2024 Autobacs SUPER GT

Round 6 Sportsland Sugo [GT500 class]

The 2024 AUTOBACS SUPER GT Round 7 at Autopolis delivered a heart-stopping race full of unexpected twists, high-octane drama, and an astonishing comeback that saw Yuhi Sekiguchi and Yuichi Nakayama in the #39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD GT/Bridgestone Supra claim their first victory in four years.

Held on the picturesque, yet treacherous circuit on the outer rim of Mt. Aso in Kyushu, this one-day event came to life on Sunday after severe weather conditions on Saturday forced a schedule overhaul. Intermittent heavy rain and thick fog left teams with little track time for preparation, setting the stage for a thrilling, unpredictable race.

A BATTLE AGAINST THE ELEMENTS

Sunday’s race day dawned under better conditions, but the track was still far from perfect. Qualifying took place in the morning, and despite the early hour, the cloudy skies and chilly 14-degree temperatures added a layer of difficulty. The track was half-wet, meaning most teams initially opted for rain tyres except for Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino in their #100 STANLEY CIVIC TYPE R-GT/Bridgestone, who boldly gambled on slicks.

As the track began to dry out, the slick tyres came into play, and the lap times dropped. The #24 REALIZE CORPORATION ADVAN Z, driven by Tsugio Matsuda and Teppei Natori, clinched pole position with a blistering time, narrowly beating the #23 MOTUL AUTECH Z/Bridgestone of Katsumasa Chiyo and Ronnie Quintarelli into second. The #14 ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra/Bridgestone of Kazuya Oshima and Nirei Fukuzumi rounded out the top three, setting the stage for an epic afternoon showdown.

The #24 REALIZE CORPORATION ADVAN Z clinched pole position for qualifying.

QUALIFYING ROUND

PO.	NO.	MACHINE	DRIVER	BEST TIME
2	#23	MOTUL AUTECH Z Nissan Z NISMO GT500	Katsumasa Chiyo Ronnie Quintarelli	1'33.243
3	#14	ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra TOYOTA GR Supra GT500	Kazuya Oshima Nirei Fukuzumi	1'33.326
4	#17	Astemo CIVIC TYPE R-GT Honda CIVIC TYPE R-GT	Koudai Tsukakoshi Kakunoshin Ohta	1'33.801
5	#3	Niterra MOTUL Z Nissan Z NISMO GT500	Mitsunori Takaboshi Atsushi Miyake	1'33.930

CHAOS UNFOLDS IN THE FINAL

The final race started on a dry but cold track, challenging drivers to maintain tire temperatures. Matsuda and Natori took the early lead, but by Lap 13, the #23 MOTUL AUTECH Z/Bridgestone with Chiyo and Quintarelli overtook them, showcasing Bridgestone’s dominance. A series of crashes in the GT500 class triggered two early safety car deployments, turning the race chaotic. By halfway, Nissan teams held the top three spots, with Chiyo and Quintarelli leading.

SEKIGUCHI AND NAKAYAMA’S VICTORY

The third safety car proved pivotal for Sekiguchi and Nakayama, who pitted just before it was deployed. This smart move propelled their #39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD GT/Bridgestone Supra into the lead. With a clean track ahead, they expertly held off Chiyo and Quintarelli to claim their team's first win in four years.

FINAL RESULTS AND STANDINGS SHAKE-UP

While Sekiguchi and Nakayama celebrated a hard-earned victory, the battle for the remaining podium spots raged on. Chiyo and Quintarelli managed to claw their way back into second place, while Takaboshi and Miyake, who had been running in second, fell back to third after a fierce contest.

The dramatic nature of Round 7 at Autopolis has shaken up the GT500 standings, with the DENSO KOBELCO SARD GT Supra/Bridgestone team rocketing back into title contention. This unforgettable race, marked by tyre gambles, safety car chaos, and expert strategy, will be remembered as a masterclass in endurance and opportunism. As the 2024 season barrels towards its conclusion, one thing is clear—anything can happen in the thrilling world of SUPER GT, and Sekiguchi and Nakayama have reminded everyone that fortune favours the brave.

Team #39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra/Bridgestone on the racing grid

ACTUAL RACE

PO.	NO.	MACHINE	DRIVER	TOTAL TIME
1	#39	DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra TOYOTA GR Supra GT500	Yuhi Sekiguchi Yuichi Nakayama	1'36.553
2	#23	MOTUL AUTECH Z Nissan Z NISMO GT500	Katsumasa Chiyo Ronnie Quintarelli	1'35.832
3	#3	Niterra MOTUL Z Nissan Z NISMO GT500	Mitsunori Takaboshi Atsushi Miyake	1'37.052
4	#100	STANLEY CIVIC TYPE R-GT Honda CIVIC TYPE R-GT	Naoki Yamamoto Tadasuke Makino	1'37.573

WORDS FROM THE PODIUM

“I was supposed to be a little further ahead in the qualifying, but I dropped behind. Director Wakisaka told me for the final, 'Let's change direction. Let's go in this direction,' which was good. I was able to win because the car was perfect. I'm grateful to the team that built that car. We were able to get second place in the opening race at Okayama. Still, after that, we had a tough time, and everyone, including the team staff and the driver, was struggling, so I'm very happy to have achieved today's result. We're working hard to make the No. 36 car, also a Supra, strong in the final. It might have something to do with Director Wakisaka's advice, which I'm starting to grasp, and I'll do my best to carry it over to the next race."

Yuhi Sekiguchi, Winning Driver (DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra/Bridgestone)

"We've had a series of challenging races after coming in second in the opening race. Gradually, the people around us have been attaining more success, and even though we've been in the lighter-weight categories, we have yet to achieve any strong results in the last few races, so it's been tough. Today's qualifying was 10th, which wasn't a good result at all, and as a team, we were like, 'Here we go again,' and the atmosphere wasn't good. Despite that, we drove really well in today's final. When I saw Sekiguchi's driving during the starting stint, I thought, 'This is it; we can do it today!

Director Toshikazu's pit strategy was perfect. In the past, when the strategy was perfect, the car was often slow (laughs), but today, it was "perfect strategy, perfect car." The same problem we had at Autopolis last year came up again today, but we solved it and ran in the final. We can do the same at Motegi and I want to have a strong race with the championship in mind.”

Yuichi Nakayama, Winning Driver (DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra/Bridgestone)

"The air and road temperatures were very low in qualifying and the final. In the early stages of the final, we allowed the car that started from the pole position to take the lead. Once the tyres were warmed up, we could provide each team and manufacturer with stable performance. This time, there were four safety car incidents, which made for a rough race, but the winning pair of Sekiguchi and Nakayama made excellent use of the safety car outings to take the lead and achieve their first win in a long time. Congratulations to them. Due to this result, the rankings are now very close, so we will provide vital support to all teams and manufacturers for the remaining two races."

Takahiko Yamamoto, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Manager

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