1989 was a exceptional year for Nissan, with racing wins at the 12 hours of Sebring, a Japanese Touring Car Championship, and two class championships in IMSA. Nissan were certainly proving their might on the international racing circuit. This 300ZX is no exception to this success. Campaigned by Clayton Cunningham Racing, this Nissan 300ZX, chassis had seven top-five finishes in 1989 alone, including a 3rd at Mid-Ohio as driven by John Morton.

Between 1989 and 1995, Clayton Cunningham racing built seven factory-supported Nissan 300ZX race cars to compete in the IMSA (International Motor Sport Association) racing series. Of these cars, the 300ZX proved to be an extremely successful platform, winning both the Manufacturer’s and Driver’s Championships in 1992 and 1994, as well as an overall win at the 1994 Daytona 24 Hours, and a 1st in Class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans that same year.

Cunningham would campaign this car in 1989, piloted by well-known and successful Nissan driver of the era, John Morton. The first iteration of the 300ZX Turbo GTO cars struggled with early development issues. For instance, the cars weren’t stable at high speeds and the braking system didn’t have sufficient cooling capabilities, keeping the car from being competitive enough to win races. The 1989 season concluded with a 3rd place at Mid-Ohio being the car’s best result.

For 1990, the car was treated with several upgrades, one of which included a chassis and wheelbase extension, running an updated 2+2 configuration. Cunningham racing also fitted the car with their own custom fabricated water-cooled brake system that helped prevent the brakes from fading throughout the length of a stint.

With a longer wheel base, refined chassis, and updated braking system, Cunningham Racing had created a fierce competitor with the newly refined 300ZX platform that led to the car’s first victory at Mosport with Steve Millen behind the wheel. It would go on to successfully compete from 1990 to 1992, achieving a total of four race wins that included Mosport and Road America driven by Steve Millen, and Mid-Ohio and Mosport driven by Jeremy Dale, as well as 16 top-three finishes over its 45-start career.

This superb 1989 Nissan 300ZX Turbo IMSA GTO is currently available through Stratas Auctions. Still sporting its red, white and blue Nissan livery, this classic racer cuts an impressive figure. For more information on this and other vehicles available, click on the link below.

stratas.auction

The ultimate ‘Z car’