2024.06.01

Rd. 3 Qualifying flash report: The Deloitte TOM'S GR Supra finally takes pole position! In GT300, the J No. 777 D'station Vantage GT3 also get their first class pole

Rd. 3 Qualifying flash report

 

　The qualifying for the SUZUKA GT 300km RACE, Round 3 of the 2024 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series took place at Suzuka circuit (one lap: 5,807 m) in Mie Prefecture on June 1st (Sat). In the GT500 class, Sasahara got his first pole position since moving to the TOYOTA camp in the No. 37 Deloitte TOM'S GR Supra (Ukyo Sasahara/Giuliano Alesi) and Alesi got his first-ever SUPER GT pole. In the GT300 class, the No. 777 D'station Vantage GT3 (Tomonobu Fujii/Charles Fagg) got its first class pole position for the drivers and the team. These two cars will start from the front grid positions in their respective classes in final race tomorrow on June 2nd.

　 For the Official Qualifying for Round 3 of the 2024 season that took place at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture, it was again blessed with fine weather and dry track conditions from start to finish. In the Q1 session of the GT500 class, the No. 37 Deloitte TOM'S GR Supra (Ukyo Sasahara) made full use of the width of the track in a brilliant run to record a top time of 1’45.434. Following in 2nd position came the No. 8 ARTA MUGEN CIVIC TYPE R-GT #8 (Nobuharu Matsushita) and in 3rd the No. 17 Astemo CIVIC TYPE R-GT (Kakunoshin Ohta), meaning that two Honda CIVIC TYPE R-GT cars followed the two leading TOYOTA GR Supra GT500 cars.
　 In the GT500 class Q2 session, the No. 14 ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra (Nirei Fukuzumi) ran a time of 1’45.836 at the very end of the session to take top position. The Nissan Z NISMO GT500 car No. 23 MOTUL AUTECH Z (Katsumasa Chiyo) followed in 2nd position with a time of 1’46.309, while in car No. 37 that had finished fastest in Q1, Giuliano Alesi finished in 3rd position with a time of 1’46.439.
　As a result, the No. 37 Deloitte TOM'S GR Supra (Sasahara/Alesi) finished fastest in the GT500 qualifying with a combined time of 3’31.873 to take their first pole position of the season. Finishing in 2nd position was the No. 16 ARTA MUGEN CIVIC TYPE R-GT #16 (Hiroki Otsu/Ren Sato). The top finisher in Q2, car No. 14, finished in 3rd position. As for the winner of the previous round, the No. 3 Niterra MOTUL Z (Mitsunori Takaboshi/Atsushi Miyake), it finished fastest among the Nissan cars in 6th position.

　 In the GT300 class Q1 session, the cars were divided into two groups, A and B, based on their team rankings as of the end of the previous round. And in this round Group B would run first, which saw the No. 777 D'station Vantage GT3 (Tomonobu Fujii) record the top time, while the No. 20 SHADE RACING GR86 GT (Katsuyuki Hiranaka) finished fastest in Group A. In Q2, the eight cars with the fastest Q1 times in the two groups, totaling 16 cars, ran together as Group 1, while the remaining cars from the two groups ran as Group 2. Running in the No. 777 D'station Vantage GT3, Charles Fagg recorded the 2nd fastest time in Group 1 of the Q2 session to take pole position based on the combined time from Q1, thus giving the two drivers and the team their first pole position, which brought a proud smile to the face of their team manager, the former baseball Major League player Kazuhiro Sasaki.

 

 

 

■Pole Position Driver Comments

 

 

GT500 CLASS

No. 37 Deloitte TOM'S GR Supra
Ukyo Sasahara: “Alesi (in Q2) ran such a good time attack. I think everyone who watched how he really pushed the limits (almost running off the track) could see how hard he was driving. (After just coming to the TOYOTA camp) I never thought I would be able to wear this red cap (of the tire maker that is worn by in the awards) after Q2. I am truly grateful for this moment.”

 

Giuliano Alesi:: “It was great the way my teammate (Sasahara) Ukyo took the top spot in Q1 and what a good car the team set up for us. I just tried to keep my margin of lead (without running the machine off the track). But I was able to run a very good time attack in Q2. I want to thank everyone for this.”

 

 

GT300 CLASS

No.777 D'station Vantage GT3
Tomonobu Fujii: “Since coming to Suzuka, the balance of the car has been very good, and especially the good performance of our Dunlop tires enabled us drivers to make our time attacks with assurance. Finally (in Q2) Charles (Fagg) ran a good time attack that eventually gave us pole position. I am very happy with this result.”

 

Charles Fagg: “I want to begin by thanking Fujii-san. And, thanks to the good car set-up that everyone on the team gave us, I was also able to run a good time attack. I owe my (Q2) attack success to everyone. I thank you all very much.”

 

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