2023.06.03

Rd. 3 Qualifying GT300: Return of the “Pole Hunter! Yamauchi in the SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT ties record for most GT300 poles

Round 3 Suzuka circuit : Qualifying GT300

The qualifying for the SUZUKA GT 450km RACE, Round 3 of the 2023 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series took place at Suzuka circuit (one lap: 5,807 m) in Mie Prefecture on June 3rd (Sat). In the GT500 class, Tsuboi in the au TOM'S GR Supra (Sho Tsuboi/Ritomo Miyata) won his first pole position in GT500 class. In the GT300 class, Yamauchi in the No. 61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Takuto Iguchi/Hideki Yamauchi) was fastest and tied the record for most GT300 class pole positions. These two teams will start from the front position on their class starting grids for the race on June 4th.

 

Due to the prolonged run of the prior FIA-F4 Rd. 3 race, the GT300 class Q1 qualifying Group A session began 20 minutes later than scheduled at 3:25 in the afternoon. The 14 competing car began to record their best times on their third or fourth lap. 1

One of the first to begin its time attacks was the No. 31 apr LC500h GT (Kazuto Kotaka) that had shown good speed in the qualifying for the previous Round 2. It recorded a time of 1’57.084, which became the target time for the other teams. After that, many of the cars began to record times in the same 1’57 range, but none succeeded in beating Kotaka’s time.

　 By the end of the session, car No. 31 still had the fastest time in Group A, which was a gratifying first win in an official session for this new car in its debut season. Second and third positions went to the No. 7 Studie BMW M4 (Seiji Ara) and the No .60 Syntium LMcorsa GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshimoto). As for the winner of last year’s Round 5 at Suzuka, the No. 4 GOODSMILE HATSUNE MIKU AMG (Tatsuya Kataoka), and the No. 96 K-tunes RC F GT 3 (Morio Nitta), by finishing 9th and 10th, neither was able to move on to Q2.

At 3:43 in the afternoon, the Group B session of Q1 started. With the changing track conditions compared to those for Group A, the times appeared to be generally somewhat slower. Among the contestants, it was the No. 50 ANEST IWATA Racing RC F GT3 (Igor Omura Fraga) that succeeded in running a time of 1’57.505. Despite being a rookie in the GT300 class this season, Omura Fraga recorded the fastest time in the group to move the team on to Q2. Next behind him came the No. 56 REALIZE NISSAN MECHANIC CHALLENGE GT-R (Joao Paulo de Oliveira) with a time of 1’57.562, despite carrying a 66-kg load of Success Weights. Also following in third position came the No. 20 SHADE RACING GR86 GT (Katsuyuki Hiranaka).

 

 

 

 

After the GT500 class Q1 session, the GT300 class Q2 session began at 4:18 in the afternoon. Amidst continuing strong winds, the No. 244 HACHI-ICHI GR Supra GT (Atsushi Miyake) was first to record a time faster than in Q1 with a 1’56.827 lap. This was followed by the No. 11 GAINER TANAX GT-R (Ryuichiro Tomita) and the No. 10 PONOS GAINER GT-R (Riki Okusa) also recording times in the 1’56 range

However, it was Hideki Yamauchi in the No. 61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT who would close in on the old course record (1’55.531) with a time of 1’55.775. None of the other cars could touch this amazing time, which eventually took pole position. For Yamauchi, it was his 13th pole position in the GT300 class, which ties the existing record for most poles by a single driver. Finishing in 2nd position came the No. 11 GAINER TANAX GT-R (Ryuichiro Tomita). This marked a return to form in the Round 3 qualifying for these two strong teams that had experienced disappointing no-point finishes in the last two rounds. Finishing in 3rd position with a time of 1’56.454 was the No. 60 Syntium LMcorsa GR Supra GT (Shunsuke Kohno), while 4th position went to the No. 2 muta Racing GR86 GT (Yuui Tsutsumi).

When looking at the top ten teams in Q2, there are six GT300 regulation cars, led by the pole position winning No. 61, which shows the strength of these machines at Suzuka. Opposed to these are the three FIA GT3 regulation NISSAN GT-R NISMO GT3 cars and the No. 88 JLOC Lamborghini GT3 (Takashi Kogure) in 10th position. But tomorrow’s race is a long 450 km, and what’s more, the air temperature will apparently rise further. Will the present status of the two regulations remain the same? Everyone is surely looking forward to the answer that comes with the race tomorrow.

 

 

 

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