2021.05.04

Rd. 2 Race GT500: Astemo NSX-GT wins 500 km race fought hard to the last lap! Hot chase by two GR Supras falls just short

Round 2 Fuji Speedway : Race GT500

The Takanokono Hotel FUJI GT 500km RACE, round 2 of the 2021 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series was held on the afternoon of May 4th (Tues., holiday) at Fuji Speedway (one lap 4,563m x 110 laps). In the GT500 class, the No. 17 Astemo NSX-GT (Koudai Tsukakoshi/Bertrand Baguette) took the lead with a well-timed pit stop and held off the pursuers in the second half to take the win. In the GT300 class, the No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshimoto/Shunsuke Kohno) took the win.

 

 

 

As with qualifying day, race day was blessed with fair skies at Fuji Speedway. The 500-km race began at 2:30 in the afternoon. The Pole Position-starting No. 19 WedsSport ADVAN GR Supra (Ritomo Miyata) failed in its start dash and was passed on by both the No. 8 ARTA NSX-GT (Nirei Fukuzumi) and the No. 38 ZENT CERUMO GR Supra (Hiroaki Ishiura). But it was the No. 36 au TOM'S GR Supra (Sho Tsuboi) that got the best start of all, passing car No. 38 to come through the first lap in 2nd position. In the lead at that point was car No. 8, while No. 19 had dropped to 6th position, where it was challenged by the No. 23 MOTUL AUTECH GT- R (Ronnie Quintarelli).

Then, at the end of the straight after the second lap, car No. 23 suddenly began spewing out white smoke, and then came to a stop at the end of the TRG (1st) Corner and was forced to retire from the race due to engine trouble. The Safety Car came out until the track could be cleared. When the race was restarted on the 7th lap, car No. 36 passed No. 8 while exiting the TGR Corner to take the lead. But No. 8 could not be shaken off and clung close behind. Behind them the No.14 ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra (Kenta Yamashita) that had passed car No. 38 rose to 3rd position.

 

 

After falling off the pace, car No. 38 suffered an accident, losing its left rear wheel on the Panasonic (last) Corner of lap 31. Although it managed to return to the pit, it had to retire from the race when a replacement tire could not be mounted. Also, to recover the lost tire from the track, the Full Course Yellow (FCY) system was used for the first time in a SUPER GT competition. The first car to take advantage of this timing to return to the pit was the No. 17 Astemo NSX-GT, which changed drivers there from Koudai Tsukakoshi to Bertrand Baguette. Also making its pit stop at that point was the No. 1 STANLEY NSX-GT, which had started the race last in the GT500 class and moved forward in the hands of Naoki Yamamoto, to make its driver change to Tadasuke Makino, who returned to race for the first time since the last round of the previous season.

After the FCY ended and all the cars had finished their first pit stop, it was car No. 17 that had emerged in the lead. About five seconds behind it came car No. 36 (Yuhi Sekiguchi) in 2nd position followed by cars No. 14 (Kazuya Oshima), No. 8 (Tomoki Nojiri) and No. 1. Then, on the 47th lap of the race, the FCY was shown again for the recovery of a GT300 class car and the car parts it had left on the track. At this point, car No. 17 was still in 1st position with a lead of about 10 sec.

 

 

 

By the 68th lap of the race, however, No. 17 lost some time in its second pit stop. By the time all the cars had finished their pit stops, No. 17 (Tsukakoshi) found itself battling side-by-side with car No. 8 (Fukuzumi) for the lead, and it was No. 8 that emerged in the lead. Unable to pick up the pace, No. 17 was also passed by car No. 36 (Tsuboi). Also chasing these three at a fast pace were cars No. 14 (Yamashita) and No. 1 (Yamamoto), as well as Hirakawa in the No. 37 KeePer TOM'S GR Supra (Ryo Hirakawa/Sena Sakaguchi).

Car No. 8 continues to run in the lead, but closely chased by No. 36 and No. 17 within the space of about 1 sec. And by the 96th lap of the race, cars No. 14 and No. 1 had also closed in. Then, once again, a GT300 class car came to a stop at the end of the TGR Corner, bring on a third FCY order. Then on lap 98, just as it looked as if No. 36 was going to make its move on No. 8, it began to slow down and came to a stop at the end of the TGR Corner. What’s more, Fukuzumi in car No. 8 was given a drive-through penalty for having passed another car when the FCY sign was being shown, which took it out of contention for the win as well.

 

 

With this, car No. 17 once again found itself in the lead, but with car No. 14 closing in on it at a fast pace. It had been Yamashita in car No. 14 that had held on to the lead to win the season’s opening round at Okayama a month earlier, but now it was Yamashita who was being blocked as he fought desperately to get his nose in alongside car No. 17. But this time Tsukakoshi in car No. 17 was able to hold out with a stiff defense. About one sec. behind these two leaders came cars No. 37 and No. 1 were also battling it out. In the final round of last year’s series, it had been Yamamoto who came away with the win, but this time Hirakawa got the upper hand and Yamamoto dropped to 4th position. But Yamamoto would not let the top three get away, as he looked for one more chance to break through. So, with four laps remaining in the race, there were four cars battling it out within a space of about 0ne sec.

In the end, it was the No. 17 Astemo NSX-GT (Koudai Tsukakoshi/Bertrand Baguette) that hung on to take the win, its first since Round 4 at Motegi in last year’s series. Finishing 2nd came the No. 14 ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra (Kazuya Oshima/Kenta Yamashita), which gave the team their second podium finish in a row and a strong hold on the top spot in the season standings. Taking 3rd place was the No. 37 KeePer TOM'S GR Supra (Ryo Hirakawa/Sena Sakaguchi). Last year’s champions, the No. 1 STANLEY NSX-GT (Naoki Yamamoto/Tadasuke Makino) [Hideki Mutoh not driving] just fell short a podium finish in Makino’s comeback race. Next, finishing in 5th place as the best among the NISSAN GT-R NISMO GT500 cars came No. 3 CRAFTSPORTS MOTUL GT-R (Kohei Hirate/Katsumasa Chiyo).

 

 

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