Tuesday's crowd of 27,300 to witness the new Super Lap qualifying format was only a smattering compared to the number of fans who descended on Fuji Speedway on race day for Round 2 of the 2005 SUPER GT series. With over 52,700 in attendance by lunchtime, it was proof positive that the wait for the reopened circuit had been eagerly anticipated by legions of loyal GT race fans.

The SUPER GT grid put on an astounding display of power under beautifully sunny skies and soaring temperatures, in perfect conditions that had continued from the previous day..

Free Practice:
The morning Free Practice session began at precisely 8:00am; with all 45 cars out on track together. The cacophony of mechanical sound echoing off the gleaming new grandstand as the cars flew by was a precursor to the excitement that lay ahead; and had the crowd on their feet from the opening moments of the session.

After 30 minutes' running, it was a brace of 5 SUPRAs led by yesterday's pole-winning #38 Zent Cerumo machine that dominated the timesheets. These were followed by a trio of Nissan 350Z cars (the #12 CALSONIC IMPUL machine ahead of both the factory NISMO cars), and the Round 1-winning #25 Supra, besting the first of the Honda NSXs in tenth.

GT300 saw the EBBRO NSX on top again; this time with the #43 ARTA Garaiya in second, followed by the #2 Privee Zurich Apple RD320R in third.

RACE

Race action got underway as scheduled at 13:50 under blazing sunny skies and temperatures topping 24 degrees. The track was a scorching 42 Celsius as 43 competitors took the green flag in front of the packed grandstands. With a race meet total of over 79,700 fans, the event was judged a major success and bodes well for the series' second visit to the track later in the season.

Leading the pack on the rolling start, pole-sitter Yuji Tachikawa in the #38 ZENT SUPRA quickly pulled out a gap over the pursuing #6 ESSO ULTRAFLO machine in second. The gap had grown to 4 seconds by lap 10 of the 110-lap event, and would build for the rest of the afternoon.

Clearly a two-stop race, with many teams opting for two driver switches, pit strategies were to play a major part in the outcome of the three-hour enduro.
Among the lead group in GT500, the Toyota SUPRA runners looked strongest in the early stages of the race. This would all change at the first round of routine stops however, the #25 TSUCHIYA ADVAN SUPRA and the hard-charging #39 DENSO SARD SUPRA GT both overheating and refusing to restart. The cars each spent over three minutes in the pits, dropping them way down the order. It was particularly gutting for the SARD crew as Andre Couto's efforts - getting the car from 10th to 3rd in the first 30 minutes - unraveled in front of the TV cameras.

Dramas too for the #36 TEAM TOM'S SUPRA, Takeshi Tsuchiya spinning out of contention on lap 18. Ralph Firman had to deal with an ill-handling #8 ARTA NSX; and watch as a train of quicker cars passed the former GT champ. His battle to keep the identical #32 EPSON NSX with Andre Lotterer at the wheel was hugely entertaining for the fans; though it too, got by the dayglo orange machine.

Retirements included the returning McLaren F1 GTR, going off on lap 21 as its right rear hub gave way; the wheel separating completely before 'Tarzan' Tajima could get back to the pits.

Meanwhile in GT300, the leading #0 car was being chased by the #43 ARTA Garaiya and the #46 Dream Cube's ADVAN Z, the pair in a cat-and-mouse battle throughout the early stages. Another victim early on was the #913 A&S Racing Corvette C6, the white and green American muscle car going out with mechanical trouble on lap 19.

After the first round of stops, the order showed the #38 ZENT SUPRA leading a pack of four Z cars; with the #22 Motul Pitwork Z in 2nd, followed by the sister #1 Xanavi NISMO, #12 CALSONIC IMPUL, and #3 G'ZOX HASEMI Z ahead of the #32 EPSON NSX in sixth.

In the race's middle stages, the #32 NSX got by the #3 G'ZOX car after an intense battle that lasted a matter of laps, not corners. The Nissan would fall down to 9th by the end of the event, a lack of grunt the culprit for the lowly position at the flag.

Another strong performer during the first half was the #12 CALSONIC IMPUL Z; though a rash of problems befell the blue machine in the last 40 laps. First was a malfunctioning windshield protector, the plastic sheet obstructing driver Benoit Treluyer's view on all right hand turns and slowing the French driver's progress. Next a fuel pickup problem meant he had to make no fewer than two unscheduled pistops, one just 6 laps from the flag. He ended the day 15th after running 3rd for most of the race.

The closing stages saw a valiant effort by Naoki Hattori in the #35 Yellow Hat YMS Supra pay off handsomely; the veteran rewarded with 3rd place after starting 7th. It was very nearly 2nd, the Supra finishing within a tenth of the factory Nissan driven by Michael Krumm.

The #0 EBBRO NSX ran perfectly all afternoon, taking a clean victory ahead of its closest GT300 rivals, the #43 ARTA Garaiya and #30 RECKLESS MR-S. Fourth in class went to the #11 GPH Ferrari Dunlop, ahead of the #31 Apexera MR-S; itself beating the #19 WedsSport Celica which took sixth.

With no problems and a flawless race strategy, the #38 ZENT SUPRA cruised to an easy GT500 victory - over 30 seconds ahead of its nearest rival, the #22 Motul Pitwork Z.

After three hours of relentless battling, the throng of race fans gathered at the circuit located near the base of Mount Fuji was treated to a spectacle worthy of the18-month wait they so patiently endured.

Round 3 of the 2005 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series takes place on June 25th and 26th at Sepang International Circuit, on the outskirts of Malaysia's Capital, Kuala Lumpur, for the first of two races abroad this season.