Heavier rain hit Suzuka Circuit just before the start of Friday afternoon’s Paid Test Session 2, effectively the second practice session for the 50th running of the Suzuka 1000km.
With standing water at some portions of the famous figure-eight, only about two-thirds of the field went out to set what would be considered a representative lap time, with several teams opting to only cycle into and out of the pits to gauge course conditions, or set a time that wouldn’t have been considered on the pace.
Of the cars that did go out, the #2 JMR Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R and the #69 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO traded the top spot on the timing sheets. Then, at half-way, Maxime Oosten in the #89 Team KRC BMW set the fastest time at 2:18.499.
But with about eight minutes left, Test Session 1 leaders Ayhancan Güven and the #7 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R leapt to first place with a 2:18.201, and then improved again to a 2:17.376, the best time by over a second once the chequered flag fell.
In the final minutes, Ben Green in the Pro-Am #99 JMR Corvette set a 2:18.388 to go up to second place. Oosten’s best lap in the Bronze class #89 KRC BMW held up for third-best, followed by the #86 High Class Racing Porsche (Joel Sturm, 2:18.690) in fourth, and the #2 JMR Corvette (Nicky Catsburg, 2:18.817) in fifth.
From sixth to tenth were the 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO (Mikaël Grenier, 2:18.858), the #77 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG (Kakunoshin Ohta, 2:18.891), #96 K-tunes Racing Lexus RC F GT3 (Takamitsu Matsui, 2:19.449), #69 WRT BMW (Dan Harper, 2:19.590), and the #72 Harmony Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo (Liu Kaishun, 2:20.341).
Meanwhile, Ziggo Sport Tempesta Racing’s #93 Porsche returned to action after being sidelined in the first test due to an engine problem. The issue was fixed in time for Jonathan Hui and Edward Cheever III to turn 13 laps, with Cheever setting the 18th-best time out of 25 cars which recorded a lap at speed.
90 minutes of Night Practice for the Suzuka 1000km starts at 5:50 PM and will conclude Friday’s on-track activities.
Images © SRO Motorsports Group / Gruppe C Photography
