Super GT – ARTA untouchable at Fuji

Since the start of the 2017 Super GT championship campaign, the Honda NSX-GT n°8 – ARTA of Tomoki Nojiri and Takashi Kobayashi had regularly shown its advantage in qualifying, without however being able to materialize in the race, Luexus pocketing the first four events of the year.

On the Fuji track, spared by the rain, Honda put an end to the control of Lexus, with unchallenged domination of the NSX-GT n°8. After a smooth start, Tomoki Nojiri controlled the entire first stint, gradually widening the gap on the No. 23 Nissan GT-R – Nismo of Ronnie Quintarelli to gain a lead of more than ten seconds before the driver changes.

The pit stops just before the halfway point did not offer any change in the leading duo, Takashi Kobayashi taking control of the race against Tsugio Matsuda. The latter seems in the running to get back on the leader, but at the same time must face pressure from the No. 500 Lexus LC 38 – Team Zent Cerumo from Ishiura – Tachikawa.

If Kobayashi regains a little margin over his pursuers for a while thanks to the fight for second place, the leader will see the #23 Nissan GT-R – #500 Lexus LC 38 tandem return in the final laps, to keep the advantage with a 1″5 lead under the checkered flag.

The fight raged for fourth place between the Lexus LC 500 n°36 – Team au TOM'S de Nakajima – Rossiter and n°37 – Team KeePer TOM'S de Hirakawa – Cassidy and the Nissan GT-R n°12 – Team Impul de Mardenborough–Yasuda. The #36 Lexus finally finished just off the podium ahead of the #12 Nissan and the #37 Lexus which completed the top 5.

The Honda NSX-GT n°17 ​​– Real Racing of Tsukakoshi – Kogure, one of the first to observe its pit stop, was forced to retire after contact with the Lexus RC F GT3 n°60 – LM corsa . In the championship, James Rossiter is leader with 44 points before the big meeting at Suzuka.

In GT300, Team ARTA also wins with the No. 6 BMW M3 GT55 of Takagi – Walkinshaw, leaders from start to finish and winners with a lap in advance. The podium is completed by the Mercedes-AMG GT3 n°4 – Goodsmile Racing with Team UKYO de Taniguchi – Kataoka and the Toyota Prius n°31 – after Saga – Kubo.

SUPER GT Rd.5決勝レース暫定結果です！ #supergt pic.twitter.com/1kd72YjP5P

— POTENZA_SUPERGT (@POTENZA_SUPERGT) August 6

Find the report of the Fuji Super GT event, in issue 2126 of AUTOhebdo, available tomorrow evening in digital version, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.