Qualifying Session 1

The usual fierce battle over the slimmest of margins unfolds in GT300
The first qualifying session began at 10:10 with the GT300 time slot (20 minutes), followed by the GT500 time slot (20 minutes), finishing with the combined time slot (20 minutes) with both classes running. The weather was cloudy. The temperature was 15_ C. at the time of the start.

In the GT 300 class, No. 9 NOMAD ADVAN LeyJun MT put up successive times in the 1.42's in its first attack to take the top. Soon after that, Kazuya Oshima in No. 777 Ryozanpaku apr MR-S bested those times, only to have the top taken back by No. 9 when it posted a 1.42.679. Then No. 777 improved its time to 1.42.312 in its attack on the second lap. With less than five minutes remaining in the GT300 time slot, No. 19 WedsSport Celica and No. 96 EBBRO BTEC MAZIORA 350R put up improved times to jump into 2nd and 3rd place. A spirited round of attacks for hundredths of a second ensued, but none could best the time of No. 777 as time elapsed. Among three machines vying for the championship, No. 2 Prive_ Zurich Shiden is in 9th position, but No. 7 Amemiya AsparaDrink RX7 and No. 61 enable ADVAN VEMAC 320R failed to move into contention (the top ten) for the Super Lap at this point.

The time slot for the GT500 class started at 10:30. For the first ten minutes or so, only three machines had taken to the course, and a period of quiet continued. As time wound down with less than eight minutes remaining, all the machines were on the course. No. 1 ZENT CERUMO SC was the first machine to put up a top time, but it was soon overtaken by No. 35 BANDAI DIREZZA SC430 with a 1.33.923, the first machine to record a time in the 1.33's this session. With less than a minute left in the GT500 time slot, No. 32 EPSON NSX Loic Duval chalked up a superb time of 1.33.108. This put Dunlop drivers in the 1-2 spots. No. 100 RAYBRIG NSX, standing at the top of the rankings, and No. 18 TAKATA DOME NSX, tied for 2nd in the standings, both failed to improve on their times in the combined GT300/GT500 time slot and were unable to move up to the Super Lap.

On the other hand, the GT300 battles during the combined time slot were tooth and nail. No. 101 TOY STORY Racing MR-S moved up to 9th position, knocking No. 7 Amemiya AsparaDrink RX7 out of Super Lap contention, which then went back on the attack. It recaptured the 9th position for a time, only to be bested by No. 110 TOTALBENEFIT GREENTEC BOXSTER in 8th position. No. 26 CARCHS TOMO TAISAN GT3 took the 10th position, nudging No. 7 and No. 2 out of the Super Lap group as both machines were just short of the top ten. No. 7 will start from 11th place on the grid, with No. 2 in 13th. No. 61 holding 3rd place in the rankings will start from 21st position on the grid, a difficult position from which it will shoot for an upset.

Qualifying Session 2

Showdown for Dunlop users
The second qualifying session started at 2:10. The first 15 minutes were for the GT300 class, the next 15 for the GT500, with each and every one of the machines focused on the Super Lap and the final race.

The Super Lap began with the GT300 class. The second machine to run the Super Lap, No. 13 ENDLESS ADVAN CCI Z, marked a time of 1.42.482. The second through sixth machines to run couldn't improve on that time, and No. 13 jumped up four positions from the first qualifying session. The seventh machine to run was No. 9 NOMAD ADVAN LeyJun MT, and in spite of the fact that this was its first time this season to advance to the Super Lap, it chalked up a super time of 1.42.385 to take provisional hold of the top position. No. 19 WedsSport Celica followed with a time of 1.42.289 to grab the top spot. No. 96 EBBRO BTEC MAZIORA 350R, in 2nd position from the morning qualifying, failed to improve on the times of these two machines. Finally, No. 777 Ryozanpaku apr MR-S driven by Kazuya Oshima took to the course. Although he was a little slow through the second sector of the course, Oshima was the only driver to clear the third sector with its succession of corners in the 47-second range, capturing the class pole with a time of 1.41.778. Oshima, born in 1987, is 19 years old. He is the youngest driver in the history of JGTC/SUPER GT, and of course, the youngest driver ever to capture a pole.

Then came the start of the GT500 class super lap. The temperature was 14_ C. and the temperature of the track surface had dipped below 18_ C., difficult conditions for warming up the tires. The first machine out was No.36 OPEN INTERFACE TOM'S SC430, registering a time of 1.34.525. No. 25 ECLIPSE ADVAN SUPRA, No. 22 MOTUL AUTECH Z, and No. 6 Mobil 1 SC were not able to improve on that time. No. 1 ZENT CERUMO SC put up a 1.34.203 to take the top position. No. 8 ARTA NSX recorded a 1.34.397 to put it in 2nd. These two machines were overtaken in rapid succession by No. 24 WOODONE ADVAN KONDO Z with a time of 1.34.195 and No. 3 YellowHat YMS TOMICA Z with a 1.34.084. Two machines remained. First came No. 35 BANDAI DIREZZA SC430 that topped its rivals in every sector to record a 1.33.755. Loic Duval in No. 32 EPSON NSX took slightly longer through the first sector than No. 35, but then displayed blazing speed to get through to a 1.33.668 and capture the pole position. The first pole for No. 32 this season.

Of the eight teams in the running for the drivers' championship, No. 1 ZENT CERUMO SC is highest up on the grid at 5th position. Just behind it in 6th is No. 8 ARTA NSX, with No.36 OPEN INTERFACE TOM'S SC430 in the 7th position, No. 22 MOTUL AUTECH Z is farther back on the grid. Which team will make what moves in its attempt to capture the title? All eyes are on the final race.

H.Mutoh, L.Duval, K.Oshima, M.Tanaka

GT500 Class Pole Position

No. 32 EPSON NSX

Loic Duval

I'm happy to capture the pole position. But there were some parts of my driving that were not so good. I couldn't get the tires warmed up, and left the course at the first corner, I didn't do very well on the first part of the course. Since I was shooting for a 1.33, it's too bad I wasn't able to make it. Still, the tires and the machine are in good condition, so I'm looking for a victory in the final.

Hideki Mutoh

Driving yesterday and today, I realized that the machine's condition is very good. I think this will be an advantage in the final. There's plenty of tire life. I'll do my job right, and fulfill the expectations of the team.

GT300 Class Pole Position

No. 777 Ryozanpaku apr MR-S

Kazuya Oshima

Of course I'm happy (to get the pole position), but I'm also a little relieved. The machine is really fast, so I thought I could get the pole position. But, because of that, I was a little nervous before the start. No matter what, I want to do my best not to make any mistakes. I'm shooting for victory in the final.

Minoru Tanaka

Although we've had a new type of engine this season, the development has not gone smoothly up to now, and I've had some tough times on the straights (at top speed). Since the last race at Autopolis, we switched to a new-spec engine and things have really improved. Our team is good at coming up with a precise race strategy and tomorrow (the final race), we want to show a compilation of this year in this fast machine.