2015.11.27

Champions and top rankers were giving prizes at JAF Motor Sports Award.

2015 Motor Sports Award of Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), the governing body of Japanese motorsports, was held at a Tokyo hotel on November 27th. Competitors who finished in a top position of the point ranking of domestic races including SUPER GT as well as rally, Gymkhana, and Dirt Trial were honored at the ceremony.
From SUPER GT, the top three finishers in the drivers’ ranking and the team champions of GT500 and GT300 classes were acclaimed in the ceremony. Driver champions were presented with the JAF Champion Cup, which represents “V” of victory and a steering wheel in its shape, and the second- and third-place drivers and the team champions received a plaque and the Team Champion Cup, respectively.

 

 

 

 

【JAF Award Giving Ceremony】

 

◎GT500 Class Champion
　Team Champion No.1 NISMO (Team Manager Yutaka Suzuki)
　Driver Champion Tsugio Matsuda / Ronnie Quintarelli (No.1 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R)

 

 

◎GT500 Class 1st to 3rd place in the Series

    Team Champion No.1 NISMO (Team Manager Yutaka Suzuki)

1st: Tsugio Matsuda / Ronnie Quintarelli (No.1 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R)　1位：松田次生／ロニー・クインタレッリ（No.1 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R）
　2nd: Hironobu Yasuda / Joao Paulo de Oliveira (No.12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R)

   3rd: Naoki Yamamoto / Takuya Izawa (No.100 RAYBRIG NSX CONCEPT-GT)

 

 

◎GT300 Class Champion
　Team Champion No.10 GAINER (Team Manager Tetsuya Tanaka)
　Driver Champion Andre Couto (No.10 GAINER TANAX GT-R)

 

 

◎GT300 Class 1st to 3rd place in the Series

   Team Champion No.10 GAINER (Team Manager Tetsuya Tanaka)

   1st: Andre Couto (No.10 GAINER TANAX GT-R)
　2nd: Katsumasa Chiyo (No.10 GAINER TANAX GT-R)

   3rd: Koki Saga / Yuichi Nakayama (No.31 TOYOTA PRIUS apr GT)

 

 

 

Award recipients in category Race including the top rankers of SUPER GT gathered for a ceremonial photo.

 

 

 

GTA’s series award presentation was also held during the celebration party held after the JAF Award Giving Ceremony, and both of the driver & team champions of GT300 and GT500 classes were honored and presented the Great Cup, a symbol of series champion, from GTA Chairman Masaaki Bandoh. Champions of the two classes spoke about their champion season and determination towards next season when interviewed by Pierre Kitagawa, the master of ceremony of the presentation.

 

 

 

【GTA Awards】

 

2015 GT500 Class Champion
Ronnie Quintarelli, Tsugio Matsuda (No.1 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R)
TM Yutaka Suzuki (No.1 NISMO) from right. GTA Chairman Masaaki Bandoh at left.

 

 

Tsugio Matsuda
“I have achieved consecutive champion in Formula Nippon, and now I have added another consecutive title this time in GT500. I really want to appreciate everybody who gave me the support. Ronnie gave it the best and TM Suzuki lead the team and pushed up our motivation. And one more. We competed side-by-side various times with TEAM IMPUL this year, and I really think we were able to come up strong because IMPUL was there. I will continue to compete strong and push it up to the next level (with the rivals) and aim for three consecutive titles.”

Ronnie Quintarelli
“I think the final round was a really great battle. We were able to get the title because of the strength of our team as a whole and my teammate Tsugio’s hard work, so I really thank them all. I got my fourth title (the sole most titles). Next year I want to make a new history by aiming for three-peat which nobody has ever achieved yet.”

Team Manager Yutaka Suzuki
“Last year was not easy (to win) either, but, comparably, we were able to run at front and continue at front to win the race. This year, often times we had to work our way up from the back in the race, and at the final round, especially, I think we had this feeling, “maybe it’s not possible…,” though we didn’t get that out of our mouth, as soon as the qualifying was over (qualified 12th). But our drivers and staff never gave up and kept their minds strong and fought through until the end. That was what led us to this result, I believe. I shouldn’t make promises easily, but I will aim for three consecutive titles with these two guys (Matsuda and Quintarelli).”

 

 

2015 GT300 Class Champion
Andre Couto (No.10 GAINER TANAX GT-R)

Team Manager Tetsuya Tanaka (No.10 GAINER) from right. GTA Chairman Bandoh at left.

 

 

 

Andre Couto (on stage with Chiyo as translate)
“It was a great season. Plus, I was blessed with a superb team and teammate and that made it possible to get the champion that I always dreamt of. I don’t know about next year (in terms of the team to drive for and its staffing), but, obviously, I will continue racing, so (the goal is) to become champion again like this year. Of course, that is what everybody is hoping for and it won’t be realized so easily. But that’s why I will give my best in exactly the same way next year and aim for the champion again.”

Team Manager Tetsuya Tanaka
“We couldn’t get the drivers’ title last year, but I’m very happy we got both titles this year. Number one (reason for winning the titles) is that the drivers (Couto and Chiyo, Tomita) worked hard, and our team worked perfectly that we were able to finish in all races. I think our team as a whole improved a lot.”

 

 

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