Under sunny skies and with temperatures hovering around the 25-degree mark, the 43 SUPER GT machines took the rolling start at 14:10 in front of 50,300 fans for Round 4 of the SUPER GT spectacle at Sportsland SUGO.

The pole-sitting #12 CALSONIC IMPUL Z quickly pulled out a gap on the pursuing #32 EPSON NSX; while further down the field, Ralph Firman in the #8 ARTA NSX spun at the Rainbow corner along with the #38 Zent Cerumo Supra, dropping both cars further down the order.

Meanwhile, the #22 Motul Pitwork NISMO Z was having a torrid time, starting driver Masataka Yanagida dropping down to tenth after losing three places (all to Supras) in the Turn one and two complex on Lap 9 alone.

But the real story in the early stages of the race was on Lap 11 with the #87 Lamborghini Murcielago, Wada Q at the wheel. On the sweeping right-hander that is the last corner, the car left the track at very high speed, slamming into the barriers and erupting in flames. Fortunately the driver was unhurt; but the car was utterly destroyed. Clean-up of the wreckage took the best part of thirty minutes and the race was re-started at 15:10.

The re-started event would run for 68 laps.

Immediately upon the re-start, the #12 CALSONIC IMPUL Z was tapped from behind, spinning the car down to 15th. It would take a massive fightback, and the rest for the afternoon to bring a decent result for the blue car. Meanwhile the #100 RAYBRIG NSX was fighting for the lead with the #32 EPSON NSX. It was a battle that would last 18 laps at which point Sebastien Philippe got past and into a lead he would not relinquish until his pitstop and driver switch more than ten laps later.

In GT300, the battle for the lead as just as intense; the early stages seeing the #7 Re: Amemiya RX-7 fighting brilliantly with the #13 ENDLESS ADVAN Z machine for the lead of the class. Also strong in the class was the direxiv Motorsports Vemac320R, as well as the reigning champion #0 EBBRO NSX.

Back in GT500, the Supras were visibly quicker than their rivals on the straights, though not in the twisty bits - making for some hair-raising racing action!

The battle between the two leading NSX machines meant that their rivals were able to close the gap after about 15 laps, with no fewer than the top four machines running nose-to-tail. On lap 20, the #32 machine was in the pits, the first car among the lead group to make the mandatory driver switch. Coming back out in 16th, the blue and white Honda was up to fourth by lap 32. It was as high as second a few laps later, only to be punted from behind by the #6 ESSO ULTRAFLO machine, a move for which eventual fourth-place finisher Juichi Wakisaka was served a drive-through penalty.

The previously-leading #100 NSX, in the hands of Jeremie Dufour after the driver switch, was also the victim of over-zealous driving when the #18 Takata DOME machine ran both cars off the track on Dufour's opening lap of his stint. For the rivers of the #100 car, the disappointment was palpable.

It was a true battle of thrills and spills all afternoon as cars from both classes made spectacular exits throughout the entire event. As others fell out, the Toyota Supras, clearly not favorites at this track despite their straightline speed, were there to pick up the pieces.

In the end it was a brace of no fewer than four of the Toyota cars at the top of the leaderboard, a NISSAN Z car close behind, and with only one NSX - so strongly featured all weekend - that made it into the points.

It was also an historical event for the fact that there were first-time winners in both classes. GT500 saw the #37 TEAM TOM'S Dynacity Supra, with Sakon Yamamoto and Tatsuya Kataoka at the wheel, take their first victory; while in GT300, Kazuki Nakajima and Minoru Tanaka crossed the line first for their maiden win in the #31 Kitchou Houza MR-S.

Leading the driver points' standings after finishing in third place two races in a row is James Courtney and Takeshi Tsuchiya in the sister car to today's GT500 winners.

The next event in the championship takes place at Twin Ring Motegi in the first weekend of September. Expect it to be a closely-fought affair - with the Honda NSXs expected to show well at the car maker's home track north of Tokyo.