THE TIMELINE OF
TEAM
RJN
Team RJN Timeline
Here you can see the history of Team RJN - all the racing we have undertaken, visiting numerous circuits around the world, competing in a plethora of championships, with a variety of race cars and many different drivers.
Team RJN
Timeline
Here you can see the history of Team RJN - all the racing we have undertaken, visiting numerous circuits around the world, competing in a plethora of championships, with a variety of race cars and many different drivers.
2008
RJN Motorsport and Alex Buncombe once again teamed up for the GT4 European Cup, fielding a Nissan 350Z GT4. Buncombe secured four wins and one second-place finish through the season, rewarding him with second in the drivers’ championship.
Also returning to the “Green Hell”, RJN Motorsport entered two Nissan 350Zs into the 2008 Nurburgring 24 Hours. Contesting the SP6 class was Holger Eckhardt, F Eckholdt, Kurt Thiim, and Nicole Luttcke (#65) who classified 131st overall. Alex Buncombe, Nicki Thiim (son of Kurt Thiim), Vincent Vosse, and Harald Muller were aboard the #66 entry - which unfortunately only managed 12 laps before retirement.
Nissan GT Academy - First GT Academy competition won by Lars Schloemer & Lucas Ordonez
Goodwood with drivers A Buncombe and Nissan Executive, Carlos Tavares
2007
Using their experience of vehicle prep for the Dakar Rally, RJN Motorsport were tasked with preparing two Nissan Patrols for TV series “Long Way Down” television series with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boreman,. The vehicles would be used by the support crew for the journey from Scotland to South Africa.
Goodwood supporting NISMO SuperGT500 and RJN Group N 350Z
Still focusing their competition efforts on the Nissan 350Z, RJN Motorsport took the Nissan 350Z - now running to GT4 specification, into Europe, entering the GT4 European Cup. The #14 Nissan was shared by Alex Buncombe and Joe Tuckey, with Buncombe securing the drivers’ championship (2 x wins & 2 x 2nd place) and Tuckey taking one podium finish.
The Didcot-based squad made their Nurburgring 24H debt in 2007, with the Nissan 350Z contesting the SP6 class, driven by touring car legend Kurt Thiim, Nissan factory driver Alex Buncombe, Holger Eckhardt & Tim Schrick
The team then took two Nissan 350Zs to contest the 2007 24 Hours of Silverstone, organised by Britcar. Anthony Reid, Kurt Thiim, Owner Mildenhall, Alex Buncombe. The Class 1 #57 car was shared by Michael Mallock and journalists John Backer, Jethro Bovindon and Richard Meaden to finish 3rd in class (15th overall).
The #40 GTC 350Z finished 8th in class (23rd overall), having received two gearboxes during the first 20 hours of running. It was shared by Anthony Reid, Kurt Thiim, Alex Buncombe and Owen Mildenhall.
2006
RJN Motorsport entered the Sony Playstation-liveried GT2 Nissan 350Z into the 2006 FIA GT RAC Tourist Trophy, held at Silverstone Circuit, the first race for the 2006 FIA GT Championship season. However, 23 laps was all Darren Manning and Joe Tuckey could manage.
In conjunction with NISMO, RJN Motorsport undertook a major engineering and homologation programme to prepare the Nissan 350Z to full FIA and ACO (Le Mans) specification. Now designated Nissan 350Z LM GT2.
Goodwood Festival of Speed running of Super GT 500 Nissan 350Z - on behalf of Nissan GB
1st overall - Richard Lyons
2005
Shifting the team’s focus from touring cars to full-time GT racing, RJN Motorsport entered their Nissan 350Z into the GT2 class of the British GT Championship. The #10 GT2 entry was piloted by full-season entry Michael Bentwood alongside Anthony Reid, Bryce Wilson, Ally McKever and enjoyed several points finishes through the season - and of course generated valuable data throughout the season.
The first podium for the Nissan 350Z in Europe came at Silverstone.
Build and development of 350Z GT2 continues
2004
Contracted by NISMO to build and run 2004 Dakar Rally Nissan Patrol for Yoshi Ikemachi and Tierry Delli-Zotti, who drove to victory in the production car class (T1 category) and 22nd overall.
RJN Motorsport also undertook development and preparation work on the 2004 Dakar 'Pick-Up' for Yves Loubet, Ginniel De Villiers, Ari Vatanen and Colin McRae. In total, Nissan won four stages at the 2004 Dakar: Colin McRae won twice, and Ari Vatanen and Giniel de Villiers won once each.
Major design and build programme (funded by RJN Motorsport} of the new N-GT Nissan 350Z.
The first N-GT Nissan 350Z car was built and prepared for 24 Hours of Spa, shared by Chris Buncombe, Vincent Radermecker, Carl Rosenblad, and Neil Cunningham. Sadly the car only managed 49 laps before retiring with brake issues
The 350Z then went onto contest the 2004 FIA GT Zhuhai 500km, the eleventh and final round the 2004 FIA GT Championship season. Piloted by former Top Gear Stig, Ben Collins, and Neil Cunningham, the N-GT entry retired after 27 laps of the 4.3km track.
Goodwood Festival of Speed - Colin McRae (1st in off road section)
2003
RJN Motorsport were contracted by Nissan to run the South African-built Paris-Dakar pickup in European and North African events. They took 1st place with Geniel de Villiers driving on Rallye du Maroc, which was the the 1st Rally Raid victory for Nissan.
Following this, the team supported Nissan's testing in preparation for the 2004 Dakar Rally, in Dubai, which also required them to complete the· final preparation of four cars and supply personnel for Nissan’s Dakar Rally team.
2002
FIA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) - all rounds contested with Tommy Rustad in a Nissan Primera with a second entry shared in selected rounds by Chris Goodwin (R5), Chris Buncombe (R7), and Rob Collard (R8-10)
Despite his promising 2001 season, Rustad only managed a single points finish in the 2002 season.
Meanwhile, back in Didcot, RJN Motorsport were tasking with building the new Nissan Primera P12 race car for development and media purposes only, as well as the development and build of 12 Nissan Patrol support vehicles for 2003 Dakar Rally.
2001
FIA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) all rounds contested with Tommy Rustad who secured 3rd overall in FIA Touring Car Championship (potential Championship winner until last race) with 4 x wins & 3 x podiums in “Super Production” class with his Nissan Primera.
Selected ETCC rounds were contested by Matt Kelly and Simone di Luca, with Matt Neal entering seven of the ten rounds in the Super Touring class with an RJN Motorsport Nissan Primera GT.
Tommy Rustad: 2 x wins & 2 x podium
4 x pole positions
Matt Neal: 1 x win & 2 x podiums
1st in class 3L Group N Nissan QX 24 Hour of Sicily (Rustad, Tavan, Sadelli)
1999/2000
The inception of RJN Motorsport by Robert James “Bob” Neville - arose from the closure of Didcot-based Nissan Motorsport Europe, of which Neville was the team manager for the marques racing operations.
Rather ambitiously, the debut race outing for the newly-formed RJN Motorsport was the 2000 Proximus 24 Hours of Spa with a Nissan Primera, piloted by Tommy Rustad, Lemeret, and Chris Buncombe.
The team then contested the penultimate round of the 2000 British Touring Car Championship, in the newly-formed “Class B” category for Super Production-spec cars, at Oulton Park with Andy Middlehurst in a Nissan Primera. The team returned for the season finale at Silverstone with Bryce Wilson and podiumed with their Nissan Primera.
2010
RJN Motorsport develop and homologate the Nissan 370Z GT4, following the success of the Nissan 350Z GT4
2012-2018
Between 2012-2018, RJN Motorsport enjoyed success with the Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Australia - including Blancpain GT Series, British GT Championship, Bathurst 12H, Nurburgring 24H and Dubai 24H - recognised as the official NISMO partner team from 2015
2019
RJN Motorsport agrees a partnership with Blancpain GT and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, Chris Buncombe, and 2009 Formula 1 World Champion, Jenson Button, to run a Honda NSX GT3 Evo in the 2019 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup under the team name Jenson Team Rocket RJN
2020
Jenson Team Rocket RJN switches to the McLaren brand
2021
Jenson Button sets up his own race team, JBXE, to contest Extreme E - which sees electric SUVs competing in extreme environmental issues.
Team Rocket RJN provides infrastructure, personnel and operations to JBXE.
2021
Team Rocket RJN partner with McLaren to run their McLaren Driver Development Programme in British GT
2024
Under new ownership, but still under the guidance of founder and team principal Bob Neville, Team RJN scored a podium finish at the centenary edition of the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa, having been chosen by SRO Motorsports Group to run #100 on their McLaren GT3 EVO.
Later that year, they took a lights-to-flag win at the Brands Hatch round of British GT
2025
For 2025, Team RJN will be contesting the full GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup season with their #23 McLaren GT3 EVO, but, for the first time ever, they are taking on the Gold Cup class.
Welcome two new drivers to Team RJN for 2025: Tommy Foster Racing makes the switch from prototypes, having finished third in Michelin Le Mans Cup's LMP3 class in 2024. Reece Barr was a class podium finisher in the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup in 2024.
Barr and Foster will join Team RJN stalwart Alex Buncombe, who counts among his achievements Pro Cup championship honours in SRO Motorsport’s Blancpain Endurance Series, back in 2015.
"I'm really excited to take this next step in my career with Team RJN and McLaren. Testing has gone well, and I believe we have a strong package for this upcoming season." - Tommy Foster
“Teaming up with Alex and Tommy in the #23 McLaren to chase the Gold Cup, in the world’s most competitive championship, is an exciting challenge. I’m incredibly motivated for the year ahead and thrilled to be joining Team RJN, a team with such a rich history in the sport and a crew that has built years of success together.”
“It’s great to be back in Europe again, I was last there in the Bentley in 2019. The Gold Cup category is incredibly competitive, but we will fight for the Championship. The key for us will be another good result in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.” - Alex Buncombe
