It seems like NRT (Nerds Racing Team) has no future. The Indian squad has debuted in World Supersport this year and so far they’ve scored great results with both Jules Cluzel (who’s second in rider standings, just 5 points behind Sandro Cortese) and Thomas Gradinger (who has scored many top 10 results in his rookie year). But this story is likely to end for financial reasons and the two may remain unemployed very soon…
SOME MONTHS AGO… – NRT had had some problems already last April. Ex-Team Manager Gary Reynders had ordered that the team’s trucks didn’t go to Motorland Aragon, circuit that hosted the third round of the season, but everything was solved thanks to Spanish police and so Cluzel and Gradinger could contest Aragon Round regularly. At that time, they had denied that the team had financial problems, but now the truth is coming out and we decided to ask Andrea Ballerini, Jules Cluzel’s Crew Chief, some questions about such delicate issue.
Is it true that Nerds Racing Team may close down?
Yes, it is. We haven’t got any money since 30th April and the members of the team, including myself, are already on a job hunt. The Team Owner (Vafi Khan, ed) keeps assuring us that we’ll finish the season, but the situation is tougher and tougher and probably we’ll not go to Portimao for the next round. The crew wanted to “strike” already in Misano, but I thought of how the riders would have felt and finally I persuaded them not to give up. For sure it was the last dance, for the team.
There had been some issues already last April, but in the end everything looked OK…
Gary Reynders understood earlier than us that something was wrong, but the owner paid us punctually, at that time, and so we didn’t care of what Gary said. It really looked to be OK: after Assen Round, we went to test at Mugello and the costs were covered without any problem. However, everything changed already at Imola, because since then we haven’t got anything but assurances. And this is what’s going on right now…
So, the work done by the team and Jules Cluzel may be wasted…
The beginning was difficult, as we had some problems in Phillip Island and Buriram, but since Aragon Round Jules has scored three wins (at Assen, Imola and Brno, ed) and other important results and now he’s just 5 points behind the championship leader. Jules is an amazing rider and it would be terrible to waste what he’s done this year. His manager has no news, but I really hope he will find another seat, if Nerds Racing Team disappears.
He’s likely to join Puccetti Kawasaki, according to the rumour mill.
They’ve been talking about it for ages, but nothing has been confirmed yet. We’ll see…
Photo Credit: SP8 Images