2017.03.25

[Official test at Fuji: Day 1] au TOM'S LC500 with top time! B-MAX NDDP GT-R best in GT300.

The second SUPER GT official test started at Fuji Speedway on March 25 with the season opener of 2017 AUTOBACS SUPER GT approaching in two weeks. Day 1 of the second official test started in a nice weather, but, since the forecast predicted a downturn in weather for the next day, the sessions were extended to 2 hours and 20 minutes and 2 hours and 40 minutes in the morning and afternoon, respectively. Nonetheless, the track remained dry throughout the day despite more clouds developed in the afternoon after a fair weather in the morning, and the teams were energetically working on the last long distance testing before the opening round.

 

 

 

WAKO'S 4CR LC500 fastest of the morning. LC500 squad dominates Top 5

Lexus LC500 squad showed off their steady progress in the preparation better than the rivals at the first official test held a week ago at Okayama International Circuit, and the momentum remained unchanged at Fuji Speedway. After only about 10 minutes into the session, No.36 au TOM'S LC500 (James Rossiter) emerged to the top of the timing monitor by marking a lap time of 1 min 29.379 sec. No.1 DENSO KOBELCO SARD LC500 (Heikki Kovalainen), No.12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R (Jann Mardenborough), and No.6 WAKO'S 4CR LC500 (Kazuya Oshima) were also running at good lap times. Then, No.38 ZENT CERUMO LC500 (Yuji Tachikawa) clocked the top time of that moment, 1 min 29.118 sec, and that created a LC500 domination over the top positions. In the latter half of the session, after Caldarelli took over the No.6 WAKO'S 4CR LC500 from Oshima and got to the highest position with 1 min 29.294 sec, the car eventually broke through the 29-sec mark and clocked 1 min 28.863 sec, which at the end became the best time of the morning session.

Top 5 of the morning session were all LC500s and all of them were fitted with Bridgestone tires. Moreover, all cars down to seventh place including No.100 RAYBRIG NSX-GT (only Takuya Izawa driving in the morning) and No.12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R as well as all fastest cars of a model across three models of GT500 wore Bridgestone tires.

Masayuki Matsumoto, an engineer of Bridgestone, commented, "We didn't change the (development) concept from last year. We just put effort in overcoming the part that we were not good at and, on the other hand, enhanced the part we were good at. That's how we did our development. In detail, the rubber and the structure were changed a little by little over the development. Actually, at Okayama the tire performance tended to go down from the middle of the race, but we have applied a measure for that to the tires for this season and we were able to verify (the effectiveness of the measure) at the Okayama test last week. Main purpose of this test is to collect data for the Round 2 at Fuji, but if it gets cold this much... (bitter smile). Of course, the data we collect this time would be the base, but we have no choice but to prepare tires by predicting the weather and condition of Fuji in May."

 

 

MOTUL MUGEN NSX-GT fastest of the day out of NSX-GTs

The afternoon remained cold as in the morning with the temperature reaching only six degrees, but the rain did not drop. No. 6 WAKO'S 4CR LC500 (Oshima) and No. 38 ZENT CERUMO LC500 (Tachikawa) were once again quick to lap at the 1 min 29 sec mark. At little over 35 minutes from the start, No. 8 ARTA NSX-GT (Tomoki Nojiri) moved up to the top position with 1 min 29.929 sec. However, No.6 and No.38 cars put their lap times in the 1 min 28 sec mark right away which brought No.38 to the top with 1 min 28.822 sec. The top time was updated again in a few minutes later by James Rossiter in No.36 au TOM'S LC500 marking 1 min 28.750 sec. This lap time became the top time of the afternoon session as well as Day 1 overall eventually. No.36 car was participating the test without Kazuki Nakajima. Daisuke Ito, who serves team manager this season, took over the wheel from Rossiter and drove the whole latter half of the session excluding the GT500 exclusive session time.

No.23 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R (Ronnie Quintarelli) had to spent most of the time in repairing a problem in the drive train that occurred during the morning session, but the car significantly improved the lap time in the latter half of the session and marked 1 min 29.572 sec. No.23 car, though, did not try for an attack lap simulating the qualifying even in the GT500 exclusive session time held at the end of the session (driving by Tsugio Matsuda) and at overall it settled with tenth place. The result may had been different if the car did not have to confront the problem and attempted an attack lap. Contrastingly, No.16 MOTUL MUGEN NSX-GT (Hideki Mutoh), the only car out of NSX-GT squad using Yokohama tires, made a leap by the last attack lap it attempted during the GT500 exclusive time. The car marked the seventh fastest lap time of the afternoon session, 1 min 29.344 sec, and finished the day at the top of NSX-GT squad overall. Nonetheless, the NSX also had a problem during the morning session, thus, it is too early to determine its real potential.

 

 

 

 

 

B-MAX NDDP GT-R marks the best time of GT300 during the exclusive run in afternoon

In the GT300 class, it seemed the FIA GT3 cars with an engine that produces more power had an advantage at Fuji Speedway with the 1.5-kilometer straightaway.

In the morning session, No.11 GAINER TANAX AMG GT3 (Bjorn Wirdheim) topped the pack with 1 min 36.935 sec. No.3 B-MAX NDDP GT-R (Mitsunori Takaboshi) followed this with a small gap at 1 min 36.987 sec, which left the two to be the only cars in the 36 sec mark. No.33 D'station Porsche driven by Tomonobu Fujii, who changed team from No.21 car, was third fastest. No.18 UPGARAGE BANDOH 86 (lap time by Yuhki Nakayama) at seventh position was the fastest out of the JAF-GT300 and mother-chassised cars.

No.11 GAINER TANAX AMG GT3 (Katsuyuki Hiranaka) improved the best time of the morning session and lapped at 1 min 36.727 sec in the afternoon session and stayed at top during the mixed-class session time. However, No.3 B-MAX NDDP GT-R (Takaboshi) whipped out 1 min 36.221 sec, which became the best time of the day, during the GT300 exclusive session time held at the end of the session and took over the top place. No.9 GULF NAC PORSCHE 911 (Jono Lester) and No.4 GOODSMILE HATSUNE MIKU AMG (driven only by Nobuteru Taniguchi) kept the third and fourth places, respectively, from the morning session, and, out of JAF-GT300, No.61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Takuto Iguchi) placed sixth (also sixth overall).

No.117 EIcars BENTLEY GT3 (Ryohei Sakaguchi), competing for the first time this season, marked an impressive time of 1 min 36.959 sec and finished the afternoon session at seventh place. "The car is still with an endurance setup. We still haven't gotten all the parts." Team manager Teramato commented with a bitter smile on his face, but the expectation grew even more towards the season opener for sure.

 

    

 

 

Feeling of the car is not bad. I was able to drive with a pretty good pace from the beginning. But, we need to make a little bit more adjustment on the car for the season opener though. This time the main menu we had was for selecting tires for Round 2 Fuji. But we were able to get a pretty good lap time with any sets of tires.
At Okayama test, No.37 got the fastest time and this time our No.36 car is the top. We got to this point pretty smoothly, but the race won't be that easy because all Lexus cars are fast. Anyways, I'm happy to finish the day with a top time.

 

Although we were able to mark the top time, it's not like "Happy" or "Relieved". It (top time) just came out unintentionally during the process of selecting tires for Round 2 Fuji, that's how I think. Plus, I personally feel that the car still has more room to improve.
Since this is an official test, they (rivals around) are probably not pushing fully. I felt like that at Okayama and it feels the same again this time. Balance of the car as a whole was not bad, so that's a gain.

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