Updated Entry List Released for 49th Suzuka 1000km
The official entry list for the 49th Suzuka 1000km has been confirmed, featuring 33 cars across five classes, representing eight manufacturers. Notably, defending champions Team WRT have expanded their lineup, adding two BMW M4 GT3 EVOs. The #31 car will see IGTC Drivers’ Championship leader Augusto Farfus, while past Suzuka 10 Hours winners Kelvin van der Linde and Raffaele Marciello will drive the #32.
Japanese teams have also bolstered the field. K-tunes Racing enters a #98 Ferrari 296 GT3, piloted by 2024 champions Daisuke Yamawaki and Shinichi Takagi, along with Sean Walkinshaw. This increases Ferrari’s presence to five entries. Runup Sports adds the #360 GT-R NISMO GT3, featuring Masaaki Nishikawa, Atsushi Tanaka, and newcomer Takuya Otaki.
In a lineup change, the #93 Herberth Motorsport Porsche has been replaced by the #10 Absolute Racing Porsche. This car will be driven by reigning IGTC Independent Cup champion Antares Au, alongside six-time Le Mans class winner Richard Lietz and reigning Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion Loek Hartog. Absolute Racing’s entry also fills the gap left by the withdrawn #19 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2.
The Pro class will consist of 11 entries, including Porsche’s retro-liveried cars from Phantom Global Racing, Absolute Racing, and Origine Motorsport, alongside EBM Giga Racing’s #61 entry featuring Harry King, Sven Müller, and Adrian D’Silva.
Mercedes-AMG has announced strong driver lineups for its two official teams, despite some participants being unavailable due to DTM commitments. Mercedes-AMG Team GMR will feature Mikaël Grenier, Maxime Martin, and Luca Stolz in the #888 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, while Team Craft-Bamboo Racing’s #77 car will see Maximillian Götz, Ralf Aron, and Honda’s Super Formula winner Kakunoshin Ohta.
The 99 drivers participating include notable past winners such as van der Linde, Marciello, and two-time champion Shigekazu Wakisaka, who will share the #60 LM Corsa Ferrari with Giancarlo Fisichella.
The field composition includes 12 cars in the Bronze class, the highest of any category, while the Pro-Am Cup comprises six cars. The Silver Cup features three entries, with one car from Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom, and the Am Cup includes a single entry from AMAC Motorsport.
Importantly, Lamborghini has withdrawn entirely from the event for the first time since 2004, alongside brands like Lexus, Aston Martin, and McLaren.
The 2023 schedule includes qualifying on September 12, with the first race of the SRO Japan Cup set for September 13 at 1:55 PM JST, leading into the Suzuka 1000km race, which will begin at 12:50 PM JST on September 14.
For full entry list details, please refer to the official documentation.
