SUPER GT Pre-Season Test Day Two Summary: Toyota Dominates at Okayama

Okayama International Circuit, Japan – During the second day of the official SUPER GT pre-season test, TGR Team au TOM’S reaffirmed their dominance in GT500, with Sho Tsuboi setting the fastest time of the weekend at 1:18.009 in the morning session. As spectators returned to the stands, various teams showcased new driver pairings and upgraded vehicles, notably the Honda HRC Prelude-GT.

Tsuboi’s performance marked a slight decline in lap times due to decreased grip on the damp track. He reflected on the session: “The time was set in traffic, leaving plenty of room for improvement. Today’s focus was on long runs, and despite a mid-session red flag, we accomplished all our goals.”

Tadasuke Makino closely followed in the #100 Stanley HRC Prelude-GT, clocking a 1:18.049, a mere four hundredths off Tsuboi’s best. Other notable performances included Ukyo Sasahara (#37 Deloitte TOM’S GR Supra, 1:18.152) and Kazuki Hiramine (#12 TRS Impul Nissan Z, 1:18.311), who rounded out the top five.

Red flags interrupted the morning session due to incidents involving GT500 rookie Rikuto Kobayashi and Takashi Kobayashi. Both drivers were unharmed, and teams quickly adapted to the disruptions.

In the afternoon session, the #14 Eneos X Prime GR Supra’s Nirei Fukuzumi achieved the best lap of that particular session with a 1:18.076, while Teppei Natori in the #24 Realize Corporation Nissan Z secured second place with a 1:18.176 despite a late-off track excursion.

Notable GT500 Morning Session Results:

1. 36 au TOM’S GR Supra – Sho Tsuboi: 1:18.009

2. 100 Stanley HRC Prelude-GT – Tadasuke Makino: 1:18.049

3. 37 Deloitte TOM’S GR Supra – Ukyo Sasahara: 1:18.152

4. 12 TRS Impul Nissan Z – Kazuki Hiramine: 1:18.311

5. 16 ARTA Mugen Prelude-GT – Ren Sato: 1:18.449

GT300 Highlights: Saitama Green Brave Leads

In the GT300 class, Saitama Green Brave maintained their momentum with the updated #52 Toyota GR Supra GT300. Seita Nonaka recorded the fastest time of the day at 1:25.152 in the morning session. Nonaka noted post-testing, “We couldn’t complete everything on the test menu but the morning went smoothly.”

Hiroki Yoshimoto placed second overall in the #60 Syntium LM Corsa Lexus LC500 with a time of 1:25.216, followed closely by Hiroaki Ishiura in the #32 Eneos X Prime Mercedes-AMG GT3 with a 1:25.267.

Top GT300 Times:

1. 52 Saitama Green Brave GR Supra – Seita Nonaka: 1:25.152

2. 60 Syntium LM Corsa Lexus LC500 – Hiroki Yoshimoto: 1:25.216

3. 32 Eneos X Prime Mercedes-AMG GT3 – Hiroaki Ishiura: 1:25.267

Both classes demonstrated intense competition as teams prepared for the upcoming season, with official testing set to conclude next week at Fuji Speedway.

Upcoming Testing: The next official pre-season test is scheduled for March 14-15 at Fuji Speedway.

Images © GTA