SUPER GT Malaysia Festival: Qualifying Summary
Sepang, Malaysia — The #19 WedsSport Advan Toyota GR Supra GT500 achieved a historic pole position at the SUPER GT Malaysia Festival, shattering an 18-year-old course record with a time of 1:49.748. This performance by drivers Yuji Kunimoto and Sena Sakaguchi not only marks Sakaguchi’s fifth career GT500 pole but also positions Toyota for a potential record seventh consecutive win in the GT500 class.
Kunimoto’s dominant qualifying stint in Q1 set the stage, allowing Sakaguchi to clinch pole in Q2. The previous record of 1:54.306, held by Takashi Kogure since 2007, has been eclipsed.
Key Results – GT500 Qualifying
- #19 WedsSport Advan Toyota GR Supra – 1:49.748
- #8 ARTA Mugen Honda Civic Type R-GT – 1:50.350 (Tomoki Nojiri)
- #64 Modulo Civic – 1:50.450 (Takuya Izawa)
- #37 Deloitte TOM’S GR Supra – Fastest Bridgestone entry
- #3 Niterra Motul Z NISMO GT500
- #12 TRS Impul Z
- #17 Astemo Civic
- #1 au TOM’S GR Supra – Carried additional weight and restrictor.
- #38 KeePer Cerumo GR Supra
- #39 Denso Kobelco SARD GR Supra
Notably, the #100 Stanley Civic missed the Q2 cut by only seven-hundredths and will start 11th.
GT300 Overview
In the GT300 category, the #18 UPGarage Mercedes-AMG GT3, driven by Takashi Kobayashi and rookie Yuto Nomura, secured pole with a time of 2:02.110, also a new course record. This lap surpassed the previous best of 2:03.025 set by Shinichi Takagi in 2013.
Key Results – GT300 Qualifying
- #18 UPGarage Mercedes-AMG GT3 – 2:02.110
- #52 Saitama Green Brave Toyota GR Supra – 2:02.475 (Hiroki Yoshida)
- #0 Venteny Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
- #87 Metalive S Huracán
- #61 Subaru BRZ R&D Sport
The #611 EBM Giga Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Adrian D’Silva and Dorian Boccolacci, led the local wildcard entries, achieving 12th on the grid. Defending champions JLOC will field two cars in the top four, maintaining their competitive edge.
Race Day Insight: The 55-lap race at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit promises thrilling action as Toyota prepares to extend its dominance, while competitors look to break the streak.
