2005 Round1 Race Review
Report: GT-A Media, Super GT
Images: GT-A Media, Super GT
62 images
SUPER GT Makes Historic Start in Okayama
Toyota victorious in season-opener as NISMO suffers disastrous race
The first-ever SUPER GT race took place at Okayama International Circuit on
Sunday, March 27th in an historic event that attracted over 59,100 fans on
raceday to the track famous for hosting Japan's Pacific Grand Prix in the
mid-nineties.
The inaugural SUPER GT showdown was an event-filled affair with intense on-track
action form the moment the lights went out to the checkered flag two hours
later. Carrying on from the popularity of the JGTC, the maiden SUPER GT event
was just that: Super Grand Touring car racing enjoyed by masses of fans, and
boasting the biggest grid in international circuit racing today.
The action got underway at 8:20am as all 44 machines ran their final laps in the
30-minute Warm-Up session before the event start at 2:00pm. March 27th will go
down as an historic day in the annals of GT racing in Japan as a new era was
ushered in for the country's most popular racing series.
The throng of fans who descended on the circuit for raceday action is proof
positive of the thrills and excitement that the series provides; as well as the
entertainment value the format SUPER GT brings to the fans and teams alike.
Perfect sunny weather greeted all in attendance throughout the day, with windy
periods keeping teams' and sponsors' flags flying fully unfurled. The sea of
color and branding at the track added to the bright and expectant atmosphere, in
what has to be a foreshadowing of even greater growth and success for the
series.
Behind the pit garages, the paddock was absolutely packed with race fans all day
long. The crowds resembled something more like a Tokyo weekday morning rush hour
than the build-up to a Sunday race.
Teams and drivers used the morning session as a final systems check before the
intensity of full race conditions in the afternoon. A couple of cars managed to
find the kitty litter; most notably the No. 23 ENDLESS ADVAN Z and the No.32
EPSON NSX, though both machines escaped unharmed save for some pride on the part
of the drivers involved.
IN GT500, the top ten cars were split by a mere 1.1 seconds, while GT300 was a
similarly close affair, its 26 machines making full use of their last on-track
running opportunity before the lights went out after lunch.
The top time in the Warm-Up session went to defending champion Richard Lyons in
the No.1 Xanavi NISMO Z who had the following comment:
'The car was very good this morning. We've had good testing results at each
circuit we've been to, and have run a lot of kilometers in race set-up so we're
fairly confident our qualifying pace is not just a one-off, and will transform
well in the race. With the new rules, things are going to be a bit more
technical for the drivers this year and it might get a little confusing at
times. Nevertheless, we're in good shape, and if everything goes according to
plan, we should be strong for the race.'
RACE
The lights went out at precisely 2:00pm as 18 GT500 cars, followed by 24 GT300
machines roared across the line in a cacophony of mechanical sound. The main
grandstand came to life as the fans' team and driver banners moved like a
multi-colored wave over the crowd.
Immediately after the start, there was action on track. The pole-sitting No. 22
MOTUL PITWORK Z, driven by new recruit Masataka Yanagida, over-cooked it into
one of the corners, going off into the gravel and beaching the car as the pack
raced by. He was able to re-join, though two laps down, his race for points
essentially over.
The new No. 34 BANDAI SUPRA, with 2004 Le Mans winner Seiji Ara never made it
out of the pitlane, the car suffering terminal electrical problems.
With the No.22 car out of the way, an intense battle for top spot ensued between
the No.25 Eclipse ADVAN Supra and the No.1 Xanavi NISMO Z machine. For the next
20 laps the cars headed the field, never more than a second or so apart as they
pulled out a gap on the others.
Meanwhile, the No.12 CALSONIC IMPUL Z driven by Benoit Treluyer was to become
the victim of a multiple car crash involving a host of GT300 cars. The blue
machine suffered massive damage to its left rear quarter; the entire suspension
and wheel ripped from its mountings, making the car totally undriveable.
GT300 was thrilling too, the No.13 ENDLESS ADVAN Z making a brilliant pass on
the No. 43 Garaiya and No. 31 Apexera with apr MR-S machines in a three-abreast
move down to the hairpin in the early stages. It was a precursor of later race
action for the metallic blue Nissan.
Back in GT500, a fierce battle was going on further down the order; a train of
cars from 7th to 13th close enough to trade paint in all the corners, producing
some of the most visually exciting action of the afternoon.
On lap 23, Satoshi Motoyama in the no.1 Nissan passed the No.25 car to regain
the lead, and immediately started to eke out a margin on Manabu Orido in the
Eclipse Supra. Meanwhile, Andre Lotterer maintained thirds position, his No.32
EPSON NSX well ahead of the fourth-placed No.8 ARTA NSX, driven by returnee
Ralph Firman.
GT300 class leader Mitsuhiro Kinoshita in the No.13 ENDLESS ADVAN Z started to
drop back, the video feed later showing impact from the rear, courtesy of the
hard-charging No.7 Re:Amemiya RX-7.
Another returnee to the series, Tora Takagi went off in the No.38 ZENT Cerumo
Supra after outbraking himself at the hairpin on lap 24. A couple of laps later,
Motoyama set the fastest lap of the race with his 1:26.350 around the 3.703
kilometer (2.31-mile) track. It wasn't to be however, as the car hit trouble
later on in the race, making for a nightmare season-opening race for NISMO.
Meanwhile, Sebastien Philippe in the No.100 Raybrig NSX was tapped by the No.22
car, dropping him down the order - though he was able to continue. His driver
partner Jeremie Dufour battled throughout the second stint to finish 10th.
At the mandatory driver switches, the pits was a hive of activity with the
majority of cars coming in within a couple of laps of each other. The leading
No.1 machine came in on lap 38, Satoshi Motoyama switching over to partner
Richard Lyons. The pair had the quickest turn-around of any of the
front-runners, an amazing 35.0 seconds when most of the others needed over 40
seconds.
In the No.36 Dynacity TOM'S SUPRA, James Courtney slotted into the car after
partner Takeshi Tsuchiya came in 5th place. Courtney was immediately up to
speed, and had the car up to third within 6 laps.
In GT300, the mid-point of the race saw the No.7 RE Amemiya RX-7 go top after
getting by the No.19 Wedssport Celica, while the No.30 RECKLESS MR-S and the
No.0 EBBRO NSX gave chase.
When the order had settled down after the pitstops, it was Erik Comas in the
No.3 G'ZOX HASEMI Z who was on a charge. After being handed the car by partner
Toshihiro Kaneishi in 5th place, the veteran champion set about hunting down
those ahead of him. First to go was the no.32 EPSON NSX in the hands of Tsugio
Matsuda; and it wasn't long before he had deposed the similar No.8 NSX before
setting his sights on the No.36 car of James Courtney, then running second. Time
ran out however, and Comas had to be satisfied with third, though it surely
wasn't for a lack of trying. The French ace set fastest laps on half a dozen
occasions as he hunted down the blue and white Supra.
Another superb drive in the second half of the race was that of James Courtney,
the Australian keeping leader Dominik Schwager in his sights, after the German
driver had taken over the wheel of the No.25 Eclipse ADVAN Supra at the stops.
James too, ran out of laps and had to settle for 2nd place, equalling the
sophomore's best result in the series.
It was as this battle at the head of the field was raging that the No.1 NISMO
car expired. Undisclosed mechanical difficulties bringing the red and silver
machine into the pit garage for the remainder of the afternoon.
GT300 was never short of thrills - and in this case, spills. The No.777 Team
Takamizawa ADVAN Porsche GT3 clouted the similar No.26 ENDLESS TAISAN Gembella
GT3R, sending both cars off in spectacular spins into the gravel in the later
stages.
In the dying moments of the 82-lap race, the gap between the top three had come
down considerably, though it was never enough for any of the contenders to be
threatened, such was the consistency in pace among the pair of 2004-spec Supras
and the Hasemi Z machine.
The order continued to change in GT300, and at one point the defending champion
No.0 EBBRO machine led, though it couldn't maintain the pace of the No.13 Z or
No.7 RX-7 and ended up third.
At the flag, it was the No.25 Eclipse ADVAN Supra crossing the line first,
followed by the No.36 Dynacity TOM'S Supra less than five seconds back, and the
No.3 HASEMI G'ZOX Z in third place.
The opening round proved to be an amazing start to the SUPER GT season as it
aims to become a fully international series in 2005. The next round of the 2005
SUPER GT series takes place at the completely rebuilt and newly re-opened Fuji
International Speedway on May 3rd and 4th. The race is expected to draw a huge
number of fans; both because of the track's proximity to Tokyo, and because it's
the latest in a long line of circuits designed by famed F1 track guru, Hermann
Tilke.
