Oshima, Lexus Team LeMans Wako’s fastest in first day of Okayama test

Kazuya Oshima and Lexus Team LeMans Wako’s led the way on Saturday in the first of a two-day test session for the Autobacs Super GT Series, held under clear yet chilly conditions at Okayama International Circuit.

Oshima drove today’s test on his own in the #6 Wako’s 4CR LC500, as his new co-driver for the 2018 Super GT season, Felix Rosenqvist, is in Uruguay this weekend – driving for Mahindra Racing in the Formula E Punta del Este ePrix. In GT300, the #25 Hoppy Toyota 86 MC of Takamitsu Matsui & Sho Tsuboi led the 29-car class, with Matsui setting the car’s fastest lap in the afternoon session.

Lexus Team Wako’s LeMans fastest in 2nd day of Okayama manufacturer test

The Lexus LC500s continued to top the timesheets in the second day of this week’s private Super GT test held at Okayama International Circuit, but it was the #6 Wako’s 4CR LC500 of Kazuya Oshima and super rookie Felix Rosenqvist that led the way in the second day of the test.

Oshima set the fastest time of the two-day test in the Friday morning test session, and Rosenqvist backed up his co-driver’s benchmark with the fastest time in the afternoon session. In GT300, the #65 LEON Cvstos AMG of Haruki Kurosawa & Naoya Gamou once again paced the field for the day.

Lexus flexes their muscle at Okayama manufacturer test

On Thursday, 9 GT500 teams and 3 GT300 teams travelled to Okayama International Circuit for the first day of a manufacturer shakedown test – which will precede the first official Super GT pre-season test on March 17 & 18.

Continuing with last winter’s theme of Lexus supremacy, their LC500s recorded the fastest times of both the morning and afternoon sessions, with the #38 ZENT Cerumo LC500 (Yuji Tachikawa/Hiroaki Ishiura) recording the fastest time of the day, and the GT300 class in both sessions being led by the #65 LEON Cvstos Mercedes-AMG GT3 (Haruki Kurosawa/Naoya Gamou).

Snow disrupts Toyota tyre test at Fuji; Rosenqvist runs for Team LeMans

Toyota Techno Craft (TTC) took five of their supported cars from the Autobacs Super GT Series, as well as TOM’s two cars from the All-Japan Formula 3 Championship and the FIA F4 Japanese Championship, to Fuji Speedway for a private test primarily for the GT500 cars.

Four Lexus LC500s, plus a lone GT300 class Lexus RC F GT3, were on hand for the test which was interrupted by a flurry of snow on a cold January morning at the circuit.

The #6 Wako’s 4CR LC500, one of four Lexus sporting their revised 2018 aero package, set the fastest time of the test with a 1:28.483 – but it was an eagle-eyed observer who spotted the biggest story of the test: Felix Rosenqvist, the current FIA Formula E Championship leader, driving the blue and pink number 6.