In anticipation of the approaching 2024 season, Flying Lizard Motorsports is set to embark on a new chapter, incorporating another distinguished manufacturer into its already illustrious roster. This year, the 14-time champions will strike a new partnership with Nissan as it takes on the role of a Nissan Z GT4 Customer Team in the Pirelli GT4 America series. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone for Flying Lizard Motorsports, showcasing its commitment to pushing boundaries and achieving unparalleled success on the racing circuit.
Steering the No. 5 Nissan Z GT4 through the competitive landscape of the Pirelli GT4 America championship will be the Canadian duo of Damir Hot and Stefan Rzadzinski, racing under the iconic red and silver Flying Lizard Motorsports livery, entry sponsored by Applewood Auto Group.
"This is a really exciting program for us this year,” said Program Manager Darren Law. “I have been speaking with Nissan for quite a while and happy we were able to put this program together. Stefan and I initially discussed him joining our team late last year and when this opportunity came up it was a great fit. His teammate Damir has been putting in a lot of seat time over the off-season and we are looking forward to watching his progress this year. Having Darren Graham of Applewood Auto Group on board is a key part of our operation and I am looking forward to growing this relationship. We have a lot to do before the start of the season as this is a very new program, but as always, Flying Lizard is up for the challenge."
Still relatively new to the professional sports car racing arena, Hot began his sports car racing career in 2020. He most recently raced in the recent running of the European GT Winter series, earning five top-five finishes and two podiums in a Porsche 992 Cup car.
“I'm proud to be entering my first season of GT4 racing surrounded by some of the most professional and experienced folks around,” said Hot. “My goal in racing is to explore how far discipline, dedication, and rigor can take me in the sport; I can't think of a better setup in that regard than teaming up with Stefan, Nissan, and the legendary Flying Lizard Motorsports organization."
Like many sports car racing drivers, Rzadzinski started his professional racing journey in open wheel racing, winning a Skip Barber Racing Series scholarship to compete in the Road To Indy in 2011. He boosted his racing career with a successful three-year stint in the Nissan Micra Cup Championship from 2015 to 201, most recently participating in the GT Winter Series last month. He earned one podium in two races, hot on the heels of a 16-race season in the 2023 Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America.
“It’s an honour to join a team with the legacy and history of Flying Lizard Motorsports,” said Rzadzinski. “I’m confident that with the support of Applewood Auto Group and our partners at Nissan, we will have a strong season in GT4 America. The series will be new for us, but my co-driver Damir and I will be up for the challenge. We look forward to fighting for the top step of the podium.”
Hot and Rzadzinski will make their GT4 America debut at Sonoma Raceway on April 5-7 for the first double header of the 13-race championship. The race format will show the pair of drivers splitting the driving duties in the No. 5 Nissan Z GT4 for each of the 60-minute races. With the exception of round five at Circuit of the Americas, each weekend will host two races a weekend. Round five will hold a three-hour endurance race, a first for the GT4 race series.
The No. 5 entry joins Flying Lizard’s previously announced GT4 America lineup of the No. 13 Aston Martin entry of Todd Parriott and Tom Dyer, also racing their first full season with the 2020 and 2023 series team champions. The Lizards will also field two other entries under the SRO America umbrella, with Elias Sabo and Andy Lee racing the No. 8 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS, and Jason Bell racing the No. 2 Aston Martin in the GT America Powered by AWS.