Round 8 of the Super GT, the "Motegi GT 250km Race", will be held at Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture over November 14th to 15th. Twin Ring Motegi is a known as a stop-and-go technical course with winding corners of small curvature radii connected by a short straight. Being the final round of this year's season, and the one in which the championship is to be decided, all eyes are focused on what will unfold in this race.
Just two weeks prior, at round 7 Autopolis, the # 1 "Motul Autech GT-R" of Tsugio Matsuda / Ronnie Quintarelli (Michelin) and the # 12 "Calsonic Impul GT-R" of Hironobu Yasuda / Joao Paulo Lima De Oliveira ( Bridgestone) achieved a 1-2 finish. These two also achieved a 1-2 finish at round 2 at Fuji and the # 12 GT-R, having also grabbing podiums at round 4 Fuji and round 5 at Suzuka, is currently at the top of the series rankings. The # 1 GT-R is just behind in 2nd with a mere 2-point difference. Along with this, the # 46 "S Road Mola GT-R" of Satoshi Motoyama / Masataka Yanagida (Michelin), which achieved a lights-to-flag victory at round 3 in Thailand, is currently sitting at 4th with a 16-point difference and will be aiming for an upset championship victory. Unfortunately, the # 24 "D'station Advan GT-R" of Daiki Sasaki / Michael Krumm (Yokohama Tires) has fallen out of the fight for the championship, but with the team achieving their first victory in 5 years in round 4 at Fuji, they are sure to be aiming for their second win of the season in the last round.
Official tests were carried out at Twin Ring Motegi in late September. With the regulations stating that all cars will have their weight handicaps removed for the final round, the assumption is that each team implemented their tests under this condition. However, these tests were carried out in the lingering heat of summer with high air and road surface temperatures so how each team reflects this difference with their car set up will be a true test of their mettle. At these official tests, the Nissan teams mainly prioritized tire selection and confirmation of their lifespan over long distances. All three manufacturers of Michelin, Bridgestone and Yokohama were testing alongside each other and all made diligent preparations for the lower temperatures expected in the final round.
Along with the four GT-Rs, a large number of their rivals have, since the last round, been competing with their third engine of the season. With these engines representing the culmination of work carried out this season, all have had their performance raised to their fullest capacity. Each team is putting everything on the line in the final round with these last engines. Of course Nissan can never underestimate its rivals, but considering the results achieved at Autopolis, the superior performance of the GT-R is without question .
In the GT300 class the # 10 Gainer has been able to secure the championship early. At the same time, the #3 NDDP Racing, which is competing with the same Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 and has also attained 2 victories, will be eagerly seeking a win in the final round to grab the crown of most 1st place finishes in the season. In the GT300, also, the battle between the GT-Rs will be a spectacle to behold.
###