There are just a few weeks left until the start of the 2019 Autobacs Super GT Series. But before the season kicks off on 14 April at Okayama International Circuit, all 44 teams will make their way to historic Fuji Speedway this weekend for the second and final official pre-season test on Saturday 30 March and Sunday 31 March.
The first official test at Okayama on 16-17 March saw plenty of changing weather conditions, and some headline-grabbing times in GT500 from a rejuvenated Nissan fleet and from Lexus, while Honda carried on with a conservative testing plan centred around tyre development. Fuji will be a different challenge, and it’ll be interesting to see how the running order shakes out at the fastest track on the Super GT calendar.
While, in GT300, there is more fascination around the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 of D’station Racing, fresh off their season-opening victory in the Pirelli Super Taikyu Series in Suzuka, as well the new McLaren 720S GT3 of McLaren Customer Racing Japan, and the second-generation Toyota Prius GTs, who have had a rough time in recent tests. This being a Toyota-owned circuit, the new front-engined Prii will want to make a better showing at Fuji.
Kazuki Nakajima (#36 au TOM’s LC500) and Frédéric Makowiecki (#3 Craftsports Motul GT-R) return from their victories at the 1000 Miles of Sebring and Sebring 12 Hours respectively, while Bertrand Baguette (#17 Keihin NSX-GT) will miss the test due to his commitments with Honda in the Intercontinental GT Challenge California 8 Hours at Laguna Seca Raceway.
Also in the GT500 class, 19-year-old Toyota young driver Ritomo Miyata will get another opportunity to test the #36 au TOM’s LC500 alongside Nakajima and Yuhi Sekiguchi. It’s another major step towards a potential GT500 debut for Miyata at this year’s Fuji GT 500km Race on the Golden Week holiday of 4 May.
GT300 race winner Dominik Farnbacher will return to Super GT action and test the #60 Syntium LM Corsa Lexus RC F GT3 alongside Hiroki Yoshimoto – which would indicate what LM Corsa’s plans for the Fuji 500km will be if Miyata is selected to drive the au LC500 this May.
Three teams are yet to confirm their 2019 driver lineups in GT300, including Team JLOC. They’ll bring the same five drivers to the test at Fuji: Takashi Kogure and Yuya Motojima in the #88 Lamborghini Huracán GT3, and Tsubasa Takahashi, André Couto, and Kiyoto Fujinami in the #87.
Sean Walkinshaw looks set to close on a new deal with Panther arto Team Thailand, he’s back for another test in their #35 Lexus RC F GT3, joining Nattapong Horthongkum, and a new face in Naoki Kawamura, who’s raced in Thailand for the local Toyota factory team, and in the 86/BRZ Clubman Series.
Shinya Sean Michimi will also get his first test in the #33 EVA RT X Works Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 as the third driver to Shawn Thong and Marchy Lee. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Michimi will become the first Japanese-American driver to test in Super GT and hopes to become only the fourth American driver in the series after Michael Kim, Ukrainian-born Igor Sushko, and the late Jeff Krosnoff.
The other third drivers appearing are Akihiro Tsuzuki (#9 Pacific Mirai Akari NAC Porsche), Shinnosuke Yamada (#18 UPGarage NSX GT3), Alessio Picariello (#21 Hitotsuyama Audi R8 LMS), Takeshi Tsuchiya (#25 Hoppy 86 MC), Teruhiko Hamano (#48 Shokumou GO & FUN GT-R), Yuya Tezuka (#50 Arnage AMG GT3), and Yusaku Shibata (#360 RunUp Rivaux GT-R).
The Fuji test begins on Saturday morning at 9:30 AM JST (local time), with the afternoon session starting from 1:30 PM. Sunday’s two test sessions begin at 9:00 AM and 1:15 PM local time.
Images courtesy of the GT Association (GTA)
