2020.07.19

In GT300 the LEON PYRAMID AMG grabs class pole

 

　Qualifying for the Takanokono Hotel FUJI GT 300km RACE, Round 1 of the 2020 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series, took place on the morning of July 19 at Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture. The GT500 class Pole Position was won by the No. 37 KeePer TOM'S GR Supra (Ryo Hirakawa/Nick Cassidy), while the GT300 class pole went to the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Naoya Gamou/Togo Suganami).

 

 

　The GT300 class qualifying was divided into two groups (A and B) based on last season’s series ranking, with each group running for 10 minutes. Although rain had fallen the night before at Fuji Speedway, when the Q1 sessions started at 9:30 in the morning, it was under cloudy skies with no rain. The track was wet in some places at that time, but most of it was virtually dry.
　　After starting on time, there were no crashes in the 10-minute Group A Q1 session, although some cars did run off the track temporarily. Recording the fastest time in this 10-minute session with a well-run final lap was the No. 56 Realize Nissan Automobile Technical College GT-R (Joao Paulo de Oliveira), with a time of 1’37.401. Second fastest was the No. 61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Hideki Yamauchi), while the No. 9 PACIFIC NAC D'station Vantage GT3 (Tomonobu Fujii) recorded the third fastest lap. Last season’s champion team, the No. 55 ARTA NSX GT3 (Shinichi Takagi), had chosen to run on rain tires and thus failed to do any better than 11th position, thus missing the cut-off for Q2.

　The GT300 class Group B Q1 session also started on time. At this point, the track was mostly dry. In the early going, the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Togo Suganami) ran off the track, causing surprise around the course, but it was soon able to return to the track without incident. Eventually, car No. 65 finished Q1 in 2nd position. The top time went to the No. 11 GAINER TANAX GT-R (Hironobu Yasuda) with a lap of 1’36.581. The 3rd position went to No. 5 MACHSYAKEN GTNET MC86 MACH GO (Natsu Sakaguchi). The No. 96 K-tunes RC F GT3 (Sena Sakaguchi), which had battled for the title last season, barely managed to qualify for Q2 by finishing in 8th position.

 

 

 

　The class Q2 sessions to decide the pole positions for the race were both run as 10-minute sessions. The GT300 class Q2 started on time at 10:23 with 16 cars competing. Beginning its timed laps early, the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Naoya Gamou) recorded a top time of 1’36.236. Soon after, the No. 11 GAINER TANAX GT-R (Katsuyuki Hiranaka) ran a time of 1’36.297, falling just short of the top spot. Eventually, no other cars could match the times of these two leaders, and so, the Pole Position for the opening round of the season went to the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Naoya Gamou/Togo Suganami). Finishing Q2 in 3rd position with a last-lap attempt was the No. 2 SYNTIUM Apple LOTUS (Hiroki Katoh). Finishing in 4th position running the new GR Supra was the No. 52 SAITAMATOYOPETGB GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshida) team.

 

 

 

Pole Position Driver Comments

No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG
Naoya Gamou
“Since these are such difficult times (with the novel corona virus), I am very happy that we have been able to win pole position for this opening round of the season. And I think this is also a good thing for us going forward.”

Togo Suganami
“I made a bit of a mistake (running off the track), but I think our senior driver Gamou-san brought everything together in Q2 to give us this fantastic result (pole position). I am going to do my best to see that we stay No.1 in the race to come.”

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