[rjoconnell]

auto sport put up a GT300 stove league article. They've gotten onboard the premium subscription model, of course, but I wanted to share my thoughts on the highlights that it covers.

A tenured GT300 team, known for fielding mid-engined import GT3 machines, will withdraw from the series and attempt to enter another championship.

It's likely that this is Audi Team Hitotsuyama. JLOC confirmed via Facebook that they're coming back for '22. Anecdotally, Hitotsuyama Racing have a tendency to bounce in and out of Super GT to compete in other series.

A new team with experience in Super Taikyu, who entered last season in two separate categories (but not in ST-X), will enter the series with a new GT300 spec Toyota GR86 constructed by apr.

It's almost certain that this is Hayashi Telempu SHADE Racing, who ran a Supra GT4 in ST-Z and a first-gen 86 in ST-4 this past Super Taikyu season. This is almost certainly the landing spot for free agent Katsuyuki Hiranaka, who has been part of SHADE Racing since they began racing in Super Taikyu.

There is a waiting list of about five teams who want to enter GT300. Some of them are past GT300 teams hoping to secure a grid slot with very competitive packages that are ready to go at any time.

It could come at the expense of pro-am R'Qs Motor Sports, who crashed out of the season at Autopolis and admitted they face a difficult task to resume racing at all.

In addition to Hoppy Team Tsuchiya's new GT300 GR Supra, and BMW Team Studie x CSL launching the new M4 GT4, a total of three Toyota GR86 GT300s are under construction. One will be for apr's number 30 entry.

The other two comprise of the aforementioned SHADE Racing, and this prospective new entry:

There is a Malaysian team that wishes to enter GT300. They are currently in discussion with a leading Japanese team for vehicle maintenance. This is one of the teams from the two GT500 manufacturers who have not announced their 2022 lineups.

Meaning that, a Honda or Nissan GT500 team will be supporting a Toyota GT300 team in a technical capacity. Stranger collaborations have happened, I'm sure. B-Max feels like the most likely candidate. Kondo already have a GT300 team. Impul have an existing connection to Gainer's #10 car, though I'm not sure how Hoshino Jr's retirement impacts this.



It's also worth noting that international teams such as arto Team Thailand (and X Works Racing in years past) are able to enter unconditionally, even if the GT300 grid reaches its 30 car capacity.

Gainer have two vacancies to fill with the departure of Hiranaka and Hoshino. It seems that several young drivers have already tested their Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3, as this is a highly coveted team for young drivers.

Keep an eye on Atsushi Miyake as a potential candidate; he was recently at the Nissan GT500 open test and the Super Formula rookie test. Teppei Natori had been building some form of connection to Nissan, but now appears to be heading to F2 as an independent driver.

With Sena Sakaguchi going to GT500 full-time and the possibility that Ren Sato could be moving up to GT500, some of the top drivers from the Toyota Gazoo Racing Driver Challenge (TGR-DC) and Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP) could graduate from FIA F4 to GT300. F4 champion Seita Nonaka is certain to make his debut with a Toyota affiliated team.

Nonaka at K-Tunes Racing to replace S. Sakaguchi feels like a sensible decision. Other names to watch for: Hibiki Taira, Rin Arakawa, Eijiro Shimizu, and Jiei Okazaki from TGR-DC; Iori Kimura, Kakunoshin Ohta, and Syun Koide from HFDP.

Depending on the state of immigration to Japan, a big name foreign driver with a brilliant track record in GT3 races around the world is set to enter GT300.

Christopher Mies, Nicki Thiim, and Dennis Lind were three accomplished GT300 drivers who attempted to race in 2020, but could not enter due to COVID-19.