2020.08.14

【Round 3 Preview】 Stage is set on demanding track of Suzuka! Midsummer clash that could decide the season.

After only a 2-week interval from Round 2, SUPER GT is returning to Suzuka Circuit (Mie Prefecture) for the 2020 AUTOBACS SUPER GT Round 3 "SUZUKA GT 300km RACE" on August 22 (Saturday, Qualifying) and 23 (Sunday, Race). Japan has gone from a long rainy season to severely hot summer in August. That consequently enabled a return of "Midsummer Suzuka" after a while. Despite the race distance being usual 300km, we can expect to see heated-up battles on the renowned circuit globally known as a demanding track. After completing 2 races in the 2020 season, the cars as well as the combination of drivers must have improved with teams accumulating more data. For those teams with a lagging start, this would be a huge chance to bounce back. The event will continue to be held without spectators, but the upcoming race will certainly be significant for deciding the direction the season will head to.

 

 

　Honda NSX-GT has gone through a major transition to front-engine layout to comply with the CLASS 1 regulation this season. The car has been showing off its speed since the test in off-season as well as in the season opener, and, in Round 2, No.17 KEIHIN NSX-GT (Koudai Tsukakoshi / Bertrand Baguette) won the race dominantly by leaving all the rivals in the dust. For sure the squad would want to keep the momentum and take on the Suzuka round hosted by Honda's home track.

 

　Prior model of NSX-GT until last year was said to be disadvantageous in summer, but the transition to front-engine layout must have addressed the concern it carried around the cooling system. After falling out from the contention due to a costly spin despite fighting for the lead in the previous race, this could be a good chance for No.8 ARTA NSX-GT (Tomoki Nojiri / Nirei Fukuzumi) to pay back especially when the handicap weight is light. No.100 RAYBRIG NSX-GT (Naoki Yamamoto / Tadasuke Makino), after finishing the consecutive races at Fuji without a result that they would had hoped for, must be aiming its target sharply to the very top since both of their drivers have been strong at Suzuka. No.16 Red Bull MOTUL MUGEN NSX-GT (Hideki Mutoh / Ukyo Sasahara) and No.64 Modulo NSX-GT (Takuya Izawa / Hiroki Otsu) cannot be underestimated if the weather condition becomes wild.

 

 

   

 

 

　After dominating the top five at the season opener, the TOYOTA GR Supra GT500 squad surrendered the win to the speed of NSX-GT in the second round of the season. Still, GR Supra proved it is tough to beat in the race by occupying the positions from second to fourth with No.36 au TOM'S GR Supra (Yuhi Sekiguchi / Sacha Fenestraz) finishing in the second place consecutively.
　As much as they are good, it all bounces back to the handicap weight, but we can anticipate to see No.36 car as well as the runner-up of the season opener, No.37 KeePer TOM'S GR Supra (Ryo Hirakawa / Nick Cassidy), aiming for a top-group position, or even the win if the race becomes chaotic by high temperature or bad weather. No.38 ZENT GR Supra (Yuji Tachikawa / Hiroaki Ishiura) and No.39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra (Heikki Kovalainen / Yuichi Nakayama) with lesser handicap weight should be setting Suzuka as a race they must win.

 

 

   

 

 

　Contrastingly to its rivals, the 2020-season model of NISSAN GT-R NISMO GT500 could not prove its full potential at the season opening round after finishing the preseason test in frustration with various issues. However, No.12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R (Daiki Sasaki / Kazuki Hiramine) started from the fourth position on the grid and fought strongly against No.36 car and other GR Supra teams for the second and third places until the middle part of the race in the second round of the season. Though the final result was not praiseworthy due to a penalty, the squad was able to find a ray of light for a turnaround.

 

 

　The No.12 car as well as No.23 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R (Tsugio Matsuda / Ronnie Quintarelli) with a strong track record at Suzuka could well be contending in the top group at Round 3. If the race becomes a roller-coaster and team manager Masahiko Kondo executes a surprising strategy, then we might witness a scene with No.24 Realize Corporation ADVAN GT-R (Mitsunori Takaboshi / Jann Mardenborough) leading the pack.

 

   

 

 

　Drivers as well as the fans are in favor of splitting Q1 of the qualifying into Group A and B in the GT300 class, and it is now decided the format will also be adopted at Round 3 Suzuka. The GT300 teams will be divided based on the team ranking after the second round where the teams in odd number positions will be Group A and the teams in even number positions will be Group B, 15 cars in each group.
　At Round 2, No.2 SYNTIUM Apple LOTUS (Hiroki Katoh / Masataka Yanagida), which showed consistent speed in both qualifying and race, completed a come-from-behind win after the two veteran drivers showing clever driving while totally grasping the situation happening around them. The mother-chassis cars, like No.2 car, and the JAF-GT300 cars, including the season-opening round winner No.52 SAITAMATOYOPET GB GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshida / Kohta Kawaai), have been in the center of spotlight so far this season. If the track surface temperature gets high at Round 3 Suzuka, then these cars with more flexibility in the suspension adjustment could again be in the spotlight. Among these key role players, the eyes should be kept on No.6 ADVICS muta MC86 (Ryohei Sakaguchi / Kazuto Kotaka) with rookie Kotaka, who clinched the pole position at the second round, and the young duo behind the wheel of No.5 MACHSYAKEN GTNET MC86 MACH GO (Natsu Sakaguchi / Yuya Hiraki). Despite a heavy handicap weight, No.61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Takuto Iguchi / Hideki Yamauchi) deserves no underestimation considering how the team has been strong at Suzuka.

 

   

 

　Looking at the FIA GT3 cars, No.4 GOODSMILE HATSUNE MIKU AMG (Nobuteru Taniguchi / Tatsuya Kataoka) could be fired up for a revenge for ending the previous race with no points due to a problem with the tires. No.10 TANAX ITOCHU ENEX with IMPUL GT-R (Kazuki Hoshino / Keishi Ishikawa) has been a tough contender at Suzuka and summer races and the team could be a dark horse at upcoming race. As mentioned earlier, the performance of young drivers has been prominent this season. Parsons in No.34 Modulo KENWOOD NSX GT3 (Ryo Michigami / Jake Parsons) and rookie Oyu in No.55 ARTA NSX GT3 (Shinichi Takagi / Toshiki Oyu). Sakaguchi of No.96 K-tunes RC F GT3 (Morio Nitta / Sena Sakaguchi) has already experienced GT500 debut in the previous race as a substitute. With the hands-on experience in the upper level, Sakaguchi would sure want to nail a back-to-back win at Suzuka. Of course, rookie Kawaai in No.52 car, who shocked everybody with a debut win at the season opener, is not forgotten either, and he should be up to provide more surprises with his driving. In the mixed and turmoil battlefield of GT300 class, the aggressive driving style of these young guns could give a big rattle to the competition as a whole.

 

   

 

　The Round 3 "SUZUKA GT300km RACE" that could decide the direction of the 2020 AUTOBACS SUPER GT will remain to be held without spectators unfortunately. However, the event will continue to be broadcast by the same broadcaster, J SPORTS, on live, recorded, and on demand, and SUPER GT Plus, a TV program broadcast via the network of TV Tokyo, will also showcase digests and backstage story of the race (both broadcast only in Japan. For overseas, it will be viewable by The Race, a YouTube channel). The "heat" at circuit may not be sharable, but the enthusiastic rooting by the fans will for sure reach the drivers and teams. Send your loud cheers to support your favorite driver and team across the TV screen.

 

 

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