Fuji GT Sprint Race Preview: A Historic Format Change
The Fuji GT Sprint Race weekend is set to deliver a unique format to fans, with three sprint races scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday. This event marks a shift in the Autobacs SUPER GT Series, as it will feature the first separate GT500 and GT300 class races within a championship round since 2003.
Race Format and Points
Saturday will kick off with a single 35-lap race encompassing both classes. Sunday will see both GT500 and GT300 cars competing in separate 50-minute sprints. Notably, all races—including practice and qualifying—will be free of Success Weight, promoting a level playing field. The format will award half points to the top 10 GT500 and top 15 GT300 finishers, distributed to both drivers in each car.
Championship Implications
Currently, the GT500 standings are dominated by the TGR Team TOM’S duo, with the #1 au TOM’S Toyota GR Supra (Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita) leading the charge for a potential record eighth consecutive win. The #38 KeePer Cerumo GR Supra, featuring Hiroaki Ishiura in his final GT500 appearance at Fuji, also stands out as a contender following recent success in the Fuji 3 Hours.
Competitive Landscape
Historically, neither Nissan nor Honda has secured a GT500 victory in over a year, prompting questions about whether the shorter race format may level the playing field against Toyota’s dominance.
GT300 Field Overview
The GT300 class will see 28 full-time entries, including the repaired #20 Toyota GR86 from SHADE Racing after a fire incident during a private test. Notable driver returns include João Paulo de Oliveira with Kondo Racing and the duo of Nobuteru Taniguchi and Tatsuya Kataoka in the Goodsmile Racing & TeamUKYO Mercedes-AMG.
Harry King will participate in his second race of the season, taking over the #666 Porsche 911 GT3 R from Kiyoto Fujinami. Young driver Hironobu Shimizu returns to the #360 RunUp Rivaux Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3, replacing veteran Takayuki Aoki.
Recent Trends
FIA GT3 vehicles have claimed victory in six of the last seven SUPER GT races, including a remarkable last-lap win by the #6 Uni-Robo Bluegrass Ferrari 296 GT3. The only exception was the breakdown of the #61 Subaru BRZ R&D Sport in a prior race, highlighting the competitiveness and reliability issues at play.
Entry Lists
GT500 Entries:
- #1 Toyota GR Supra GT500: Sho Tsuboi (Race 1) / Kenta Yamashita (Race 2) – TGR Team au TOM’S – Bridgestone
- #3 Nissan Z NISMO GT500: Daiki Sasaki / Atsushi Miyake – NISMO NDDP – Bridgestone
- #8 Honda Civic Type R-GT: Tomoki Nojiri / Nobuharu Matsushita – ARTA – Bridgestone
- (Other notable entries include the #38 KeePer Cerumo GR Supra and various Nissan GT500 variants.)
GT300 Entries:
- #0 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2: Takashi Kogure / Yuya Motojima – JLOC – Yokohama
- #2 Toyota GR86 GT300: Hibiki Taira / Yuui Tsutsumi – Hyper Water Racing INGING – Bridgestone
- #6 Ferrari 296 GT3: Roberto Merhi Muntan / Yoshiaki Katayama – Velorex – Yokohama
- (Other prominent entries feature various Toyota, Mercedes-AMG, and Nissan models.)
Conclusion
The Fuji GT Sprint Race promises intense action and significant championship ramifications across both classes. As teams vie for crucial points without the weight of Success penalties, expect a thrilling weekend at Fuji.
