2011 Japanese Super GT

[Japanese Samurai]

AUTOSPORT's SGT report (print edition)

*New strategy by NISMO(#23)
NISMO lost in the session 1 of Super-lap qualifying. It is necessary to use tires used in session 2 of Super-lap in the final race this year. In other words, Teams that lose in session 1 of Super-lap can freely choise tires for the final race. NISMO chose harder tires by this regulations, and made "No tire change" strategy succeed.

*2011 version SC430
2011 version SC430 has aimed at the improvement of the cornering speed. It has expanded the size of the rear brake calliper (Team Tom's and Team LeMans changed the rear brake from 4pot caliper to 6pot caliper.). The arrangement of the engine room is changed, and the front air flow has been improved (The size of radiator seems to have been reduced.) . To gain the downforce by the underfloor, it was changed to the suspension that reduced the roll and the pitch.
But in the Okayama round, the pace in the latter half stint of SC430s were inferior to rivals.

*About GT300 participation by Bridgestone
Bridgestone has the intention to want to enter the world GT3 market in the future, and seems to participate GT300 aiming at the development of GT3 tires.

[Japanese Samurai]

*About SC430's rear fender
In the Okayama round, Lexus used three kinds of rear ends.
Team LeMans: 2011 version made by LeMans
Team Cerumo: 2010 version made by LeMans
The others: 2011 version made by TRD
In the wind tunnel experiment, TRD's L/D figure was the best result. It changes the air flow and improves the efficiency of a rear wing. However, there is impression that the amount of the downforce changes at the time of cornering for TRD's. It is difficult to analyze the downforce data of cornering by the wind tunnel experiment. Therefore, three kinds of rear ends are used.

[Japanese Samurai]

*About Shiden
Team Mooncraft (#2) say that they will not schedule Shiden to be upgraded. They say that there are only choices of FIA-GT3 car for the next season because they are privateers.

*About GSR(#4) BMW Z4 GT3
They have the trouble in the control system of an electronic device. They are requesting the engineer to be sent to the Schubert motorsports. However, this request seems to be refused because of the nuclear accident of Fukushima.

*About Jim Gainer(#11)'s 458GTC
It was on Monday of the race week of Fuji round that they received the delivery of 458. In Okayama round, they have run out of gas. It is because the fuel tank of 458 (LM-GTE) is 10 liters fewer than the JAF-GT and the FIA-GT car.

[Japanese Samurai]

Benoit, Andre congratulations!
They proved that SGT was one of the most competitive series in the world.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Japanese Samurai

Benoit, Andre congratulations!
They proved that SGT was one of the most competitive series in the world.

Very true, I have to think the SGT series experience helped them greatly when navigating traffic at LeMans.

[Japanese Samurai]

Follow-up report about regulation unification problem

Nissan wants FIA to support new DTM regulations
http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=6291

[TF110]

I hope they stick to the coupe form, and this follows through, I guess they want a world championship but need a promoter like the FIA? Seems to be the case. Either that or make it so that their new World Championship could allow for cars like these to run?

[Japanese Samurai]

Japanese manufacturers want to participate in an overseas race with the SGT car. This is their 1st priority.
The SGT series cannot be continued without their money. Promotional rights of SGT is not so worthy. So independence of the series is 2nd priority. This is a difference with ACO and ITR.

[hn2214]

here's another special teaser for sepang round!

[helgi]

Originally Posted by TF110

I hope they stick to the coupe form, and this follows through, I guess they want a world championship but need a promoter like the FIA? Seems to be the case. Either that or make it so that their new World Championship could allow for cars like these to run?

I've said it before. There's no need in FIA GT champ now. All those cars will be in GT3 series. Even Nissan that was the only one manufacturer involved in GT1 and built a fresh car, now is constructing a GT3 version. Where's the sence of having two identical champs? It's better to replace GT1 with a world series for Super GT and DTM silhouettes. It would be something special. Maybe, some more Gr.5 racing.

[chernaudi]

Probably a stupid statement, buy with DTM and Super GT cars being what they are now, why not run something like an Audi R18 in the series? Stupid statement I know, but DTM and Super GT cars are basically LMP1 cars with front mounted engines and faux-road car bodywork on them.

And I feel that it's no question that Ben and Andre's experience in Super GT (closed cockpit cars, the high speeds that they can achieve both on the straights and in corners, and that Super GT is multi-class racing) helped them bring it home for Audi at Le Mans.

Anyone have an opinion on that statment, in that Beniot and Andre having raced in Super GT helped them with both outright speed and working traffic at Le Mans, because they did it a lot better than quite a few guys out there.

[Speed-King]

Probably a stupid statement, buy with DTM and Super GT cars being what they are now, why not run something like an Audi R18 in the series? Stupid statement I know, but DTM and Super GT cars are basically LMP1 cars with front mounted engines and faux-road car bodywork on them.

DTM (back then under the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft moniker) was like that for a few years in the early 80s with Group 5 cars battling against Group 6 and early Group C machinery... but I think it's kinda telling that these were the last years of DRM, which was replaced by the Group A DPM (later DTM) and for a while the Supercup for Group C cars....

[hondafan37]

(Japanese Samurai) Follow-up report about regulation unification problem

Nissan wants FIA to support new DTM regulations
http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=6291

They do not need the FIA. The FIA destroys everything it touches.
They do not need a united series to have a world championship.
Added Supergt, DTM and the future DTM(Grand am) they need to do:
This accord must be fantastic because would have 3 championship with 6 marks (Honda, Lexus, Nissan, Mercedes, Audi and BMW) in 3 different continents. Each brand could have 1 team with 2 or 3 cars in each championship and could have a world championship with 30 races (10 for championship) without the cost to transport the cars between the continents. Only must be fly the drivers to run every race

[helgi]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

DTM (back then under the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft moniker) was like that for a few years in the early 80s with Group 5 cars battling against Group 6 and early Group C machinery... but I think it's kinda telling that these were the last years of DRM, which was replaced by the Group A DPM (later DTM) and for a while the Supercup for Group C cars....

It was too expensive. But I hope championship bosses know history lessons well.

And Zakspeed Capri was better than some of Gr C machines

[helgi]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

They do not need the FIA. The FIA destroys everything it touches.

Jean Todt proved he's not a demolition man which Bernie-Max was. Be optimistic.

[hondafan37]

The question now is which model of cars could be allow in the championship? Only know that BMW will use the M3.

1)Supercars: Mercedes SLS AMG, Audi R8, Honda HSV 010, Lexus LFA, Nissan GTR.....
2)Coupes: Audi RS5, BMW M3, Mercedes CLK, Nissan 370Z, the future Toyota FT 86.....
3)4 doors sedan: Audi A4, Mercedes C, BMW M5, Lexus IS....
4)All of that and then the brands choose your model.

The Nissan GTR for your size could be a coupe too.

[Speed-King]

Word here in Germany is that it will be Coupes...

[TF110]

BMW runs M3's against 458 Ferrari's in other series, going against GTR's HSV's and LFA's shouldn't be a big issue.

[Matador]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

They do not need the FIA. The FIA destroys everything it touches.
They do not need a united series to have a world championship.
Added Supergt, DTM and the future DTM(Grand am) they need to do:
This accord must be fantastic because would have 3 championship with 6 marks (Honda, Lexus, Nissan, Mercedes, Audi and BMW) in 3 different continents. Each brand could have 1 team with 2 or 3 cars in each championship and could have a world championship with 30 races (10 for championship) without the cost to transport the cars between the continents. Only must be fly the drivers to run every race

Totally agree with you on the bold bit. Don't see How you would possibly restrict each brand to one team though, as most of these brands already have 4-6 teams and they aren't going to give that up in their respective series... Or do you mean only towards a world championship?

[Audi Racer]

Originally Posted by TF110

BMW runs M3's against 458 Ferrari's in other series, going against GTR's HSV's and LFA's shouldn't be a big issue.

well the M3 they race with is sooo heavily modified from the road car that its basically an M3 supercar. If you open the hood you wonder where the engine is. Thats how low and far back in the front end of the chassis it is. They scrapped the gearbox and use a transaxle. If they built a road going version of the M3 racecar it would by ligtyears ahead of the current original M3. lol

[hondafan37]

Originally Posted by MatadorRacing_F1
Totally agree with you on the bold bit. Don't see How you would possibly restrict each brand to one team though, as most of these brands already have 4-6 teams and they aren't going to give that up in their respective series... Or do you mean only towards a world championship?

Yes, me idea is 1 team with 2 or 3 cars for brand in each championship. The others teams of the brand in the actually will have use another brand and so you have every brands in each championship. Then you have 3 teams for brands, 1 in each championship. The drivers must be the same in all championship, then you have a world championship with 30 races(10 for each championship).

[Japanese Samurai]

Sepang round race week photos (No Friday photo..)
http://www.racerevo.com/2011/06/17/s...ne-atmosphere/
Stripped Lexus IS
http://ameblo.jp/nob-taniguchi/entry-10926159068.html

[Matador]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

Yes, me idea is 1 team with 2 or 3 cars for brand in each championship. The others teams of the brand in the actually will have use another brand and so you have every brands in each championship. Then you have 3 teams for brands, 1 in each championship. The drivers must be the same in all championship, then you have a world championship with 30 races(10 for each championship).

Not gonna happen, at least for damned sure in the Japanese camp. Ask Samuari how fiercely loyal most of these guys are to the brand they race for/with.

[kurski]

Sepang round3 practice result:
http://supergt.net/supergt/2011/1103/1103prac_e.htm

[Japanese Samurai]

Sepang round Qualifying result
GT500: 1.Weider HSV(#1) 2.MOLA GTR(#46) 3.KEIHIN HSV(#17)
GT300: 1.GSR BMW Z4(#4) 2.JLOC RG-3(#88) 3.Pacific NAC F430(#27)
http://supergt.net/supergt/2011/1103/1103qual_e.htm

*The rear section of SC430 was updated(Tom's, SARD, KRAFT, Bandoh).
(TRD type uncovered rear fender + LeMans type long tail rear end)
http://as-web.jp/photonews/info.php?c_id=2&no=20505
*Front fender of HSV has the side slit for the radiator air outlet.

Photos
Friday:http://www.racerevo.com/2011/06/17/s...o-the-details/
GT500:http://car.nifty.com/cs/catalog/car_...18315216_1.htm
GT300:http://car.nifty.com/cs/catalog/car_...18315215_1.htm