2019.11.15

GT500 and DTM fielding 22 cars in battle royal! First-class guest drivers gather for a special event.

SUPER GT × DTM Dream Race : Preview

With attention growing not only in Japan and Germany but globally, the AUTOBACS 45th Anniversary presents SUPER GTXDTM Dream Race showcasing machines from SUPER GT GT500 and DTM is making its epoch-making inauguration on November 22nd (Fri), 23rd (Sat), and 24th (Sun) at Fuji Speedway. Cars are almost equal from a regulation perspective. DTM champion and numerous guest drivers famous from F1 or GT500 get together for a DTM-inspired sprint race which sure will allure fans with a twist different from any series race of SUPER GT. You shouldn't miss this dream race, which thought to be never feasible in Japan, contested by 22 cars from three GT500 manufacturers and two DTM manufacturers before wrapping up your motorsports season of 2019.

 

 

 

All 15 cars from regular teams of GT500 class are entering in the SUPER GTXDTM Dream Race. DTM is fielding seven machines from its series. Four Audi RS 5 DTM and three BMW M4 DTM are coming to Japan to compete against the GT500 class machines.

 

   

 

DTM is also bringing a rich line-up of drivers. First, and a top favorite, among the rich line-up must be René Rast (No.33 Audi Sport RS 5 DTM), an up and rising driver who conquered the series this season with an outstanding record of six wins out of 16 races despite being his first year in DTM. It would be interesting to see a battle between Rast and this year's GT500 champions, Kazuya Oshima and Kenta Yamashita (No.6 WAKO'S 4CR LC500). There are two familiar faces in the Audi squad who boast a GT500 title in their career record. Loïc Duval, who became a GT500 champion driving Honda HSV-010 GT in 2010, is taking the wheel of No.28 BMC Airfilter Audi RS 5 DTM. Winning the GT500 class championship in 2008 with a NISSAN GT-R and then reigning the Le Mans 24 Hour race with three wins with Audi works team, Benoit Treluyer (No.21 Audi Sport Japan RS 5 DTM) is making his return to Fuji. Furthermore, many fans must be waiting to see the drive by Mike Rockenfeller (No.99 Akrapovic Audi RS 5 DTM), 2013 DTM champion and fourth-ranked driver of this season.

 

BMW fleet is taking on the dream race with 2014 and 2016 DTM champion and the third position in the point ranking this season, the highest among the fleet, Marco Wittmann (No.11 BMW M4 DTM). And there are two more surprising guests. First is a former F1 driver who also competed and became a champion in Indycar racing, Alessandro Zanardi (No.4 BMW M4 DTM). Despite losing both of his legs from a race accident, Zanardi's strong spirit led him to the podium of WTCC series with a BMW car that allowed him to drive with just his hands. He has driven a DTM machine in the past and that only makes Japanese fans more excited to see him back on a Japanese track.

 

Marco Wittmann No.11 BMW Team RBM	Loïc Duval No.28 Audi Sport Team Phoenix
René Rast No.33 Audi Sport Team Rosberg	Mike Rockenfeller No.99 Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline

 

What's more surprising is that former F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi, who took the wheel of LC500 in the GT500 class and won the fourth round race last year, is making his appearance in No.00 BMW M4 DTM. This is completely his first time driving a DTM car, nonetheless, Kobayashi must be a driver to watch out for as he can be quick regardless of the car he's driving, which is already proven by his experience in GT500 as well as his appearance in the Suzuka 10 Hour Endurance race driving a Mercedes AMG GT3.

 

Upcoming SUPER GTXDTM Dream Race adopts a race format created based on that of DTM, characterized as a sprint race, which is different from what SUPER GT adopts in its series race. Under the race format, there will be Race 1 (Sat, Nov 23) and Race 2 (Sun, Nov 24), both with a qualifying session and a race session (55 minutes + 1 lap). Each team will be mandated with a pit-stop with tire change but no driver change or refueling is required. GT500 teams basically will have different drivers for Race 1 and Race 2 except No.1 RAYBRIG NSX-GT and No.17 KEIHIN NSX-GT which Naoki Yamamoto and Koudai Tsukakoshi will solely drive both races, respectively.

 

 

DTM's iconic function for overtaking, DRS (Drag Reduction System: allowing speed increase by changing the angle of rear-wing) and Push-to-Pass (overtaking support system that can temporarily increase the volume of fuel flow), will not be permitted. Of course, there will be no handicap weight. In SUPER GT, teams usually can select a tire manufacturer at its discretion, however, the special event will be a one-make race of Hancock tire, an exclusive tire supplier of DTM series.

 

 

 

As described above, many things are different to regular GT500 teams, and there are not that much of home-court advantage other than the venue being at Fuji if the race format and the tires are different. And, for Kamui Kobayashi, Treluyer, and Duval all with GT500 race experience, Fuji would not be much of home-court advantage. Frankly, it is just unpredictable how the race would turn out and who the favorite would be.

 

All we know is that none of the GT500 drivers have ever raced with Hancock tires at Fuji and nothing else. Teams are required to find a right car setting just from the test session scheduled on Thursday and the official practice session on Friday, and, in order to do that, driver's ability to provide accurate feedback would be more essential than usual race. It would be interesting to see how Tsugio Matsuda / Ronnie Quintarelli (No.23 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R), who were invited to race in DTM's final race of the season, will cope in this area. There are some drivers, however, who reveal that they are looking forward to the race format of one driver for one race very much because they can set up the car in the way that suit them. We may see young drivers or unexpected drivers to rise up in the race with their car set up to their preference. It is pretty much clear that the SUPER GT x DTM Dream Race will be a lot different from the SUPER GT series race.

 

   

 

 

 

Various support races are scheduled during the SUPER GTXDTM Dream Race, and one most relevant to SUPER GT is the auto sport Web Sprint Cup which enjoys entries mostly from GT300 class teams. This is also an "Inter-series race" where seven teams from the GT300 class of this season, McLaren 720S as well as Corvette GT3 that raced in the Suzuka 10 Hour Endurance Race (SUZUKA 10H), and GT3 cars from Super Taikyu series, a total of 12 cars, will compete through two races, Nov 23rd and 24th, for the overall victory.

 

   

 

   

 

Qualifier will take place in the morning of Nov 23rd, split to A and B driver groups, to decide the starting grid of Race 1 by totaling the lap times of two drivers. Starting grid of Race 2, taking place at noon of following day, will be decided based on the result of Race 1. Both Race 1 and 2 will be a 50-minute race. Teams must make a pit-stop with driver change (no refueling). In addition, the time-frame for pit-stop and the minimum duration in the pit will be specified. Overall result will be decided based on the result of Race 2.

 

   

 

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