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Hoy ready to race at Le Mans

Olympic cycling superstar switches to four wheels and eventually Le Mans...


When you've already won 11 world titles and six Olympic medals, you might think that sitting back and having a cup of tea while reading the paper might be your highest priority of a Tuesday afternoon. Not so cycling superstar (no other word for it) Sir Chris Hoy who has partnered up with Nissan to race in this year's British GT Championship with an eye to getting a Le Mans 24 hours drive in 2016.

Hoy was already a Nissan brand ambassador thanks to Nissan's partnerships with the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association so he's going to be fast-tracked through Nissan's own Driver Development Programme - the same system that has made a sports car star out of one-time PlayStation racer Lucas Ordonez.

Hoy will drive a fearsome GT3-spec Nissan GT-R Nismo in the GT Championship alongside established racer Alex Buncombe. Both will drive for the Nissan GT Academy Team RJN for the seven events that make up the series.

Hoy explained: "When we sat down to discuss the relationship, we talked about how we could make things a two-way street. When I learned what had been achieved through Nissan's Driver Development Programme I was keen to take my enthusiasm for motorsport to the next level. This won't be easy - but I could not turn down the chance to give it a go. My ultimate ambition is to race at Le Mans. That is the dream, but I'm taking this one step at a time."

Anything else?
The British GT Championship kicks off over the Easter Weekend at the famed Oulton Park track in Cheshire in England. Ironically, Hoy will be officially entered as a 'Bronze Driver.' Wonder who gets to break that news to him?

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Published on April 8, 2014