2017.03.04

Three new GT500 machines doing demo runs! Suzuka Fan Thanks day opens the curtain. Showcasing many SUPER GT-themed events!!

A prologue of the motorsports season, annual Motorsports Fan Thanks Day, was held at Suzuka Circuit on March 4th and 5th. The staple event was a full of contents once again this year, but what drew spectator's attention the most was most certainly the new GT500 machines from three manufacturers participating this season, Lexus (Toyota), Nissan, and Honda. Moreover, if all three cars were gathering at one place, then you can't miss it! And the "Battle of Forever-Rivals" was also contended fiercely this year again by TEAM IMPUL team manager Kazuyoshi Hoshino and NAKAJIMA RACING general manager Satoru Nakajima.

In early morning of Saturday, March 4th, the racing cars including five GT300 cars underwent check-up/warm-up run. It sure was an eye-catcher for the fans who arrived early. When it passed 10AM, it was time for Opening ceremony. All machines and drivers participating in the event gathered in front of the grandstand. Kohei Hirate, GT500 class champion of last year, Katsuyuki Nakasuga, All Japan champion of JSB1000 motorcycle race, and Mika Hakkinen, a former F1 World Champion, officially announced the opening and the "Suzuka Fan Thanks Day" kicked off lively again this year.

 

 

　

In the morning, a content featuring the 20th anniversary of establishment of AUTOBACS RACING TEAM AGURI (ARTA) was held, which was celebrated with a "demo race", and, in the afternoon, racing cars including SUPER GT machines lined up on the straight in front of the grandstand and racing motorcycles appeared in front of the pit boxes. It was time for the Grid & Pit walk which many fans longed for.

Meanwhile, the ARTA Project presentation & 20th Anniversary Talk was held with fans also attending. From there it was non-stop ARTA events including the "Dream battle come true! Forbidden Clash of Aguri Suzuki vs Keichi Tsuchiya in GT300".

 

 

 

 

In the "SUPER GT Drivers Talk Show" held at a hospitality lounge in the pit building, Kohei Hirate, Hironobu Yasuda, Nobuteru Taniguchi, and Hiroki Yoshimoto came together to look back last year's race and also expressed their determination for the upcoming season. During the show, the drivers also talked on a theme unique to SUPER GT, "When being overtaken by GT500, when overtaking GT300." Reveal from a driver, "there is a driver with bad manner in GT500 class," ignited the curiosity of many fans who gathered for the show.

 

On the race track, a long-awaited highlight of the day, demonstration run by three new GT500 machines and five GT300 machines of this season, titled "SUPER GT - World's fiercest GT racing series-", took place. Drivers taking the wheel were Kohei Hirate in No.1 DENSO KOBELCO SARD LC500, GT500 rookie Jann Mardenborough in No.12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R, and Naoki Yamamoto in No.100 RAYBRIG NSX GT, and they added excitement to the day for many SUPER GT fans who showed up at Suzuka.

SUPER GT Driver Talk Show by Kohei Hirate, Hironobu Yasuda, Nobuteru Taniguchi, and Hiroki Yoshimoto as well as the "Dream battle come true! Forbidden Clash of Aguri Suzuki vs Keichi Tsuchiya in GT300" demo race were also held in the morning of Sunday, March 5th. And in the afternoon, another demonstration race, "ARTA All-star - Route to a Top Driver-", and the "SUPER GT - World's fiercest GT racing series-" demo race by cars including 2017 GT500 and GT300 models were held where the heart of huge crowd counted 32,000 (26,500 for Saturday) people got their heart stolen by the runs by SUPER GT machines.

 

 

 

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