Suzuka Super Taikyu Race Report: Dominance by #666 Porsche
Suzuka, Japan – The #666 seven x seven Porsche 911 GT3 R delivered an exemplary performance in the Suzuka Super Taikyu 5 Hours Race, securing its second victory of the season. The winning team, comprising Hiroyuki “Bankcy” Ogawa, Kiyoto Fujinami, Tsubasa Kondo, and Taichi Watarai, demonstrated strategic prowess and driving skill to clinch the top spot by under eight seconds.
Qualifying set the stage with the #33 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 capturing pole position, thanks to a standout lap by Kakunoshin Ohta at 1:59.058. The #777 D’station Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and the #666 Porsche filled out the top three on the grid.
The race commenced with a dramatic start as Rikuto Kobayashi in the #31 apr Lexus RC F GT3 surged from fourth to the lead within the first two corners. He, along with D’station Racing’s Tomonobu Fujii and Fujinami, battled fiercely at the front until an early Full Course Yellow was triggered by Motoharu Sato’s crash in the #610 Koshido Racing Mazda Roadster.
Post-restart saw Fujinami involved in an incident that spun him out, allowing Fujii to regain the lead ahead of the first round of pit stops. After the stops, Satoshi Hoshino in the #777 Aston Martin emerged ahead, though he faced challenges from the advancing #666 Porsche and #33 Mercedes-AMG.
Kondo’s exceptional pace saw him extend the Porsche’s lead to over 20 seconds, while a late race performance from Ojeda in the #33 Mercedes-AMG endeavored to close the gap. Ultimately, the #666 Porsche completed 126 laps, with Fujinami at the wheel during the closing stages.
In the final classification, the #33 Craft-Bamboo racing duo of Lee, Ohta, and Ojeda finished second, while the #777 Aston Martin team rounded out the podium after a drive-through penalty for a Full Course Yellow mishap.
Key Race Results:
- #666 seven x seven Porsche 911 GT3 R – 126 laps
- #33 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 – +7.9 seconds
- #777 D’station Aston Martin Vantage GT3 – +22 seconds
- #23 TKRI Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #31 apr Lexus RC F GT3
The victory grants the #666 Porsche a 22-point lead in the ST-X Championship ahead of the upcoming Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours.
ST-Z & ST-1 Results:
The ST-Z class was won by the #52 Saitama Green Brave Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, marking their third podium this season. In ST-1, the #2 K’s Frontier KTM Cars X-Bow GTX maintained its winning streak, reinforcing its competitive edge over its Porsche Cup rival.
Additional Highlights:
- The #15 Okabe Jidosha Motorsports Nissan Fairlady Z34 captured its inaugural win in the ST-3 class.
- The #66 Over Drive Mazda Roadster RF conducted a pole-to-win strategy in the ST-4 class.
- Team Yamato claimed victory in ST-5F, further enhancing their championship position.
This race further solidified the competitive landscape of the Super Taikyu series, showcasing intense rivalries and high-performance engineering. The series now turns its attention to the 10th Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours on May 31-June 1, 2025.
