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).

Toyota Gazoo Racing outlines 2018 Super GT Activities

Toyota Gazoo Racing announced their global motorsports activities for the 2018 season in a press release on Thursday, and with it, outlined their participation for the Autobacs Super GT Series.

Super GT series is the top category of Japanese car racing, and in 2018, Lexus Gazoo Racing will continue to enter the Lexus LC 500. Lexus Gazoo Racing will support 6 teams and 6 vehicles through TRD. In the GT300 class, Toyota Gazoo Racing will enter 2 Toyota Prius and 3 Lexus RC F GT3 models.

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.

Goodsmile Racing win 2017 ZF Award for Best Mechanics

ZF Friedrichshafen AG, title sponsors of Super GT’s awards for the best team of mechanics in the series, have presented the ZF Award for Best Mechanics of the Year to Goodsmile Racing with Team UKYO, the GT300 champion team for 2017.

It is the second time in four seasons that Goodsmile Racing have won the season-long ZF Award, led by team director Ukyo Katayama, and chief mechanic Satoshi Kohno.