Spectator killed in Nuerburgring race accident

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A spectator died and several others were injured when a Nissan sportscar driven by British racer Jann Mardenborough vaulted a catch fence at Germany's Nuerburgring Nordschleife circuit on Saturday.

Nissan motorsports said in a statement that Mardenborough was able to climb out of the GT-R car, which landed on its roof, and was taken to hospital for routine checks.

Organisers of the opening round of the VLN Endurance Championship said it was unclear what caused the car to flip off the track at the Flugplatz section of the historic 20km long circuit.

The race was stopped after the accident.

Nissan said they were "deeply shocked and saddened" by the accident and were cooperating fully with race organisers to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation.

Mardenborough is a rising star in the racing world, joining Nissan four years ago after beating out 90,000 rivals in the GT Academy, a video game competition that pits would-be drivers against each other.

The 23-year-old is due to race in the GP3 series this season, which has served as a springboard to Formula One in recent years, and the Le Mans 24 Hours.

(Reporting by Maria Sheahan)