AUTOBACS SUPER GT Series Pre-Season Test Overview
The AUTOBACS SUPER GT Series is set to kick off its first official pre-season test at Okayama International Circuit this weekend. Meanwhile, the series has published the entry list for the subsequent official test at Fuji Speedway, scheduled for March 15-16. These test sessions will be accessible to the public and feature two sessions each day.
Entry List Highlights
A total of 43 cars will participate, particularly in the highly competitive GT500 class where there are no unexpected entries. Key vehicles and drivers in this class include:
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Honda HRC Prelude-GT
- No. 8 – Drivers: Kakunoshin Ohta, Hiroki Otsu (Team HRC ARTA Mugen, Bridgestone)
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Nissan Z NISMO GT500
- No. 12 – Drivers: Kazuki Hiramine, Bertrand Baguette (Team Impul, Bridgestone)
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Toyota GR Supra GT500
- No. 14 – Drivers: Nirei Fukuzumi, Kazuya Oshima (TGR Team Eneos ROOKIE, Bridgestone)
GT300 Class Developments
Notable updates in the GT300 class include:
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Robert de Haan, reigning champion from Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, will test with Seven x Seven Racing in the #666 Porsche 911 GT3 R on March 16. He previously tested a Porsche 963 during the FIA WEC Rookie Test.
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Taichi Watarai, current leader in the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East, will also be on the track during the Fuji test.
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Souta Arao, a young talent, joins Team Mach as the second driver for the #5 Mach Syaken/Air Buster MC86, alongside Yusuke Shiotsu.
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Rin Arakawa and Yu Kanamaru will spearhead Tomei Sports’ efforts with the #360 RunUp x SOL Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3. This season marks Arao’s third year with the team while Kanamaru transitions after competing with Kondo Racing last year.
Teams and Driver Lineups
The following table lists additional entries and driver pairings:
| Class | No. | Vehicle | Drivers | Entrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GT500 | 100 | Honda HRC Prelude-GT | Naoki Yamamoto, Tadasuke Makino | Stanley Team Kunimitsu |
| GT300 | 666 | Porsche 911 GT3 R | Sven Müller, Kiyoto Fujinami, Taichi Watarai, Robert de Haan | Seven x Seven Racing |
| GT300 | 5 | Toyota (Dome) 86 MC | Yusuke Shiotsu, Souta Arao | Team Mach |
Future Testing
D’station Racing’s Tomonobu Fujii is expected to be the sole representative for the team during the Fuji test. This pre-season testing period aims to offer teams a vital opportunity for tuning and strategy development ahead of the upcoming season.
As the AUTOBACS SUPER GT Series gears up, attention will be on performance metrics revealed during these tests, which could significantly influence competitive dynamics this season.
