ADVAN CHALLENGE – SUPER GT | YOKOHAMA TIRE Motorsports

ADVAN CHALLENGE – SUPER GT (GT500 Class)

ADVAN enjoyed the moment of glory in front of the cheering crowd at the circuit.
In 2005, ADVAN became the winning tire brand in the memorable first race of the inaugural Super GT series. Nowadays, only a limited number of major race series worldwide allow tire competition. But multiple tire manufacturers have always competed with each other in the Super GT series, which has showcased their tires’ performance in the focus of the race fan’s attention.
Since the days of the All-Japan GT Championship, the predecessor of the Super GT, the series remains the stage of the challenge for ADVAN. For the series’ 2023 season, two teams compete in the GT500 class in collaboration with ADVAN. While the teams often show their speed, the victory drought has continued since 2016. So the collaboration’s target is naturally the first GT500 win in seven years. Sharing a strong tie between them, the teams and ADVAN are racing together around the major Japanese race tracks, keeping in mind that “This year is the year to win.”

Team Profile – KONDO Racing Team

Entrant : KONDO RACING
No. : 24
Machine : REALIZE CORPORATION ADVAN Z
Team Director : Masahiko Kondo
Drivers : Daiki Sasaki / Kohei Hirate

Kondo Racing Team was established in 2000 and is managed by Masahiko Kondo, who started his racing career as a driver. The team began to compete in the Super GT series in 2005 and has always been a partner of ADVAN since then. It has solely run the race cars produced by Nissan, such as GT-R or Fairlady Z, and played a part in many legendary battles in the Super GT, including their maiden victory in 2006.

For the 2023 season, the team hired Daiki Sasaki and Kohei Hirate. Sasaki was picked by Nissan’s young driver development program, and this is his 12th season in the Super GT. He made his first appearance in the GT500 class in 2014 and has driven for Kondo Racing Team for these three years. Hirate has a rich experience of racing abroad and has been a regular driver in the Super GT since 2008. This is his second consecutive year with Kondo Racing Team, and he aims at his ninth GT500 class win this year.

Team Profile – Racing Project BANDOH

Entrant : TGR TEAM WedsSport BANDOH
No. : 19
Machine : WedsSport ADVAN GR Supra
Team Director : Masataka Bandoh
Drivers : Yuji Kunimoto / Sena Sakaguchi

Masataka Bandoh, the team manager of Racing Project Bandoh, is famous for his strong fighting instinct. The team was founded by his father, Masaaki Bandoh, and taken over by the son. Since the days of the All-Japan GT Championship, they have competed in GT racing for 27 years and have always been an essential member of the Toyota stable in the Super GT. After stepping up to the GT500 class in 2011, the team has run a GR Supra since 2020 and showed remarkable performances in 2022, especially, which included four pole positions out of eight race meetings.

For 2023, the team keeps the same driving pair as last year, Yuji Kunimoto and Sena Sakaguchi. Kuminoto debuted in the Super GT in 2009 and has driven in the GT500 class since 2012. This is his fourth season with Racing Project Bandoh. Sakaguchi grew up in a motor racing family, as his father was a race car mechanic, and the other two family members, his grandfather and uncle, are known as established racing drivers. This is his fifth year in the Super GT and second with Racing Project Bandoh, driving the team’s GT500 car.