2015.08.31

Chairman Bandoh tells in regular GTA press conference a plan for joint race with DTM during the 2017 offseason.

GTA, the promotor of SUPER GT series, regularly holds a press conference during an event at the circuit to provide information and exchange opinions with the journalists covering the event. A regular press conference was also held at the Round 5 Suzuka in the morning of race day and GTA Chairman Masaaki Bandoh spoke about the ongoing discussion with DTM operator ITR for holding joint races with DTM in Japan and Germany after the 2017 season is over and before the 2018 season starts, respectively.

Technical regulations of GT500 class has been unified with DTM car since last season, and SUPER GT's GT500 car and DTM car will be racing under an international specification, Class One, in future. Expectation has risen for a joint race by GT500 and DTM cars since the decision was made for the plan, and it can be said that it has gotten much closer to realization considering that detail timings of the events have been mentioned by Chairman Bandoh in this press conference.

According to Chairman Bandoh, three manufacturers competing in the DTM are considering to field four cars each, a total of 12 cars, to the joint race planned to be held in Japan after the 2017 season is over in around November. He said another joint race is under consideration to be held in the following year in Germany before the 2018 season start in February or March. He added that he wishes to have all cars competing in GT500 class to race in both evets, if possible. Chairman also explained that these details had already been discussed with ITR Chairman Hans Werner Aufrecht during the "4th Steering Committee," an international meeting held between GT races of Japan, Germany, and USA, held in May this year and it is progressing in a positive way.

It was also revealed in the press conference that GTA wishes to provide an opportunity to top performing drivers in the FIA-F4 Championship, which inaugurated this year, to test SUPER GT cars and to request JAF to enable young drivers who are not old enough to obtain a driver's license to compete in SUPER GT with JAF's limited license (currently issued only in open-wheel races).

As the last topic of the press conference, it was announced that SUPER GT's prize ceremony is planned to be held in Tokyo after this year's season is over in December.