For the first time since 2019, DSC is back at the Suzuka summer endurance race. When we last came, it was a ten-hour race, this time, the six-and-a-half-hour format should allow the winner to get to the advertised distance of the historic Suzuka 1000km.
Some teams’ equipment arrived Tuesday but torrential rain completely lashed the Chūbu region of Japan in the afternoon, with a record rainfall of 105 millimetres hitting the nearby city of Nagoya in just one hour, leaving 41 people injured, and dozens more displaced from their flooded homes. At Suzuka Circuit, the entrance tunnel to the paddock was flooded, leading to some creative logistical planning for the teams who arrived yesterday. The rest of the teams arrived today, which began under reasonably good weather (even some bright sunlight) before the rain returned in the afternoon, thankfully not as intense as what hit the area 24 hours earlier.
By Wednesday afternoon, all 30 cars in the Suzuka 1000km had arrived, along with most of the grid for the supporting SRO Japan Cup races.
Team KRC is one of several GT World Challenge Asia regulars whose cars came to the track pretty much “as-is” from when they departed Okayama International Circuit two weeks ago. Their green #89 BMW M4 GT3 EVO is the car which will compete for Bronze Cup honours, and the #10 races in Pro-Am.
The new Ford Mustang GT3 Evo run by Miedecke Motorsport and Melbourne Performance Centre (Team MPC) was still being put together by the team.
Norik Racing’s Pro-Am #181 Ferrari is one of several cars which will be pulling double-duty in both the Suzuka 1000km and the Japan Cup races.
Johor Motorsports Racing (JMR) is back with its two Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs, the Pro #2 (shown above) and the Pro-Am #99.
This week saw the reveal of a new partnership between JMR and Hong Kong-based model car manufacturer Trends Hobby, whose logo will be on both JMR Corvettes this weekend – scale models of which will be forthcoming, to the delight of the DSC Editor-in-Chief.
Kenny Habul’s 75 Express team was the last to arrive, but the orange Mercedes-AMG is here.
They’ve also borrowed a fuel rig from a familiar team: Goodsmile Racing & TeamUKYO, which has skipped this year’s race after being an ever-present in the Suzuka 1000km since 2008 (more to follow).
There’s a different look for Herberth Motorsport this weekend as the Japanese luxury hotel chain seven x seven has become the primary sponsor of the #91 Porsche.
Ziggo Sport Tempesta Racing joined Porsche and formed a technical partnership with Herberth this off season.
High Class Racing will have Porsches racing on two different continents: This #86 car in Suzuka, and the #54 in Silverstone for the European Le Mans Series.
Harmony Racing was the final entry in the Suzuka 1000km, arriving with its #72 Ferrari still in its GT World Asia wrap. Its true race livery will be applied tomorrow.
Tsunami RT’s #79 Porsche certainly will get people’s attention, as one of the seven cars with a Bronze driver running for the Intercontinental GT Challenge Independent Cup.
LM corsa arrives from its Osaka base with two yellow Ferrari 296 GT3 Evos. To distinguish them, the Pro-Am #60 will carry the Alpinestars logo on the side, while a bird will adorn the side of the similarly-coloured #80 Ferrari.
In addition, LM corsa also helps operate the #9 Bingo Racing entry, which bids a fond farewell to the Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R this year.
The two Porsche Center Okazaki 911s arrive as local favourites in the Bronze class – the #25 Nihon Kizai-sponsored car (seen above, left) has been repaired after its accident during testing for the GT World Asia Okayama event.
Could it be the last time a Lexus RC F GT3 runs the Suzuka 1000km? K-tunes Racing’s #96 Lexus has arrived, and in the background you’ll spot the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R which is finally set to make its Japan Cup race debut.
While the K-tunes ‘Vette is back, the #97 Ferrari 296 GT3 will sit out this Japan Cup finale due to a personal decision from driver Betty Chen Yinyu to accompany her injured China GT Championship co-driver Ollie Millroy following last week’s horror crash in Shanghai.
Here is PONOS Racing’s Pro #45 Ferrari rolling down pit lane in the rain, one of two similarly-liveried cars in the paddock. This one will receive additional technical support from D’station Racing, both of whom are headquartered near Fuji Speedway.
Plus with BMW M Team Studie’s BMW still carries the distinctive black, white, and orange Bleach livery which can be found in either of Epic Games’ two most prominent games, Fortnite and Rocket League.
It was to have been placed next to a Japan Cup BMW M4 GT4 entry from a team known only as “Initial A”, according to the pit allocations sheet – this entry has not appeared on the official Japan Cup entry list, and either way, has not arrived.
The other late entry to this year’s race is Team Daishin’s #81 Nissan, which had last raced in the Super Taikyu Series Fuji 24 Hour Race and the five-hour race in Autopolis.
Tomei Sports’ crew arrived to set up the #360 RunUp Sports Nissan, which is this year’s only Am class entry.
Like PONOS Racing, Maezawa Racing will have parallel Suzuka 1000km and Japan Cup entries with similar-liveried Ferraris. DSC also spotted Ferrari’s Alessio Rovera having a seat fit, while wearing the racing suit meant for his fellow factory GT driver Thomas Neubauer.
AO by Absolute’s “Bushi Rex” and Absolute Racing’s Bosch spectrum cars came from Suzuka after their sightseeing adventures in Tokyo over the past week.
Craft-Bamboo Racing’s taxi-themed Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVOs also come with matching cab roof signs to be worn when the cars are idle in the garage. The Pro #77 is of course themed after a classic Tokyo cab (not the newer all-black JPN Cabs!)
Meanwhile the #28 Pro-Am car is an homage to the red and silver cabs of Hong Kong, Craft-Bamboo Racing’s home country.
Towards the end of the garages you’ll find Team WRT’s lone BMW, the Bronze class entry sporting decals of Tony McIntosh’s Ghost Rider Squad Endurance Racing label. Already teased on McIntosh’s social media channels, this is a new livery which has not yet seen on any of the “Ghost Rider Squad” WRT BMWs from the FIA WEC or Asian Le Mans Series.
UPDATE: Via Team WRT’s socials, the livery is an inversion of the #69 car which ran in the WEC 6 Hours of Spa!
EBM Giga Racing, like Harmony Racing, had yet to re-wrap its #61 Porsche in the team’s refreshed silver and red livery which was revealed two days ago, instead it arrives sporting the light blue retro-styled look which had an adventure getting ready at Okayama.
Finally there’s Team 5Zigen (“go-ji-gen”) with its Pro class Nissan GT-R, the same car that won the Silver class last year, which also runs in GT World Asia.
More to come when all drivers report to the circuit on Thursday!
Images © dailysportscar.com
