42 Car Entry List For SUPER GT Suzuka 300km

The GT Association (GTA) has released the entry list for the upcoming third round of the Autobacs SUPER GT Series, the Takanokono Hotel Suzuka GT 300km Race at historic Suzuka Circuit on 28-29 May. It is the first of two trips that SUPER GT will take to Suzuka this season, with the Suzuka GT 450km Race set to take place on 27-28 August.

The 15 car GT500 field has no changes, and that includes the presence of NDDP Racing driver Mitsunori Takaboshi, who was released from hospital less than 24 hours after his terrifying crash less than two weeks ago at the Fuji 450km.

In terms of Success Ballast, the #14 Eneos X Prime Toyota GR Supra (Kazuya Oshima/Kenta Yamashita) has the largest Success Weight, carrying 46kg as the current championship leaders. Meanwhile, Tsugio Matsuda and Ronnie Quintarelli will be going for a fourth consecutive GT500 victory at Suzuka, piloting the #23 Motul Autech Nissan Z.

In GT300, the field has been reduced to 27 cars. R’Qs Motor Sports have withdrawn, understandably so after their own severe crash suffered at the Fuji 450km.

Of the teams that made it over, there are a few changes worth highlighting. First, Hiroki Yoshida is due to return to the cockpit of the #52 Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave Toyota GR Supra, after missing Fuji due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Roberto Merhi (Muntan) will indeed run the remainder of the season alongside Yoshiaki Katayama at Team Le Mans. The Spaniard made his SUPER GT debut at Fuji, finishing 15th in the #6 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.

Due to Augusto Farfus’ commitments in the Nürburgring 24 Hour Race which takes place on the same weekend, Tsubasa Kondo will take his place alongside Seiji Ara in the #7 Studie BMW M4 GT3. Kondo scored his only GT300 class win at Suzuka in October 2020.

Back after losing his drive at Team Mach in the off-season, Yuya Hiraki will partner Taiyo Ida in NILZZ Racing’s #48 Shokumou K’s Frontier Nissan GT-R. Hiraki has a career-best second place finish at Suzuka in May 2019.

Arnage Racing will have true young amateur Ryosei Yamashita make his season debut, partnering pro driver Ryohei Sakaguchi. Yamashita is a two-time Am Cup winner of the IGTC Suzuka 10 Hours.

Finally, after a top ten finish at Fuji, gymkhana and grassroots racing legend Yusaku Shibata will make his second appearance of the season, partnering Takayuki Aoki in the #360 RunUp Rivaux GT-R for Tomei Sports.

With 66kg of Success Weight onboard, the #56 Realize/Nissan Mechanic Challenge GT-R (Kiyoto Fujinami/João Paulo de Oliveira) leads the GT300 championship table after two rounds. Max Racing are the defending champions of the event, fielding the #244 Hachi-Ichi GR Supra (Kimiya Sato/Atsushi Miyake).