Takuya Izawa rejoins ARTA for 2018

At this weekend’s Tokyo Auto Salon, Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (ARTA) revealed their 2018 activities in the Autobacs Super GT Series in both GT500 and GT300 categories.

Former Team Kunimitsu driver Takuya Izawa was introduced as the new driver of the #8 ARTA Honda NSX-GT during Honda’s Super GT activities announcement, then joined the rest of his ARTA team during their own TAS panel.

Izawa and Tomoki Nojiri will drive the fabled ARTA NSX, while the #55 ARTA BMW M6 GT3 will be driven by former champion Shinichi Takagi and second-generation sophomore Sean Walkinshaw.

Hot Stove League Update: Piecing the 2018 grid together

With the festival season concluded in Japan, the manufacturers in the Autobacs Super GT Series now turns its focus towards the 2018 season – and there will be some significant changes to emerge out of the 2017-18 “Hot Stove League”.

Our latest update comes courtesy of the staff at Motorsport.com, anchored by Tomohiro Yoshita, and after a whirlwind of information in the first reports from auto sport Magazine, the pieces are starting to come together for what the GT500 grid might actually look like in 2018.

DISCLAIMER: While all possible scenarios are gathered from reliable sources, all information in this article is purely speculation, until confirmed by the manufacturers, teams, and drivers mentioned hereafter.

Epson Nakajima Racing shock the world at Suzuka 1000km

The 46th International Suzuka 1000km was destined to be a classic – but few could have predicted the winner of the final 1000km endurance race at Suzuka Circuit.

The #64 Epson Modulo Honda NSX-GT of Bertrand Baguette and Kosuke Matsuura emerged as the unexpected winner of the final Suzuka 1000km, taking Honda’s eighth overall victory in the event, and ending a winless drought for Nakajima Racing that lasted nearly ten painful years – and did it in style, with a signature victory in the biggest race of the season.

It was the emotional climax to a race that was bound with a mix of exciting action, intrigue, heartache, and displays of indomitable spirit up and down the GT500 grid to close out the first era of the Suzuka summer endurance race.

Yamamoto, Raybrig NSX-GT fastest in Suzuka 1000km practice

Naoki Yamamoto went fastest in the #100 Raybrig Honda NSX-GT (with Takuya Izawa) in Saturday morning’s practice session for the 46th International Suzuka 1000km, a practice session that began under wet conditions, but gradually improved as conditions became fine and perfectly dry.

Yamamoto set his fastest lap of the session on his final lap, as Honda and Nissan shared the entire top six in GT500. In GT300, Naoya Gamou in the #65 LEON Cvstos Mercedes-AMG GT3 (with Haruki Kurosawa) set the fastest time.