2016.04.01

[Season opener preview] Figure out the new competitive landscape! You can't miss the season opener at Okayama.

Long-awaited season opening round of 2016 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series, “OKAYAMA GT 300km RACE,” will soon raise the curtain. The time is April 9 (Saturday – Qualifying) and 10 (Sunday – Race), and the stage is Okayama International Circuit (Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture). This season will be the third year since the current car models were deployed to the GT500 class. We can be assured with more exciting battle than last year showcased by the racing cars with increased maturity. In the GT300 class, plenty of new models of the FIA-GT3 cars, mainly around foreign GT cars, are making debut in the series this year, and it will be very interesting to see how the change will draw up the competition picture. The promising rookie, much-talked-about first-year team manager, and more, the season opener lacks no topics to talk about. You can’t miss the battle on the technical circuit of Okayama in order to enjoy more of the long season of 2016.

 

Insights into the official test held at Okayama International Circuit on March 19-20 is, without a doubt, an imperative ingredient to predict how the season opener will turn out. Top times of each day in the 2-day testing were marked by No.6 WAKO'S 4CR RC F (Kazuya Oshima / Andrea Caldarelli) and No.37 KeePer TOM'S RC F (James Rossiter / Ryo Hirakawa). Considering that No.37 car is in a streak of winning two races at Okayama after the current regulation came into effect on the GT500 cars and that Caldarelli and Ryo Hirakata, the duo that won last year in No.37 car, are now split to No.37 and No.6 cars, it can be said that it would be only natural if the battle at Okayama evolved around these two cars. In addition, the progress of RC F fleet as a whole seemed pretty good, and even No.38 ZENT CERUMO RC F (Yuji Tachikawa / Hiroaki Ishiura) that looked to be lagging behind a bit managed to catch up the pace with others in the fleet at another official test held a week later at Fuji Speedway where it marked a fastest lap time. Given all above, three consecutive wins at Okayama by RC F is very possible.

The team that is most likely to be the number one opponent against the RC F fleet would be No.12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R (Hironobu Yasuda / Joao Paulo de Oliveira). It is clear that the team is in good shape as the team was consistently marking lap times ranking in the upper positions in both Okayama and Fuji tests. After falling short at frustrating second in ranking with no win last year, the team should be determined to give Team manager Kazuyoshi Hoshino a chance to hold the cup for real this year by winning a race in the early stage of the season. Contrastingly, defending champion No.1 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R (Tsugio Matsuda / Ronnie Quintarelli) stayed mediocre in terms of lap time in both tests. But some mentions that it was only that the tires they brought in did not match the temperature and the situation, therefore, we can still expect to see full potential of the strong No.1 car at the real game. Nonetheless, the chain of problems that occurred on different cars of the GT-R fleet is definitely a concern.

 

 

 

There was not any striking topics coming out of another contender, NSX CONCEPT-GT camp, during the test in terms of lap time. This season NSX CONCEPT-GT has unloaded the hybrid system the car had been using for two years until last year. There are good side and bad side of the change, thus, it is difficult to say whether it is good or bad. However, one thing for sure is that it will take time to redetermine the car-balance as well as to find new setting on the car. It seems that currently all teams in the fleet are required to take the work one by one. But, also, considering it is Honda that hates to lose, we may see a surprise like the fleet coming out with some secret parts that they did not use during the tests at the season opener. Although stated earlier that the fleet was quiet in terms of lap time, No.100 RAYBRIG NSX CONCEPT-GT (Naoki Yamamoto / Takuya Izawa) and No.17 KEIHIN NSX CONCEPT-GT (Koudai Tsukakoshi / Takashi Kogure) were actually marking lap times that ranked in higher positions at Okayama test and Fuji test, respectively. There could be a possibility the team pulling out a result that will upset the prediction of many especially when No.100 car has good footprints at Okayama.

While the current models of GT500 class cars entering third year and the performances of cars reaching an equilibrium, a stimulus for the class would be new drivers. There are two rookies competing in GT500 this season. At No.36 au TOM’S RC F with totally different livery, a rookie, who’s experience with the series is only a single race entry in the GT300 class last year, has been given a chance to partner with veteran Daisuke Ito. Indeed, his record in the GT is poor, but he is a promising young gun who became champion of the All Japan F3 last year, Nick Cassidy. Victory is very possibly depending on how LEXUS TEAM TOM’S and Ito, with historic racing careers, will lead. The other GT500 rookie is Katsumasa Chiyo of No.46 S Road CRAFTSPORTS GT-R. He, too, is teaming up with a highly experienced driver, Satoshi Motoyama. But, though a rookie, Chiyo was a perfect support to the last year’s GT300 champion and brought in two wins, and he also himself became champion of an overseas endurance race by taking the wheel of GT-R. He drove a GT500 GT-R during the test and is highly expected as immediate force and for immediate result. Performances as well as episodes of the two are definitely eye-catchers of the season opening round.

 

 

 

New model cars are rushing in to the GT300 class in 2016. Out of the JAF-GT300 cars, defending Okayama winner No.31 TOYOTA PRIUS apr GT (Koki Saga / Yuichi Nakayama), fielding new Prius that went on sale in December, is at the center of attention. After whipping out a top time of the class at Okayama test, there are many voices expecting back-to-back win at Okayama as well as debut-win. However, the car was unable to run in distance due to various problems during the tests and that could be a concern. Most eye-catching car out of the new model FIA GT3 cars can be Lamborghini Huracan GT3. No.88 MANEPA LAMBORGHINI GT3 (Manabu Orido / Kazuki Hiramine) marked the top time of Day 2 of Okayama test. Orido indicated his satisfaction in his comment as he compared with the former Gallardo, “It’s totally different. It’s like the GT500 of a few years ago.”
No.7 Studie BMW M6 (Jorg Muller / Seiji Ara) and No.55 ARTA BMW M6 GT3 (Shinichi Takagi / Takashi Kobayashi) fielding BMW M6 GT3, which was showing impressive run at Fuji test, are interesting teams to see. No.21 Hitotsuyama Audi R8 LMS (Richard Lyons / Tomonobu Fujii) would be the dark horse since Audi is fast when it comes to Okayama.

 

 

Other than the new model cars, the second year mother-chassis cars (MC) seem to be in good shape too. Technical circuit of Okayama is a perfect place for MC to show off its potential. We may be able to see No.25 VivaC 86 MC (Takeshi Tsuchiya / Takamitsu Matsui), that brought in the inaugural win of MC last year, and No.2 SYNTIUM Apple LOTUS (Kazuho Takahashi / Hiroki Katoh), with two pole positions last year, contending hard against the rivals.
GT300 class is also seeing a new comer who we should not take the eyes away from. That is Jann Mardenborough of No.3 B-MAX NDDP GT-R. He raced in European GT race with GT-R and also has experience in driving a GT car as well as an open-wheel car during a test in Japan. He is a highly recommended young driver out of NDDP, Nissan’s driver development system. Through the teachings from Team Manager Masahiro Hasemi, a legendary, former driver who has been training and educating young drivers for a long time, and Kazuki Hoshino, his partner as well as mentor at site, he is seen capable of accomplishments that would stun surrounding people such as first-year win, the title, etc.

 

 

 

 

The start of 2016 AUTOBACS SUPER GT is approaching very near. Talks can go on endlessly as the season opener is full of topics and points to see in both GT500 and GT300 classes. But a picture is worth a thousand words. What kind of dramatic and emotional story will there be this year? You should come out to Okayama International Circuit to witness the season opening round on April 9 and 10. If you can’t make it to the circuit, then don’t forget to catch the action through the live broadcast by J SPORTS or the “SUPER GT Plus” presented via TV Tokyo network, the niconico LiVE, etc.

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