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2001-04-26 |
Race Preview
to be Great in Long 500km Race
 No.1 LOCTITE MUGEN NSX |
Although monopolizing the podium was an overwhelming display of performance by the Honda NSX at the opening round of the JGTC, things may well turn out different for the upcoming second round at Fuji International Speedway. Both the Toyota Supra and Nissan Skyline GT-R appeared to be in top form during the GTA test sessions held at Fuji on April 4th and 5th. No.6 ESSO Ultraflo Supra |
Juichi Wakisaka, driving a Toyota Supra for ESSO TOYOTA TEAM Le Mans, set the fastest lap, and the Supras driven by Yuji Tachikawa (TOYOTA TEAM CERUMO) and Jeremie Dufour (TOYOTA TEAM SARD) also showed signs of promise in the sessions.
For the Honda teams, the 2000 All-Japan F3 Champion Sebastien Philippe set the quickest lap. The Mugen Dome Project team and his No.18 NSX won the Fuji event last year with a pole-to-checkered flag victory. (Wakisaka drove for the team at that time.) As for the other Honda cars, the driver pair of Akira Iida and Daisuke Ito of Team Kunimitsu with MOONCRAFT ran well and clocked some promising times. Only Wakisaka and Philippe broke the 1'25 barrier, but time gaps in the top group were tight. No.23 PENNZOIL ZEXEL GT-R |
Erik Comas set the sixth fastest time overall, and best time for the Nissan drivers, in the NISMO Skyline GT-R. His NISMO teammate Michael Krumm, Satoshi Motoyama, driving for TEAM IMPUL, also set good lap times. The Skyline GT-R has the reputation of being very quick running on the race setup and a full tank; and excellent combination that leave the Nissan drivers with plenty of good opportunity for the race.
The two McLaren F1 GTRs entered by TEAM TAKE ONE and HITOTSUYAMA RACING also ran well, squeezing into the group topping the timing monitor. The Lamborghini Diablo, after team JLOC withdrew from the first round at TI AIDA due to insufficient time for preparation, is expected to display its potential. Last year's 2000 model was the quickest car on the long straight of the Fuji track. No.31 ARTA A'PEX MR-S |
In the GT300 class, although Morio Nitta and Shinichi Takagi scored a pole-to-finish victory in their ARTA with APEX Toyota MR-S in the season opener, they will carry a heavy 50kg weight handicap for the second round. No.26 SHELL TAISAN ADVAN GT3R |
The teams running Porsche 996 GT3Rs should recovery well at Fuji, especially Hideshi Matsuda/Kazuyuki Nishizawa of TEAM TAISAN ADVA and 910 RACING's driver pair Hisashi Wada/Jukucho Sunako, all of which ran with good lap times during the test sessions. The TEAM DAISHIN driver pair, Nobuyuki Oyagi and Takayuki Aoki put in some spirited laps with their Silvia as well. There will definitely be a lot of eyes watching the Subaru Impreza driven by Katsuo Kobayashi and Tatsuya Tanigawa (CUSUCO RACING) following the impressive charge made on the leader in the final laps at TI.
Contrary to the usual race distance of 250 to 300km, the Round 2 event is a long 500km, the first time in JGTC. The anticipation is already building, and with the more difficult, longer distance, the "ALL -JAPAN FUJI GT RACE" could be anybody's for the taking. The green light will come on May 4 (Friday) during Japan's "Golden Week" holidays. |
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