D’station Racing wins in Okayama, ARN Racing provisional ST-X champions

Persistent rain couldn’t put a damper on the end of the 2017 Super Taikyu Endurance Series, which closed out its season by crowning its final set of champions in two three-hour endurance races at the Okayama International Circuit this weekend.

The #777 D’station Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R of Satoshi Hoshino, Seiji Ara, and Tsubasa Kondo won from pole position, taking their first win of the season, while fifth place in the final Group 1 race of 2017 was enough to clinch the ST-X class championship for the #8 ARN Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 of Hiroaki Nagai and Kota Sasaki – pending the investigation of a fuel system infraction in the final round of the race that sent them to the back of the grid.

Honda and the Modulo Dome Racing Project made history as the inaugural champions of Super Taikyu’s new ST-TCR category, while also winning their class in the final round of the season to boot.

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Super Taikyu season concludes with “Safari of Speed” at Okayama

Just one round remains in the 2017 Super Taikyu Series, and three of the series’ class champions will be crowned on September 15 during the sixth and final race meeting of the season at Okayama International Circuit.

This final round of the season consists of two three-hour endurance races, with the ST-X, ST-TCR, and ST-3 class championships to be decided in the second and final race this Sunday afternoon.

ARN Racing win Fuji Super TEC, draw closer to ST-X title

It was the perfect weekend for premier class championship leaders ARN Racing this past weekend, at the Fuji Super TEC 10 Hour Race, the fifth round of the 2017 Super Taikyu Series, and the biggest event of the 2017 calendar.

The #8 Ferrari 488 GT3 of Hiroaki Nagai, Kota Sasaki, and guest driver Tsubasa Mekaru went from pole position, and outlasted the competition in a grueling ten-hour event to take their second straight win of the season. The victory also gives them a massive 19-point lead in the ST-X class championship standings, with just one round left to go in the season.

Further down the running order, Volkswagen took their first win in ST-TCR, and three of the seven class championships were decided – in the ST-2, ST-4, and ST-5 categories.

Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours set for June 2018

Japan will host the first 24-hour endurance sports car race on home soil in over a decade next year, as Fuji Speedway announced on Friday that the Fuji Super TEC will become the “Fuji Super TEC 24 Hour Race” beginning in 2018.

It will be the first time that Japan will host a 24 hour enduro since 2008, the final year of the 24 Hours of Tokachi at Tokachi International Speedway. It will also be the first time that Fuji Speedway has hosted a 24 hour race of its own since 1968.