2023 Japanese Super GT

[NaBUru38]

2023 Japanese Super GT schedule:

• April 16: Okayama
• May 4: Fuji
• June 4: Suzuka
• August 6: Fuji
• August 27: Suzuka
• September 10: Sugo
• October 1: Autopolis
• November 5: Motegi

[NaBUru38]

Honda Super GT500:

• #8 ARTA: Tomoki Nojiri / Toshiki Oyu
• #16 ARTA : Nirei Fukuzumo / Hiroki Otsu
• #17 Real: Nobuharu Matsushita / Koudai Tsukakoshi
• #64 Nakajima: Takuya Izawa / Kakunoshin Ohta
• #100 Kunimitsu: Naoki Yamamoto / Tadasuke Makino

The #64 Nakajima uses Dunlop tyres, the other teams use Bridgestone.

Toyota Super GT500:

• #14 Rookie: Kazuya Oshima / Kenta Yamashita
• #19 Bandoh: Yuji Kunimoto / Sena Sakaguchi
• #36 Tom's: Ritomo Miyata / Sho Tsuboi
• #37 Tom's: Giuliano Alesi / TBA
• #38 Cerumo: Hiroaki Ishiura / Yuji Tachikawa
• #39 SARD: Yuhi Sekiguchi / Yuichi Nakayama

The #19 Bandoh uses Yokohama tyres, the other teams use Bridgestone.

Nissan Super GT500: TBA

[uesugi kenshin]

APR out at Fuji shaking down their new LC500H.

[TF110]

https://www.as-web.jp/supergt/894253 looking good!

[NaBUru38]

Sugo was moved to September 17. Autopolis was moved to October 15.

[MagVanisher]

I wonder if apr racing will put a hybrid system onto their Lexus LC500, or it's already fitted to the car?

[TF110]

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

I wonder if apr racing will put a hybrid system onto their Lexus LC500, or it's already fitted to the car?

I think they said itd be a hybrid. I think its the LC500h model(?) they're using but it has the race engine. We'll see soon.

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by TF110

I think they said itd be a hybrid. I think its the LC500h model(?) they're using but it has the race engine. We'll see soon.

Thank you. Looks like it's confirmed that the LC500 GT300 car will have a hybrid system after all.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...uto-salon.html

Meanwhile, looks like Honda will use the Civic platform (known as Honda Civic Type R-GT Concept) for next year's Super GT season.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...t-concept.html

[Bcarr6]

Man I miss the English comms for this.

[helgi]

It's a humiliation to run a Civic against Supra and Fairlady. They have Integra - why not? Or is it a first step in a transition to Yaris and Note with a whole reform to JAF GT300 become a leading class?

[TF110]

Originally Posted by helgi

It's a humiliation to run a Civic against Supra and Fairlady. They have Integra - why not? Or is it a first step in a transition to Yaris and Note with a whole reform to JAF GT300 become a leading class?

I had the same thoughts on the civic in GT500. How far Honda has gone downhill (imo) on the sportscar side. Im honestly more interested in the JAF GT300 cars. Theyre the spirit of what GT500 used to be pre-dtm style cars.

[helgi]

Originally Posted by TF110

I had the same thoughts on the civic in GT500. How far Honda has gone downhill (imo) on the sportscar side. Im honestly more interested in the JAF GT300 cars. Theyre the spirit of what GT500 used to be pre-dtm style cars.

On a brighter side, apr say (as far as I understand) they are not finished with Prius. They just had no time to build one. I hope they'll try to make a racing version of the car that looks cosmic even in a standard trim.

PS R&D of Lexus is going to be a talking point for 2023 for sure. That's why I rank Super GT as the best modern racing championship (aside from minor club racing where they still have constructors' battles).

[Matador]

Originally Posted by helgi

It's a humiliation to run a Civic against Supra and Fairlady. They have Integra - why not? Or is it a first step in a transition to Yaris and Note with a whole reform to JAF GT300 become a leading class?

Definitely agree on this

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Originally Posted by helgi

It's a humiliation to run a Civic against Supra and Fairlady. They have Integra - why not? Or is it a first step in a transition to Yaris and Note with a whole reform to JAF GT300 become a leading class?

Problem is that the revived Integra is Civic-based and I don't know if they will be sold in Japan.

[FIRE]

Why is it okay to race with Prius but not okay to race with Civic?

IIRC Integra is a liftback version of the Civic hatchback/sedan, it's not even a 3-door coupe.

[J Jay]

It's a little more nuanced than that, GT500 has almost always used higher-end performance cars as a base (cough cough SC430 cough). GT300 is much more open in its choices, and is a real melting pot as a result; I do not envy whoever BoPs that class!

For all the plaudits Super GT (rightly) gets for allowing a relatively large degree of technical freedom, it is, by JAF's own decree, entertainment first, marketing second, developing national talent third. If it makes financial or marketing sense (GT500 Civic), it happens. If it doesn't (wildly expensive pre-DTM chassis/aero), it stops.

The only embarrassment will be if the performance is not there, given the relative advantage new models tend to have in GT500.

[TF110]

Right. GT500 class was meant for the big 3's top flight sportscars/coupes. The Civic being the top sportscar/coupe for Honda just seems like a big "meh" to me. In GT300 it's not the big factories or works teams so little teams making a prius or civic go up against GT3's isn't really a surprise.

But the Civic GT500 concept does look nice in this type of ruleset.

[J Jay]

It does indeed. At this point, Honda should really drop all pretences of the Civic Type R being a hot hatchback and make it their main performance model. With the NSX in its death throes it makes sense.

[MagVanisher]

You may think of the new Civic GT500 car as a return to its super touring roots.

Aside from Honda, apr racing, and R&D sport (Subaru), that's the only news that came out of the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon.

[Baliwa]

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

You may think of the new Civic GT500 car as a return to its super touring roots.

Aside from Honda, apr racing, and R&D sport (Subaru), that's the only news that came out of the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Well, another one Team Studie hire Bruno Spengler as 2nd driver and Yanagida as 3rd driver

Main driver still Seiji Ara.
https://twitter.com/BMWMotorsport/st...28619570380803
https://twitter.com/Ma_Yanagida/stat...72829968015360

[helgi]

I adore old-school mid-season testing (lots of testing in fact). Recollect all the articles in magazines from 90's 00's full of predictions.
But can not imagine what can they test in that type of atmospheric conditions. Reliability checks only?
And a heavy crash for ex-LeMans-ex-secondary-Cerumo entry. Who runs that Supra by the way?
https://www.as-web.jp/supergt/900601?all

[Baliwa]

Originally Posted by helgi

I adore old-school mid-season testing (lots of testing in fact). Recollect all the articles in magazines from 90's 00's full of predictions.
But can not imagine what can they test in that type of atmospheric conditions. Reliability checks only?
And a heavy crash for ex-LeMans-ex-secondary-Cerumo entry. Who runs that Supra by the way?
https://www.as-web.jp/supergt/900601?all

Kenta Yamashita in 130R, driver ok

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Impul without Calsonic doesn't feel the same any more...

[MagVanisher]

Pacific Racing will use Mercedes AMG-GT3 for this year, replacing their Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 car that was used in the previous year. Furthermore, Pacific Racing will have VSpo! as their new sponsor, replacing Hololive Productions.

• Motorsports TV article
• Announcement from Pacific Racing via Twitter

[TF110]

Theres a pre-season test going on at Suzuka now and it looks like the ARTA NSX was able to break into the 1:42's! Thats incredibly fast.