Tokyo - The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced that Kondo Racing's HIS ADVAN Kondo GT-R, a Nissan GT-R driven by Joao Paulo de Oliveira and Seiji Ara and fitted with Yokohama Rubber's ADVAN racing tires, won in the rain on Sunday, March 22, in the GT500 class in 2009 Super GT Round 1, staged at the Okayama International Circuit. This was the third victory in the series for Kondo Racing (managed by Masahiko Kondo) - last year and two years ago in Malaysia, and this one, its first victory in Japan. The GT300 class was won by Racing Project Bandoh's Weds Sport IS350, a Lexus IS350 driven by Manabu Orido and Tatsuya Kataoka and also fitted with Yokohama Rubber's ADVAN racing tires - on the day, two class victories for ADVAN.

Rain complicated the final race. At the 2 p.m. start the road surface was completely wet. Driven by Joao Paulo de Oliveira from the third spot, the HIS ADVAN Kondo GT-R jumped quickly to the front and gradually pulled away from the pack, leading by more than a minute when it pitted after 52 laps. With Seiji Ara in the driver's seat, the rain nearly stopped and the road surface became drier. The car continued without difficulties and eventually took the checkered flag 21 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

Immediately after the race, Manager Masahiko Kondo said: "Starting with this race, we have a new wet tire. We knew the road conditions would get better, but our team knows how to handle wet tires and we believed they would perform well. The two drivers drove perfectly and did exactly as I had told them. I am particularly happy that we were able to win in the rain, and that we now have our first domestic victory." Since its first participation in Super GT in 2006, Kondo Racing has raced in GT500 as a Yokohama Rubber factory team.