Motorsports News: GT-R Wins Suzuka Super GT

After a long off-season wait, some 31,000 race fans were on hand for the opening round of the SUPER GT season. With occasional rain falling from the dark clouds overhead, accidents such as spins and contact occurred right from the beginning when the rain was heaviest. After crashing in the previous day's official qualifying session, driver Oliveira avoided all the carnage in the HIS ADVAN KONDO GT-R to rise to 4th place by lap 2 in a car had taken all night to repair. Shortly after, a major accident at the first corner on lap 10 brought out the Safety Car for five laps. With the race restarted, more rain falling ensured the difficult conditions continued.

However, the #6 SC430, the #1 SC430 and the #24 GT-R engaged in a fierce battle in the unforgiving conditions, with the #24 GT-R rising to third. When the bulk of cars made their pit stops to switch drivers, the #24 GT-R rose to the premier position, extending that lead until lap 34 when Yasuda took the wheel. In addition, following the orders of team director Masahiko Kondo to not change tyres, the car returned to the track still in first place. From there, Yasuda set stable lap times for the remaining 18 tours, never allowing anyone to get close until he crossed the finish line in the top spot after 52 laps.

The MOTUL AUTECH GT-R (#23 Satoshi Motoyama/Benoit Treluyer) was the strongest of the GT-Rs, starting the race from third on the grid. On the opening lap, while Treluyer was running fourth, the wet track surface saw him spin off at the first corner. Although he immediately got back on track, his position dropped gradually. Running in eighth after the Safety Car period, he made an earlier than scheduled pit stop on lap 19, handing the car over to teammate Motoyama. From that point Motoyama ran in tenth, rising to ninth in the later stages, rising to eighth by the flag. Valuable championship points were accrued.

Qualifying 6th, the CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R (#12 Tsugio Matsuda/Ronnie Quintarelli) spun immediately after the start at Turn 1 in the rainy conditions, falling to ninth. Then after completing lap 10, the car suddenly slowed. Starting driver Quintarelli had to pull the car to the side of the track. Despite trying to restart the car, his efforts were in vain and he retired.

Credits: wilswong