Round 4 of the 2004 AUTOBACS JGTC got underway in brilliant sunshine and blazing heat on July 18th as 42 machines battled for supremacy on Hokkaido's premier racetrack.

Unseasonably hot at over 30 degrees Celsius, it was hard to believe the event was taking place on Japan's northernmost island. As the cars blasted over the line in their customary rolling start, leader Erik Comas in the #3 NISSAN Z car immediately started to build up a gap over the ensuing pack.

Behind him, things were not quite so orderly. Benoit Treluyer in the #12 Z car was instantly demoted to third place by the identical #22 factory NISMO entry as Masami Kageyama launched an all-out attack to get to the front. The blue car lost a further spot to the #37 TOM'S SUPRA in the hands of James Courtney on lap 9, remaining in 4th until the French driver handed over to Yuji Ide on lap 37.

Further back, 13th was an unlucky starting position for the #39 SUPRA as it was hit from behind by the #25 ADVAN SUPRA on the opening lap, sending it to the back of the pack. Driver Andre Couto then drove like a man possessed, steadily retrieving the lost positions, and so much more. By the time he handed the car over to Jeremie Dufour on lap 43, he was in an incredible 5th place!

Back at the head of the field, Comas pulled away from the NISMO Z car and the rest of the field, pulling out a massive 10-second gap by lap 44 at the driver switch. After some lost time in the pits, Toshihiro Kaneishi emerged in 2nd place. This allowed the #22 car to take over the top spot as the defiant Michael Krumm charged ahead. Kaneishi ran in 2nd until a very late charge by Juichi Wakisaka demoted him to 3rd - on the final lap of the race! Meanwhile, Krumm kept up a blistering pace, controlling proceedings and crossing the line less than a second ahead of the ESSO SUPRA, with Kaneishi another second in arrears.

Although things settled down somewhat as the drivers got into a rhythm, there was a lot of time lost by GT500 runners in their attempts to get around the slower GT300 machines. At the driver switch, the look of frustration on a number of the alighting pilots' faces was readily apparent. While it was the same for everybody out on track, some made clear their feelings with rather straightforward comments on the issue.

GT500 Winner

No.22 MOTUL PITWORK Z

Masami Kageyama : "This is my 7th win in the series so naturally I'm very happy. Now I aim to concentrate on getting more wins. In the race, I was aware of my rivals' tactics, and we were able to run according to our strategy. A bigger battle than that with my GT500 rivals was the fight to get around the GT300 cars. In that respect, I'd have to say Erik was lucky, where as I certainly wasn't nearly as fortunate! Had I pushed harder, I may have crashed. I decided to endure the situation knowing it was more valuable biding my time and making sure the car made it to the end of my stint The team were great in the pitstop, and Michael was incredibly fast. Even so, I was a little worried at the end as Juichi (Wakisaka - #6 SUPRA) was gaining fast."

Michael Krumm: "I knew we had a good car today, and I was confident we could come away with the win as long as we didn't have any problems. I'm very pleased for the team; it is great to get this much-needed win. I'd like to thank Masami for running so strongly in the first stint and handing over the car in a good position. The traffic was an issue, though it was the same for everybody out there. I just concentrated on running a strong race"

GT 300 was incident-filled right from the first lap too. After starting so promisingly in 2nd place, the #63 Leyjun 320R got whacked in the rear after an adventurous passing move on the pole-sitting #81 Daishin Z car. It spun, sustaining considerable damage and plummeting to the bottom of the order. Driver Hiroki Yoshimoto rejoined after a lengthy visit to the pits for repairs; but was well out of the running. The car eventually finished last, 12 laps behind the leaders.

It was a very different story for the Z car as it dominated GT300 in the first half of the race. The NISSAN machine reached 15th overall by the lap 49 when driver Masataka Yanagida handed over to Naofumi Omoto. Things got really exciting half way through Omoto's stint as he battled with erstwhile GT300 class leader Takagi in the #43 Garaiya. On the straight, the dayglo orange machine had the legs of the NISSAN, though in the twisty bits, Omoto was able to pull away, ensuring a thrilling battle that seemed to go on forever. Eventually, the Garaiya got ahead for good when at the final corner, the Z car overshot, going on to the grass and falling to third; where it ran to the flag.

This also allowed the #16 M-TEC NSX to secure 2nd in class, a welcome result after their hard run from 8th on the grid. The #10 Ferrari ran well, eventually crossing the line in 4th, having had a rather better day than the sister #11 car, which fell back in the late stages after running strongly for much of the race.

Other cars that featured included the #77 SUBARU which gained valuable points for taking 6th - particularly satisfying after starting 13th in class. Ahead of the black machine was the #31 Toyota MR-S, itself having an uneventful run, dropping from 4th at the start to finish 5th.

GT300 Winner

No.43 ARTA Garaiya

Shinichi Takagi: "I knew we had a quick car after finding a good set up this morning. Therefore, the deciding factor was clearly with the tires. As our rubber was perfect all day, we were able to run ahead of the Z car, keep up the pace and take the win. The #81 car was really quick on the straights, but we were faster in the corners. I was able to successfully pressure the Z car into a mistake towards the end, resulting in our clear run in front to the flag. Once at the front, I was able to run at a comfortable pace and take the win."

Morio Nitta: "This is my10th win in the JGTC, and I couldn't be happier! Apart from the satisfaction of this victory, knowing that it matches Keiichi Suzuki's record of 10 wins in the category makes it all the more special. Everyone ran really quickly today. As you know, our main sponsor is AUTOBACS; they're also the title sponsor of the series and so there was incredible pressure on us to win. I'll sleep well tonight, of that there is no doubt!
We weren't so good in yesterday's qualifying; though found a good set up in the Warm Up session this morning. As a result, we were both able to run really quickly all day, and this built our confidence. The car was particularly good on the straights where we were faster than anyone out there. After 20 laps, I was sure we could win. However, it wasn't all smooth sailing as we knew the #16 NSX was also quick, and it still leads the points championship."

The next round of the championship takes place on the 5th of September when the series visits Twin Ring Motegi, two hours north of Tokyo.