2015 Japanese Super GT

[rich07]

Congrats to Motul. Calsonic really had nothing in the latter stages of the race unfortunately.

Well done to the Prius guys, I'd written them off after they got stuck out behind a safety car but they came back to grab the win.

[Beryl]

Congrats to Matsuda and Quintarelli for the championship.

Originally Posted by J Jay

Pole went to Caldarelli in the Keeper RC-F.

Hirakawa actually set the lap, his second pole position of the season.

Pretty good first full season for the promising young driver. I'd say he's on track to getting a full-time #36 TOM'S seat in the next few years, probably at the expense of Oldsuke Ito.

Originally Posted by divxx

Which would also give Tachikawa his 4th title, all with the same team while co-driving with different drivers, which would be pretty remarkable. I believe he's also been in GT500 longer than anyone.

Technically yes, Tachikawa-san made his debut in GT500 earlier than any other current driver. However, Motoyama has the most GT500 starts under his belt and Krumm made his JGTC/Super GT top class debut a year earlier, but the class was called GT1 back then.

[divxx]

I favored Impul since they've come close so many times, but that GT500 race was intense, wild 1st-to-4th-to-1st sequence by the #37.

Matsuda was fortunate the SC came out while his tires were cold with 2 cars bearing down on him, but that's racing sometimes. He did the job, really could have lost his cool when Hirakawa ran into him to take the lead, but he kept it all together and earned the title.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Beryl

Hirakawa actually set the lap, his second pole position of the season.

Pretty good first full season for the promising young driver. I'd say he's on track to getting a full-time #36 TOM'S seat in the next few years, probably at the expense of Oldsuke Ito.

Ah, thanks. I was under the impression that the qualifying driver had to start the car. There have been murmurs that Ito is on his way out and with Tachikawa probably (?) staying put Hirakawa is the best bet to get the Petronas TOM'S drive. He showed his worth in this race, getting past Matsuda decisively and taking a fine win, although he didn't break away without help; it looked like the Michelin's didn't have the low-speed grip to let the #1 run close enough to the #38 to try and get back past.

Championship winning drives from Quintarelli and Matsuda, particularly the latter when the #1 was leading and was the first car to try and pick a route through the traffic. I know I've been on his back a bit this year but that was a title-winning drive. Good fortune came their way but the drivers (and the team - what a pit stop!) make the most of it. It's a shame that the #12 loses out with the title literally in sight, they have had a brilliantly consistent year but their lack of wins caught up with them.

Thankfully the Prius was able to get back to the front even after having its advantage wiped out by the safety car. It would have been a shame to see the team lose the victory on that incident, even if it was to the Miku SLS.

For anyone reading the Youtube chat (I normally close it), was that the Igor Sushko in there? OGT Racing, GT300 in 2013? If it was it would be good to get him on commentary if the logistics work out.

[rich07]

I hope that was the real Igor Sushko, that story about meeting Max Orido was pretty cool. Didn't know Orido had his own bar.

[Monkey Head]

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

Meanwhile, it's sucks that the Good Smile Racing didn't get first place with their Hatsune Miku SLS. Great job for the Prius GT300 car though!

same opinion with you,but Prius really deserve the win even they got SC struggle

[Artur]

Originally Posted by J Jay

He showed his worth in this race, getting past Matsuda decisively and taking a fine win, although he didn't break away without help; it looked like the Michelin's didn't have the low-speed grip to let the #1 run close enough to the #38 to try and get back past.

Calsonic also runs on Bridgestone, as does the #37, so if Motul had less grip from their tires, on this race, how did the #1 climbed from 12th to 2nd and the #12 only from 5th to 4th? I didn't watch the race, yet, so that's why I'm asking.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Artur

Calsonic also runs on Bridgestone, as does the #37, so if Motul had less grip from their tires, on this race, how did the #1 climbed from 12th to 2nd and the #12 only from 5th to 4th? I didn't watch the race, yet, so that's why I'm asking.

The Motul Autech reached 5th thanks to the Quintarelli's measured but aggressive drive, but even then he was 10+ seconds behind the Caslonic Impul at the back of the lead quartet. In the next few laps the #1 halved the gap - partially because Ronnie was on a charge, partially because (IMO) the Michelin wets coped better with the drying track than the Bridgestones and partially because Oliveira couldn't make any more progress from the opening laps.

So there was still ~5 seconds between the two cars when the #1 pitted one lap after the #12, but thanks to the pit stop of the season from the Motul crew (looks like someone has been watching Porsche's pit stops!) Matsuda got out ahead of Izawa, who had just passed Yasuda on track. The Raybrig NSX should have got past the Motul GT-R as well but just then the safety car was called for the debris from the accident between the S-ROAD MOLA GT-R and the Love Live McLaren, which also meant that the Keeper RC-F had to give up the lead to the #1 as it pitted.

I might be wrong about the tyres, but in the second stint the #1 looked slow in and out of the low speed corners, particularly at turns 7-10. However the Hirakawa only got past when Matsuda misjudged lapping the (Gainer?) GT-R GT3 and got on the wet tarmac on the outside of T9. Hirakawa didn't get away either, so the #1 was quick in general, but curiously slow in places. Maybe Matsuda was being careful to save the tyres.

[Japanese Samurai]

Sorry for off topic.
An appendix of the latest edition of Japanese Autosport magazine is SEV racing core.
http://www.as-books.jp/books/sample.php?no=AST20151113
Although SEV is a kind of junk science, SGT drivers are recommending that there are various good effects.
I think SEV is cheat goods. It's regrettable that the honored Autosport magazine makes such cheat goods an appendix.
The reaction of Minoru Hayashi to this is very cool.
https://twitter.com/dome_hayashi/sta...25318994833408

[Japanese Samurai]

Sunday press conference by GTA (Masaaki Bandoh)
http://supergt.net/news/single/15714

*About 2015 GT500 tech regulations
Development was achieved by each manufacturer, and performance improvement was done. We'd like to appreciate this thing.
Success ballast system by fuel restrictor has room of improvement.

*About Class one (tech regulations integrations)
We keep discussing with DTM.

*About GT300 class
BoP by SRO functioned appropriately.
We'd like to make an effort toward improvement of Mother chassis car.

*About foreign race
Approach has come from Malaysian new circuit in Johore Bahru and another Thailand circuit etc.

*About 2016 GT500 class aero development restrictions
We'd like to introduce aero development freeze of GT500 in 2016.
An update of aero might be admitted only onetime.

[Japanese Samurai]

As for SEV, there are many parts for cars.
http://www.sev.info/auto/
http://www.sev.info/auto/products/

*SEV head balancer: SEV stuck to cam cover of engine. 16,000 yen
http://www.sev.info/auto/products/head-balancer/

*SEV radiator: SEV installed in radiator hose pipe. 28,000 yen
http://www.sev.info/auto/products/radiator/

*SEV center on style: SEV installed in car. 35,000yen
http://www.sev.info/auto/products/center-on/

[TF110]

Would the foreign race be an additional round or replacement for Sepang?

[MagVanisher]

So the GT500 class will only allow aero update once per season, huh. Still, there's no news regarding hybrids in GT300...

[Japanese Samurai]

Koki Saga (#31) comments that Motegi was the last race for ZVW30 Prius.
https://www.facebook.com/koki.saga/p...00063110224490

[tux]

Originally Posted by Japanese Samurai

As for SEV, there are many parts for cars.
http://www.sev.info/auto/
http://www.sev.info/auto/products/

*SEV head balancer: SEV stuck to cam cover of engine. 16,000 yen
http://www.sev.info/auto/products/head-balancer/

*SEV radiator: SEV installed in radiator hose pipe. 28,000 yen
http://www.sev.info/auto/products/radiator/

*SEV center on style: SEV installed in car. 35,000yen
http://www.sev.info/auto/products/center-on/

What is this SEV?

[Japanese Samurai]

SEV are the Japanese famous car parts which improves the car performance.
However, actually, they are cheat goods based on junk science.
They are no better than a placebo.
SEV applied for a patent, but it's rejected.
Regrettably, many SGT drivers are recommending SEV.

[J Jay]

It seems like a Japanese take on those "additives" that claim to miraculously boost engine performance and the like. There are idiots everywhere, I suppose.

Mind, there must be a lot of yen changing hands for such significant endorsements.

[Japanese Samurai]

Hiroto Kaneso (Team owner of apr, #31) confirms that TGRF (Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival) is the last stage of Prius GT.
http://www.facebook.com/kaneso1/posts/920087118074605

[Japanese Samurai]

Dr. Takamori (#48) says the rumor that GTA will reduce the participation number of GT300 car after 2015 season.
http://ameblo.jp/s-tai/entry-12096480233.html

[Matt]

That would be absolutely silly to limit it. the traffic situation the GT500 cars had to navigate at Motegi was legendary.

[bentley speed 8]

Yes, that was totally amazing to watch. A shame if this happens

[J Jay]

Wait ... what?

What reasons, good or otherwise, could GTA have for limiting the GT300 class? I don't think the grid is running into overall car limits at any of the current tracks on the calendar. Is it about forcing some of the semi-works or bigger teams to move up to GT500? Have GTA taken lessons from the ACO on how to build a healthy and thriving endurance series?

[TF110]

Theres no confirmation this is happening. And if they drop a few gt300 cars (which are probably uncompetitive) not many will even notice.

[Matt]

I quite enjoy the rolling chicanes.

The only way I could begin to like a grid cap is if it's done NASCAR style, where they only start say, 22 GT300 cars, yet all are still allowed to show up to try and qualify into the race.

What I wouldn't want to see is a forced entry cap, where once they fill the pre-selected amount of cars, it's SOL for anyone else willing to enter.

[MagVanisher]

Reducing entries in the GT300 class would be a sad thing if that happens, apart from not having hybrids in future seasons.

On the other hand, would it be better if JAF told those cash-strapped privateers in the second class to move up the ladder and compete with the big boys in GT500?