2021.04.11

Rd. 1 Race GT300: Hotly contested battle for the lead by four rivals from last year’s title race! REALIZE NISSAN AUTOMOBILE TECHNICAL COLLEGE GT-R holds out for the win

　The “Takanoko Hotel Okayama GT 300 Km RACE,” opening round of the 2021 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series, took place at the Okayama International Circuit (one lap 3,703 m x 82 laps) on April 11. Race Sunday was blessed with fine spring weather, and despite with-corona restrictions like social distancing, the fans were back to enjoy the first race here at Okayama in two years.
In the GT500 class the winner was the No.14 ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra driven by Kazuya Oshima and Kenta Yamashita, and in the GT300 class victory went to the No. 56 REALIZE NISSAN AUTOMOBILE TECHNICAL COLLEGE GT-R (Kiyoto Fujinami/Joao Paulo de Oliveira).

 

 

 

　Starting from pole position in the GT300 class race, the No. 11 GAINER TANAX GT-R (Hironobu Yasuda) held its lead but with the 2nd-position grid starter, the No. 52 SAITAMATOYOPETGB GR Supra GT (Kohta Kawaai), soon right on its tail and fighting fiercely. Behind them, the No. 56 REALIZE NISSAN AUTOMOBILE TECHNICAL COLLEGE GT-R (Kiyoto Fujinami) starting from 4th position succeeded in passing the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Togo Suganami) on the first lap, but Suganami clung right to No. 56’s tail and wouldn’t let go, thus setting the stage for an internse 4-way battle for the lead. Also, the 5th and 6th position starter, the No. 244 TAKANOKONOYU GR Supra GT (Atsushi Miyake) and No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshimoto) continued to hold their respective positions.

 

　GBy the 6th lap of the race, the GT500 class cars were already passing the GT300 class pack. In those crowded conditions, the GT500 class car No. 30 TOYOTA GR SPORT PRIUS PHV apr GT (Hiroaki Nagai) got caught behind a GT300 class and a collision took place in the hairpin turn of the seventh lap. The resulted in the closely following No. 34 Yogibo NSX GT3 (Ryo Michigami) colliding into them as well, causing car No. 30 to spin and come to a stop on the inside of the track. Being unable to move, this brought out the Safety Car on the eighth lap.

 

　After the race was restarted on the 13th lap, the nose-to-tail battle for the lead between cars No. 11 and No. 52 continued, and not far behind, a battle for 3rd position developed between cars No. 56 and No. 65. In the GT300 class, some cars began making their routine pit stops from around the 25th lap.

 

　However, when the GT500 class leaders had entered the 33rd lap of the race, the No. 360 RUNUP RIVAUX GT-R (Yudai Uchida) that had just finished its pit stop and was still on its first lap out of the pit crashed in the inside of the first corner. Knowing that this would bring out the Safety Car once again, the reactions of the various teams would change the course of the race drastically.

 

 

 

　Knowing that making their pit stops before the Safety Car came out would give them a big advantage in position over those that didn’t, not only the leaders but most of the teams chose to make their pit stops at once. This turned the pit lane into a veritable battleground.
　Here, it was the No. 56 REALIZE NISSAN AUTOMOBILE TECHNICAL COLLEGE GT-R (Joao Paulo de Oliveira) team that took the tentative lead with its fast pit work. Following No. 56 now came the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Naoya Gamou) and the No. 52 SAITAMATOYOPETGB GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshida), while the No. 11 GAINER TANAX GT-R (Katsuyuki Hiranaka) that had led in the first half of the race now found itself back in 5th position.

 

　As expected, the Safety Car was brought out, and the race was subsequently restarted as the GT500 class entered their 40th lap. With car No. 56 in the lead, the top three in the GT300 class race battled at close quarters. Soon car No. 11 passed the No. 2 muta Racing Lotus MC (Ryohei Sakaguchi) running in 4th position and then caught up with the three leaders. The result was a 4-way brawl between the same four teams that had battled for the class title in the final round of last season facing off here again in the opening round of the new season here at Okayama.

 

 

　The contest between these four contenders ran on and on at close quarters through the second half of the race. Especially tense was the nose-to-tail contest between car No. 56 in front and No. 65 poised right behind and looking to take advantage of any crack in the leader’s defense. And not far behind them came cars No. 52 and No. 11, in a tight 4-way contest that left absolutely no room for mistakes.

 

　In the end, de Oliveira driving the leading car No. 56 managed to hold on to his lead all the way to the checkered flag and the win. With this, the reigning 2020 series champions, the No. 56 REALIZE NISSAN AUTOMOBILE TECHNICAL COLLEGE GT-R (Kiyoto Fujinami/Joao Paulo de Oliveira), also became the winners of the opening round of the 2021 season at Okayama.

 

　Finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively came the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Naoya Gamou/Togo Suganami) and the No. 52 SAITAMATOYOPETGB GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshida/Kohta Kawaai). Coming home in 4th place was the No. 11 GAINER TANAX GT-R (Katsuyuki Hiranaka/Hironobu Yasuda). Fifth place went to the No. 244 TAKANOKONOYU GR Supra GT (Atsushi Miyake/Yuui Tsutsumi) team that changed their car this season to the GR Supra GT and were rewarded by taking their first finish in the top five.

 

 

 

 

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