Official Qualifying for the inaugural round of the SUPER GT series took place on March 26 thunder glorious conditions and sunny skies at Okayama International Circuit. The complete contrast from yesterday's wintry weather was a welcome treat for all at the track; and the rise in temperatures contributed at least partially to the bumper crowd in attendance for the first of the two Official Qualifying sessions, held from 10:30am.

Following in the tradition of the JGTC, the qualifying hour was split into three sections: the first 20 minutes reserved for GT300 cars, followed by 20 minutes for GT500 machinery; with the remainder featuring both classes running together.

New rules this year mean that the top ten cars from each class in the first qualifying session run 'Super Laps' in the 2nd qualifying hour. The format of the second session is as follows: all GT300 cars run together for the first fifteen minutes, followed by all cars from the GT500 class. The top two machines from each class then join the groups of 10 Super Lap qualifiers, for a total of 12 cars from each class.

Competing in pairs, the cars fight together on track in ascending order: 12th and 11th run first, followed by 10th and 9th, 8th and 7th, 6th and 5th, 4th and 3rd; finishing with 2nd and 1st from each class.

Naturally, strategy comes into play in these situations, and the morning session illustrated this perfectly. Competitors who are quickest in the first qualifying session run latest in the afternoon. This brings important factors into play, not least of which is the gradually cooling air and track temperatures. Lower track temperatures mean less grip, wiping out any advantage gained from setting a top time in the morning. Consequently, a few of the expected leaders were conspicuously down the order at lunchtime.

After the first session, the pair of NISMO cars led the way; the #22 machine occupying top spot ahead of the #1 car. Next up, the #8 ARTA NSX and #36 DYNACITY TOM'S SUPRA were ahead of the #39 DENSO SARD SUPRA GT and the #3 G'ZOX HASEMI Z in sixth. Rounding out the top ten, the #18 Takata Dome NSX and #35 Yellow Hat YMS Supra led the #25 ECLIPSE ADVAN SUPRA and #6 ESSO ULTRAFLO SUPRA. These 10 machines were guaranteed a spot in the afternoon's Super Lap session, as would the two top performers in the 15-minute session immediately preceding the final shoot-out.

GT300 machinery was led by the #30 Reckless MR-S and the defending class champion, the #0 EBBRO M-TEC NSX. The pair was followed by the #19 Wedssports Celica and #31 Apexera MR-S ahead of the #43 ARTA Garaiya and #13 Endless Advan Z in sixth. Seventh went to the #7 Re: Amemiya Aspara Drink RX7, with the two Ferrari F360 machines - the #11 GPH Ferrari Dunlop and its sister #10 MACH-GO Ferrari Dunlop less than a tenth ahead of the new #27 direxiv motorsports Vemac 320R in tenth spot.

These two groups of ten cars would fight it out in the afternoon's Super Lap session; with two interlopers from each class added to the mix for a total of 24 machines attempting to better their grid positions for Sunday's 82-lap race.

GT300 were first to run and initially it looked as if the morning's fastest car had again claimed the top spot. As it turned out however, the #30 Reckless MR-S was penalized for going out on track 5 seconds early, resulting in the machine being relegated to the back of the 12-car group. The #19 Wedssport Celica thus inherited pole, with the #31 MR-S in second. Other notable improvements included the #13 Endless Advan Z, moving from sixth to third, and the #46 Dream Cube's Advan Z, which jumped to 8th from 11th. Unfortunately for the #0 NSX, the car fell from 2nd to 6thin final qualifying.

In GT500, the top of the grid looked surprisingly similar to the earlier session with the two NISMO cars again dominating, despite the fact they went out on track last. Leaping up the order, the #25 ECLIPSE ADVAN SUPRA went from 10th to a remarkable 3rd, with Dominik Schwager at the wheel. Equally impressive was compatriot Andre Lotterer in the #32 EPSON NSX, the German driver rising from 11th in the morning to fourth. A number of cars suffered in the afternoon however, the #39 DENSO SARD SUPRA GT falling from 5th to 12th taking the worst fall, driver Andre Couto citing cold tires as the culprit for the car's lack of speed when it really mattered.

The first-ever SUPER GT race gets underway at precisely 2pm on March 27th when the lights go out and forty four of the world's most highly developed grand touring cars blast across the start/finish line at Okayama International Circuit. As well as signaling the beginning of a new phase in the most popular form of motorsport in Japan, Round 1 of the 2005 SUPER GT series marks the dawn of a new era where this uniquely Japanese form of endurance racing welcomes the world.

POLE POSITION INTERVIEW

(from left) M.Yanagida/M.Krumm, H.Kato/N.Taniguchi