The AUTOPOLIS GT 3 Hours RACE, Round 7 of the 2025 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series, was held at the AUTOPOLIS Circuit (one lap 4.674 km x 3 hrs.) in Oita Prefecture on October 19th (Sun.). In this 3-hour long-distance race, the latter half saw the battle for the lead changed dramatically in both classes. In the GT500 class the No.100 STANLEY CIVIC TYPE R-GT（Naoki Yamamoto / Tadasuke Makino） that started the race from 12th place on the grid worked its way up steadily throughout the full 3 hours of the race to take its first win of the season. In the GT300 class, the No. 666 seven × seven PORSCHE GT3R (Harry King / Kiyoto Fujinami Tsubasa Kondo) team that entered GT300 competition for the first time this season also managed to take the team’s first win.

During yesterday’s Official Qualifying the weather at AUTOPOLIS had been unstable, with rain falling from time to time. On this Race Day, early morning saw fog, but from after 10:00 in the morning the skies were cloudy, but visibility was good. The 3-hour race started at 1:16 in the afternoon.

　Concerning the No. 61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Takuto Iguchi / Hideki Yamauchi) that suffered from machine trouble in yesterday’s qualifying Q1 session, installment of a replacement engine was completed in time to enable it to run in today’s race. On the other hand, the No. 11 GAINER TANAX Z (Ryuichiro Tomita / Kazuki Oki) that had suffered a crash in Q2 was unfortunately unable to participate in this day’s race, leaving the GT300 class race to be completed by 26 cars.

In the GT300 class race, Kobayashi in the pole-sitting No. 7 CARGUY Ferrari 296 GT3 (Zak O’Sullivan / Rikuto Kobayashi / Keita Sawa) succeeded in pulling away from the pursuing No. 0 VENTENY Lamborghini GT3 (Takashi Kogure / Yuya Motojima) and No. 2 HYPER WATER INGING GR86 GT (Yuui Tsutsumi / Hibiki Taira / Kazuhisa Urabe). In the course of just three laps, its lead had grown to 3.4 sec., after which the race developed in a mixed battle between the cars of the pursuing group.

　However, No. 7’s lead all but disappeared when the FCY (Full Course Yellow) call that resulted from an accident that occurred between GT500 class cars in the 12thlap was changed to a Safety Car (SC) run. However, when the race was restarted after the SC run, No. 7 began to build its lead again.

This 3-hour race had a requirement that all cars make at least two pit stops for re-fueling, and some teams made their first such stop as early as just after the SC run ended on the 15th lap. As for the leading car No. 7made its first pit stop at the end of the 28th lap, which was roughly one hour into the race, and in that stop the team changed drivers from Kobayashi to O’Sullivan. As for car No. 0 running in 2ndposition, it made its pit stop on the next lap, during which the team’s strategy was to change only the two rear tires and keep Motojima behind the wheel for a second straight stint in order to save time.

This left car No. 0 effectively in the lead, but car No. 7 would be following close behind. Behind them came the No. 87 METALIVE S Lamborghini GT3 (Kosuke Matsuura / Natsu Sakaguchi), which had also changed only the two rear tires, and the No. 26 ANEST IWATA RC F GT3 (Igor Omura Fraga / Hironobu Yasuda) that had started the race in 12th position and was moving up to compete with the top group in the early stages, as well as the No. 2 HYPER WATER INGING GR86 GT (Yuui Tsutsumi / Hibiki Taira / Kazuhisa Urabe) that had started the race in 3rd position, and the No. 56 REALIZE NISSAN MECHANIC CHALLENGE GT-R (Joao Paulo de Oliveira / Kohei Hirate), in which Hirate is currently in 2nd place in the driver standing.

Up until their second pit stop, cars No. 0 and No. 7 continued to battle nose to tail lap after lap. However, at the end of the 56th lap the leading car No. 0 made a pit stop and changed drivers to Takashi Kogure. At this time a FCY was called to deal with the No. 360 RUNUP RIVAUX GT-R (Takayuki Aoki / Hironobu Shimizu Atsushi Tanaka) that had come to a stop with machine trouble at the end of the pit road. This lessened the burden of car No. 0’s pit time compared to other teams and thus extend its lead over its rivals.

　However, this good fortune didn’t last. No. 0 was given a drive through penalty for passing another car in a Yellow flag sector and speeding during FCY call, which caused it to drop back by three positions. This enabled car No. 7 to move into the lead again.

Running at a stable pace after finishing its last pit stop, No. 7 looked as if it would go on to win its second race of the season. However, it also was penalized for a passing violation in a Yellow flag zone and was given a drive-through penalty.

　However, No. 7 had a large enough margin of lead to be able to return to the race in front of the No. 666 seven × seven PORSCHE GT3R (Harry King / Kiyoto Fujinami Tsubasa Kondo) after completing its drive-through penalty. After recovering the lead, Kobayashi in car No. 7 was chased for a while by King in car No. 666 but was able to eventually begin to increase his lead again.

This time for sure, it looked as if car No. 7 was going to be able to run on unchallenged to the checkered flag and the win. However, with 8 minutes remaining in the race No.7 suddenly returned to the pit. In danger of running out of gas, the team added just enough fuel to ensure a safe finish, but when it left the pit and returned to the race they found themselves in 2nd position.

After going through one reversal after another, No. 7 found itself behind the No. 666 seven × seven PORSCHE GT3R (Harry King / Kiyoto Fujinami Tsubasa Kondo) that had started the race in 5th position and moved up steadily to finally come from behind and take the lead position. As a new team that that joined the GT300 class for the first time this season, it was an impressive first win. For King, who also started competing in GT300 from this season it was also a felicitous first win, and for two-time GT300 champion Fujinami it was his sixth win and the first one since his win at the opening round of the 2022 season at Okayama. Note that Kondo didn’t drive in this race.

　Finishing the race in 2nd place was the No. 7 CARGUY Ferrari 296 GT3 (Zak O’Sullivan / Rikuto Kobayashi Keita Sawa), in a grueling race that saw the car run out of gas and come to a stop on its cool-down lap after the finish. Finishing in 3rd place was the No. 0 VENTENY Lamborghini GT3 (Takashi Kogure / Yuya Motojima) for which it was a disappointing that saw a first win of the season slip through its hands at the last moment.

The leader of the driver standing, the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Naoya Gamou / Togo Suganami Haruki Kurosawa), finished this race in 6th position but fortunately able to maintain its lead in the standing. As it goes into the final round of the season at MOTEGI. Holding the 2nd position in the standing, Hirate (No. 56 REALIZE NISSAN MECHANIC CHALLENGE GT-R) finished the race in 4th place, ahead of car No. 65, which kept him 1.5 points ahead of the No. 65 driver pair of Gamou and Suganami when they face off in the final race of the season at MOTEGI. The top six pairs in the ranking will now be competing to improve their standings in the final round of the series to take place at MOTEGI (Nov. 1st and 2nd) in hopes of taking this season’s GT300 class title.