised in driving this particular car so I’m eager to learn from them throughout the preparation and race weekends.
To Moore, Team RJN is one of the best teams out there in GT racing. Having achieved a lot over the years as well as developed young talent, he feels it’s the perfect fit for where he wants to be in his career.
“RJN are a professional team, they know how to win with the resources they have. It was only two years ago that they won the championship without the fastest car in my opinion”.
“They also do a good job with exposure,” he concluded. “It does bring commercial opportunities too which can help me get my name out there. Bob Neville and Nissan know how to develop young drivers, improve the package and ensure that they get good coverage in the media.
“It’s exciting to be a part of a team like this which has direct ties to a manufacturer, as you never know where it could lead.”
