2024.04.13

【Rd. 1 Qualifying　GT300】　LEON PYRAMID AMG shows its speed in both Q1 and Q2 to take its second straight Pole Position at Okayama!

Round 1 Okayama International Circuit : Qualifying GT300

The official qualifying sessions for the opening round of the 2024 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series, the “OKAYAMA GT 300km RACE,” was held on April 13 at the Okayama International Circuit (one lap 3.703 km) in Okayama Prefecture. From this year, the SUPER GT qualifying has been changed to a new Q1 and Q2 combined best time format. Under the new format, in the GT500 class the No. 36 au TOM’S GR Supra driver pair of Sho Tsuboi/Kenta Yamashita won pole position. In the GT300 class, the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG diver pair of Naoya Gamou/Takuro Shinohara qualified 1st. With this result, these two teams will start from front position on their respective class starting grids in tomorrow’s race on April 14.

 

The 2024 season brings big revisions and additions to the Sporting Regulations, and the difference was especially seen in the Official Qualifying. From this round, only one set of tires (4 tires) can be used per team throughout Q1 and Q2 of the Qualifying. Furthermore, the former knock-out style qualifying format is replaced by one in which all cars run in both Q1 and Q2 and the qualifying order is determined by the combined best times of each team’s two drivers.

In the GT300 class, the Q1 session was to run with the cars divided into two groups, A and B, as in the past, but Q2 was now to be competed by two groups running separately, namely the “Upper 16” as Group 1, consisting of the eight fastest cars in the two Q1 groups, and the remaining “Lower 17” cars as “Group 2.” What’s more, for the GT300 class, the four slowest cars from Group 1 based on combined driver times were then to be switched with the four fastest cars from Group 2.

Under this new format, the Q1 session began at 2:00 in the afternoon in summer-like conditions with the air temperature at 27℃ and the track surface temperature at 36℃. First of all, the fastest time among the 14 cars of Group A was recorded by the No. 61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Hideki Yamauchi), which had also been fast in the morning’s official practice. With a time of 1’25.862, No. 61 advanced to the Upper 16. Following in 2nd position was the No. 45 PONOS FERRARI 296 (Kei Cozzolino) that had suffered from machine trouble in the morning practice. Taking 3rd position was last year’s champions, the No. 52 Green Brave GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshida).

　 After an 8-min. interval, the 13 cars of Group B were scheduled to start their session, but while repairs were complete just in time for the No. 87 METALIVE S Lamborghini GT3 that had encountered engine trouble in the morning’s official practice was able to join the group on the track, another car that had suffered trouble, the No. 777 D'station Vantage GT3, was unable to complete repairs in time. This meant that only 12 cars would run in the group. Of them, the fastest time of 1’25.985 was recorded by the No. 2 muta Racing GR86 GT (Hibiki Taira). Following in 2nd position came the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Takuro Shinohara), and 3rd position went to the No. 7 Studie BMW M4, whose driver, Niklas Krutten, was competing in his first-ever SUPER GT qualifying but managed to record a time of 1’26.280.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The GT300 class Q2 session started at 2:54 in the afternoon. The first group to run was the “Lower 17” Group 2. Here, the No. 9 PACIFIC VSPO NAC AMG (Yusuke Tomibayashi) recorded a time of 1’26.775. Following this in 2nd to 4th positions came the No. 31 apr LC500h GT (Kazuto Kotaka), the No. 60 Syntium LMcorsa GR Supra GT (Shunsuke Kohno) and the No. 62 HELM MOTORSPORTS GT-R (Yuya Hiraki), giving these four a chance to be in the switch. Next ran the Q2 Group 1 (Upper 16), where the top 12 would be decided. Here again, the cars began their time attacks running on the same tires used in Q1. In the end, the best time would go to Naoya Gamou in last year’s poll-sitting car, the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG, with a time of 1’26.016 to take top position. Following in 2nd position came the No. 2 muta Racing GR86 GT (Yuui Tsutsumi) with a time of 1’26.280, while 3rd position went to the No. 96 K-tunes RC F GT3 (Shinichi Takagi) with a lap time of 1’26.529. When the combined times were added up, the top combined time went to the driver pair of Naoya Gamou/Takuro Shinohara of the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG, having finished 2nd in the Q1 Group B and 1st in Q2, for the top combined time of 2’52.198, and in doing so gave the team its first pole position. Behind them in 2nd and 3rd positions came the No. 2 muta Racing GR86 GT (Yuui Tsutsumi/Hibiki Taira) and the No. 61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Takuto Iguchi/Hideki Yamauchi). What’s more, as the top three finishers in the overall qualifying, the drivers would receive series points of 3 pts. for 1st, 2 pts. for 2nd and 1 pt. for 3rd places respectively. As for the switched group, car No. 9, which would have finished in 17th position without the switch was moved up to 13th position in the overall qualifying. In the same way, cars No. 31 and No. 60 were moved up from the Lower 17 of Group 1 to finish in 14th and 15th positions respectively in the overall qualifying.

 

 

 

 

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