【SUPER GT Round 1 / Okayama】

Reigning GT300 Champions Show Off Their Speed.
Realize NATC GT-R Wins Season Opener at Okayama.

SUPER GT Round 1

Date	2021/04/10-11
Venue	Okayama International Circuit
Weather	Fine
Surface	Dry
Race Lap	82Laps (1Lap = 3,703m)

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After a two years’ absence, Okayama International Circuit hosted the 2021 Super GT series’s season opener. The whole race weekend was favored by fine weather, so the conditions were ideal for hot on-track battles.

This year’s championship consists of eight rounds at major racetracks in Japan without any overseas events.

Driving Takanoko-no-yu GR Supra GT, Yuui Tsutsumi topped in Group A of Q1 in the GT300 class qualifying session. It was remarkable because this is Tsutsumi’s first entire season in Super GT, and the car wasn’t ready yet when the official testing day was held. The reigning GT300 champion, Kiyoto Fujinami in Realize Nissan Automobile Technical College (NATC) GT-R, was fourth in the same group.

At the wheel of Mach Syaken GTNet MC86 Mach-Go, Yuya Hiraki was the highest placed Yokohama driver in Group B, as he set the fourth-fastest time in the group. He attracted much attention because he shared the car with his brother Reiji.

Seven Yokohama shoed cars made their way into Q2. Showing off the champion’s speed, Joao Paulo de Oliveira in Realize NATC GT-R was the fastest of them and fourth overall. Atsushi Miyake behind the wheel of Takanoko-no-yu GR Supra GT followed the Brazilian in fifth. One of the Super GT rookies, Reiji Hiraki, had to settle for 14th, getting his first taste of the Q2 session.

In the GT500 class, Daiki Sasaki joined in the Realize Corporation ADVAN GT-R driver line-up to partner with Mitsunori Takaboshi this year. Despite Takaboshi’s maximum effort, however, the car ended Q1 on the 15th and failed to move into Q2.

WedsSport ADVAN GR Supra was seventh in Q1 by the hands of Yuji Kunimoto.The result meant the car was eligible for Q2, but Ritomo Miyata didn’t complete a single lap and came back to the pit, leaving a puzzling comment: “It wasn’t for a car problem. I would say this was a positive and strategic decision.” Still, the fact that the car would start from the eighth grid raised expectations for a point finish.

The race began under a clear sky, and Fujinami in Realize NATC GT-R showed a splendid performance immediately. He overtook #65 Mercedes AMG at Hairpin Corner on the opening lap and moved up to third from the fourth grid. The top two cars were too far for him to catch up but keeping this position from the early stage paid off later.

There were two Safety Car Periods in the first half of the race because of accidents. The first one effectively didn’t affect how things went on the track, but the second one surely did, as the pit stop window for the driver change was already open then.

When the incident that caused the second SC period occurred on Lap 29, the team waited for a lap to let Fujinami come into the pit. As a result, they could make the stop with minimum loss of time and Realize NATC GT-R was suddenly leading the race when Oliveira went out on the track after the driver change.

There were three direct rivals just behind him, and they put a lot of pressure on the veteran. But Oliveira defended himself and made no mistakes until the checkered flag fell at the end of Lap 77. Thus, the reigning champion pair triumphed in the first race of the season.

Takanoko-no-yu GR Supra GT finished in fifth, although the car was far behind the top four. Given that the car didn’t have any testing before this round, it looks promising for future races.

Regarding the GT500 class, Kunimoto behind WedsSport ADVAN GT Supra’s wheel lost two positions during the opening lap after starting the race from the eighth grid. He led the mid-field group for a while, but the two Safety Car Periods didn’t work in favor of the car, with their strategic decision to save the tires in Q2 falling flat. As a result, they had to end the race in lowly 12th.

There was nothing to lose for Realize Corporation ADVAN GT-R since it began racing from the bottom of the field. So, the team even took a gamble on staying out during the second SC period to become the interim race leader. However, it just backfired, and they found themselves losing more positions when the racing resumed. After the driver change from Sasaki, all Takaboshi could do was bring the car home and finish the race in 14th and the last of the finishers.