NISMO Breaks Toyota’s Dominance in Suzuka GT 300km Race
For the first time in 385 days, a manufacturer outside of Toyota claimed victory in the Autobacs SUPER GT Series’ premier class. Nissan’s #23 Motul Autech Nissan Z NISMO GT500, driven by Katsumasa Chiyo and Mitsunori Takaboshi, secured a decisive win at the Suzuka Circuit on a sweltering afternoon where temperatures soared to 35ºC.
Chiyo and Takaboshi’s triumph marked Nissan’s first GT500 win since the season opener in Okayama, ending Toyota’s remarkable winning streak of nine races. Chiyo stated, “We’ve worked incredibly hard to get here, and this win proves our persistence is paying off.”
The #16 ARTA Mugen Honda Civic Type R-GT, piloted by Hiroki Otsu and Ren Sato, held early dominance, leading into the first corners before encountering trouble. Matsuda, a legendary figure in GT500 history, faced misfortune early on when he went off track and collided with another vehicle, forcing him into a drive-through penalty that ultimately led to a 13th place finish.
The critical moment came during pit stops on lap 18, as NISMO executed a flawless transition that allowed Chiyo to take the lead over Sato by 1.8 seconds. A Full Course Yellow on lap 35 revived hopes for Toyota’s Oshima, who initially closed the gap, but ultimately fell short. The #23 Motul Z crossed the finish line 5.768 seconds ahead of the #14 Eneos GR Supra.
In GT300, CarGuy MKS Racing celebrated a historic win. Zak O’Sullivan and Rikuto Kobayashi powered their #7 Ferrari 296 GT3 to victory, marking Ferrari’s second consecutive win in the class after a 15-year absence. Following disqualifications related to weight infractions, Subaru’s #61 BRZ R&D Sport and Mach’s #5 MC86 were elevated to second and third place, respectively.
GT500 Results:
- Nissan: #23 Motul Autech Nissan Z NISMO GT500 – Chiyo/Takaboshi
- Toyota: #14 Eneos X Prime GR Supra – Oshima/Fukuzumi
- Nissan: #3 Niterra Motul Z – Sasaki/Miyake
GT300 Results:
- Ferrari: #7 CarGuy MKS Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 – O’Sullivan/Kobayashi
- Subaru: #61 Subaru BRZ R&D Sport – Iguchi/Yamauchi
- Toyota: #5 Mach Syaken/Air Buster MC86 – Shiotsu/Kimura
The series now looks ahead to the next event at Sportsland SUGO on 21 September, where teams will continue to vie for supremacy in what has become a fiercely competitive season.
