2021.11.28

Rd. 8 Race GT300: Long-awaited first GT300 title for SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT! Race win goes to SYNTIUM LMcorsa GR Supra GT for second time this season

The FUJIMAKI GROUP FUJI GT 300km RACE, Round 8 (final race) of the 2021 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series, was held at the Fuji Speedway (one lap 4,563m×66 laps) in Shizuoka Prefecture on November 28 (Sun). In the GT500 class, the No. 36 au TOM'S GR Supra (Yuhi Sekiguchi/Sho Tsuboi) charged hard to the front from a 4th-position grid start to take a come-from-behind victory. In the GT300 class, the No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshimoto/Shunsuke Kohno) won the race. By finishing 3rd in this race, the No. 61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Takuto Iguchi/Hideki Yamauchi) were able to win the first-ever series title for a SUBARU car in the GT300 class.

 

 

 

 

　After developing machine trouble in the warmup period, the No. 50 ARNAGE AMG GT3 is unable to race, leaving the race with a field of 27 cars.

　Starting from pole position, the No. 61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Takuto Iguchi) is able to hold position after the start and be first through the TGR Corner (first turn). But, the No. 52 SAITAMATOYOPETGB GR Supra GT and the No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa GR Supra GT followed close behind, leading to a fierce battle in the early going. Following these three came the No .88 JLOC LAMBORGHINI GT3 and the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG.

　Meanwhile, the current 2nd-ranked No. 56 Realize Nissan Automobile Technical College GT-R, which had come through the qualifying in 17th position, was able to repair damage from a collision in the pre-race warmup in time to start the race and begin working its way up through the field and climb to 10th position by the 5th lap of the race.

　Back in the pack there were some fierce battles taking place in the early stages of the race, and at the Dunlop Corner of the sixth lap the No. 87 GRANSEED LAMBORGHINI GT3 running in 14th position was hit by the No. 7 Studie PLUS BMW. This accident brought car No. 7 to a stop and the Safety Car had to be brought out to control the race.

　The race was restarted as the GT300 class leaders entered the 11th lap of the race, and the leading car No. 61 now had cars No. 60 and No. 52 right on its tail. This enabled Shunsuke Kohno in car No. 60 to overtake No. 61 at the TGR Corner of the 23rd lap and move into the lead.

　Since all cars were required to change all four tires in their pit stop in this race, there were some cars in the lead group that chose to try an “under-cut” tactic by making their routine pit stop early. The first to make its pit stop at the end of the 18th lap was car No. 65 running in 5th position at that point. Then, car No. 52 made its pit stop on the 19th lap and No. 88 at the end of the 21st lap, after which the No. 4 GOODSMILE HATSUNE MIKU AMG running in 6th position at that point made its pit stop at the end of the 26th lap. Running in 2nd position, car No. 61 made its pit stop at the end of the 27th lap and changed drivers from Iguchi to Hideki Yamauchi. Then the leading car No. 60 returned to the pit at the end of the 28th lap.

 

 

 

　When all of the lead group had finished their routine pit stops, car No. 52 had emerged in the lead. Behind it came Hiroki Yoshimoto in car No. 60. In 3rd to 5th places came cars No. 65, No. 4 and No. 88, all having succeeded in their “under-cut” tactic. Conversely, No. 61 (Hideki Yamauchi) had dropped to 6th position and now suddenly found itself with a difficult race ahead.
　Also, No. 61’s title rival that had fallen behind in the qualifying, No. 55 ARTA NSX GT3, found itself back in 7th position, while the No. 56 Realize Nissan Automobile Technical College GT-R followed in 8th position, from where they continued to chase the No. 61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Hideki Yamauchi) from behind. With Yamauchi in car No. 61 continuing to block all their attempts to pass, No. 4 and No. 88 were having a difficult time moving up toward the lead.

　The battle between these three title contenders continued to grow increasingly fierce. Desperate to get past No. 61, car No. 55 delayed it braking at the TGR Corner of its 47th lap in an attempt to slip in on car No. 61’s inside. But the attempt appeared to have too ambitious, as it drifted to the outside and collided with a GT500 car. This took No. 55 out of the battle for the win, while No. 61 stayed as it was and No. 56 moved up into 7th position.

　These developments left car No. 52 running alone in the lead and began to look as if it was going to go on that way the win. But, at the Panasonic Corner of the 51st lap of the race, No. 52 suffered a puncture in its left rear tire. After spinning out, it was forced to return to the pit. Then car No. 88 also suffered a tire puncture and dropped back in the field.

　All this put the No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshimoto/Shunsuke Kohno) in the lead, from where it ran on to victory, its second of the season following one in Round 2, also at Fuji. Finishing in 2nd came the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Naoya Gamou/Togo Suganami), while the battle for the third position on the podium was won by the No. 61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Hideki Yamauchi) that had managed to pass car No. 4 with two laps remaining in the race.

 

 

　With these results, the No. 61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT drivers Takuto Iguchi and Hideki Yamauchi became the 2021 series Driver champions. The team championship title went to No. 61 R&D SPORT in the new BRZ that debuted this season, thus giving SUBARU its long-awaited first GT300 championship title.

 

 

 

 

 

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