Nils-Kristian "Kris" Nissen (born 20 July 1960 in Arnum) is a retired Danishauto racing driver.[1] For several years he was Volkswagen's motorsport director. Since the summer of 2013 he has had a career change and is currently owner and temporary manager of a Danish campingsite called Enderupskov in Southern Jutland.
Single seater and sports car racing
Nissen started racing in karting, and was twice Danish Champion in 1976 and 1977. He was Danish Formula Ford 2000 Champion in 1982 and German Formula Three Champion in 1986. in 1987 and 1988 he drove in Japan with a Porsche 962 in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship. During his time there he was involved in an accident at Fuji in 1988 in which he suffered serious burns to his body and face. He was removed from the wrecked car by fellow driver Paolo Barilla and he spent two weeks in a coma.[2]
Touring car racing
Between 1989 and 1992 he drove in the DTM for various teams in a works supported BMW M3. In 1991 he won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with the Schnitzer Motorsport BMW. In 1992 he won the Nordic Touring Car Cup and for the second half of the year he replaced the injured Alain Menu in the British Touring Car Championship for BMW. He finished as runner-up in the 1993 ADAC GT Cup, followed by a return to the DTM in 1994 in a privateer Alfa Romeo. In this year he won his only DTM race.