Michael Caruso takes Nissan Motorsport's first podium for 2014

Michael Caruso has secured a deserved podium place at the Albert Park street circuit today.

Caruso, driving the Norton/beyondblue Nissan Altima, finished third in today’s race, enough to secure third overall for the Grand Prix event.

Caruso dropped back through the pack early, but with some great speed aboard his #300 beyondblue Altima, Caruso raced his way through the pack, eventually pipping Garth Tander at the finish line for third overall.

Michael Caruso

Photo by: Edge Photographics

The incidents meant that Moffat, Todd Kelly and Rick Kelly finished the AGP weekend down in 19th, 20th and 21st respectively.

The next event on the V8 Supercars Championship calendar takes us Symmons Plains

Michael Caruso, #300 Norton/beyondblue Nissan Altima
Race 1: 4th
Race 2: 4th
Race 3: 6th
Race 4: 3rd

“It’s an absolutely brilliant result for Norton, beyondblue and Nissan,” said Michael Caruso.

“We started fifth and got crushed back to eighth. It was on for young and old out there and I was getting hit at every corner of the car.

“To manage to climb back up to third, it was a testament to the fantastic car speed that we had. It was as good as it’s been this weekend.

“And to get Garth (Tander) over the line, it makes the result even sweeter.”

James Moffat, #360 Norton Nissan Altima
Race 1: 8th
Race 2: 12th
Race 3: 12th
Race 4: DNF

“Before the Safety Car, the speed of the car was fantastic. I was definitely pulling in Fabian (Coulthard) who was wounded with a flat spotted tyre, but I felt it was just a matter of time before we reeled him,” said James Moffat.

“It was a great effort by the boys. They tuned it up over night and the changes definitely worked. That was one positive. Obviously, the result wasn’t fantastic, but I was a victim of other people’s accidents. That’s motor racing, though.

“It’s a shame for the guys, because they’ll be fixing the car when they probably shouldn’t have to be.

“I’m more encouraged now, because we have a bit of speed back in the old girl, and that’s something to look forward to for the rest of the year.”

Todd Kelly, #7 Jack Daniel's Racing Nissan Altima
Race 1: 10th
Race 2: 13th
Race 3: 10th
Race 4: DNF

"The weekend was looking not too bad, we had the potential to have all four cars in the top-ten for most of the weekend, and we've only come back with one car in the end," said Todd Kelly.

"It's disappointing, but the speed from the cars has been pleasing.

"We'll bounce back at Symmons Plains."

Rick Kelly, #15 Jack Daniel's Racing Nissan Altima
Race 1: 11th
Race 2: 11th
Race 3: 11th
Race 4: DNF

"It was the exact opposite of what we hoped for," said Rick Kelly.

"Sunday at the AGP always goes a little bit crazy with double points, and there was some really good fierce racing out there.

"We got a couple of good restarts and moved forward a little bit, and unfortunately we went under another car there and caught his back wheel when he moved over a bit.

"It sent me in the air, and it was a bit out of control from there to be honest.

"Once I climbed on the brakes I couldn't do much, it took us out, and it took (James) Moffat out as well, which is really disappointing because the last thing you want to have is for team cars to come together.

"No doubt we are all quite disappointed by that, the car pace was really good, in our car we made really good improvements today.

"That's as good as we could have hoped for from the weekend, we got (Michael) Caruso on the podium, we've now got to focus on Tasmania."

Nissan Motorsport