56 Cars Entered For 2022 Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours

The provisional entry list for the upcoming NAPAC Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours was released today by the Super Taikyu Organisation (STO). With 56 cars, this is set to be the largest grid assembled for the Super Taikyu Series’ crown jewel event since its revival in 2018.

The entry list is headlined by five GT3 cars in the ST-X class who will compete for overall honours. Starting off, three-time and reigning champions GTNET Motor Sports have already confirmed their regular line-up of Noboyuki Oyagi, Takayuki Aoki, three-time overall winner Kiyoto Fujinami, and Natsu Sakaguchi.

Also representing Nissan are MP (Magic Project) Racing, making their first appearance of the season, and HELM Motor Sports, who’ve added 2020 overall winner Shaun Thong to their regular lineup. Grid Motorsports will have the sole Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the field, and 2020 overall winners Daisuke Yamawaki and Shinichi Takagi are entered. Finally, apr will enter their Lexus RC F GT3, and Hiroaki Nagai and Yuta Kamimura will join the team for this round as Porsche Center Okazaki sit the race out.

A seven-car ST-Z (GT4) field sees the debut of Audi Team Hitotsuyama’s R8 LMS GT4, which has Toyota GT500 driver Ritomo Miyata as their Platinum driver. Audi Team AS Sport are also making their series debut. SHADE Racing, who won the opening round at Suzuka Circuit in March, have added Morio Nitta and Yuhki Nakayama to their ST-Z driver roster. Also, Giuliano Alesi returns to Porsche Team EBI Waimarama, supplementing a star-studded lineup featuring the likes of Katsumasa Chiyo and Riki Okusa.

Super Taikyu’s ST-Q class will have seven entries, each testing concepts for the future of motorsport and mobility.

The big surprise is the addition of World Rally Championship legend and Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally team principal, Jari-Matti Latvala, to the driver lineup of the #32 ROOKIE Racing Toyota Corolla H2 Concept. Latvala is an 18-time WRC winner and holds the record for the most starts with 209.

“When I saw the live video of a Super Taikyu 24 hour race in Fuji during last year’s Rally Portugal, I thought that Toyota’s new approach to carbon neutrality was simply amazing,” said Latvala. “I agree that sound is one of the best parts of motorsports. And I heard from (TGR FIA World Endurance Championship Team Principal and driver) Kamui Kobayashi and (TGR Europe Vice Chairman) Kazuki Nakajima that the feeling of driving the car is the same as a gasoline engine car. I was really interested in their feedback so I wanted to check it for myself, and I will have the chance to drive this car.”

“Having experienced firsthand the activities toward carbon neutrality, I would like to share them with the world, especially in Europe. And I want to check the potential of this technology for rally cars. I’m happy that I can come to Japan before this year’s Rally Japan. See you at Fuji Speedway!”

Latvala will share the car with Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio “Morizo” Toyoda, two-time Super Formula champion Hiroaki Ishiura, and Japan Rally Championship veteran Norihiko Katsuta (father of current Toyota WRC driver Takamoto Katsuta).

ROOKIE Racing’s #28 Toyota GR86 CNF Concept has also strengthened their driver lineup with the addition of reigning SUPER GT GT500 co-champion, Yuhi Sekiguchi.

Also, making their debuts are the two Nissan Z Racing Concepts, which appear and perform to the level of being a proof of concept for a future GT4 customer platform. NISMO and Max Racing will operate one each, with top drivers from GT500 and Super Formula in both cars – Ronnie Quintarelli, Tsugio Matsuda, Mitsunori Takaboshi, Kohei Hirate, Atsushi Miyake, and more.

The ST-1 class has four entries, bolstered by the addition of BMW Team Studie’s M2 CS Racing car. Veterans Takayuki Kinoshita, Jukuchou (Tomohiko) Sunako, and Takashi Ohi will lead the lineup.

Also, with D’station Racing preparing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, their #47 Aston Martin Vantage GT8R will be their sole representative in the field. Tsubasa Kondo has been added from the ST-X programme, fresh off his GT300 class victory at Suzuka.

Top drivers in other classes include – but are not limited to – the likes of Shinji Nakano (M&K Honda Cars Okegawa Racing, ST-TCR), Hibiki Taira (Kobe Toyopet Motorsports, ST-2), Teppei Natori (Team ZeroOne, ST-3), Naoki Hattori, Hiroki Yoshida, and Kohta Kawaai (Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave, ST-3), Sena Sakaguchi (Tracy Sports, ST-3), Kazuki Hiramine (FKS Team Fukushima, ST-3), Shunsuke Kohno, Takamitsu Matsui, and Kenta Yamashita (TOM’s Spirit, ST-4), Yuji Kunimoto, Keishi Ishikawa, and Masahiko Kageyama (SHADE Racing, ST-4), Kota Sasaki (HMRacers, ST-5), and Daisuke Ito (AutoLabo, ST-5).

Leading a contingent of five female drivers are Anna Inotsume (Claris Racing, ST-2), Tomoko Fujishima (Honda R&D Challenge, ST-2), Ai Miura (FKS Team Fukushima, ST-3), Rina Ito (Team Bride, ST-5), and Junko Fujii (Love Drive Racing, ST-5).

And from the world of sim racing, there’s Mamoru Okada (#7 Shinryo Racing Team, ST-2), Yusuke Tomibayashi (Tracy Sports with Delta, ST-3), Tatsuya Nogami and Takumi Minamizawa (NATS, ST-5), and Sota Muto (Hiroshima Toyopet Racing, ST-5).

GE: Gentleman driver / EX: Expert driver / PL: Platinum driver; ratings enforced only in ST-X / ST-Z / ST-TCR

Entry list finalised on 2 June 2022

Images © Toyota, Fuji Speedway