2024 Autobacs SUPER GT

Round 6 Sportsland Sugo [GT300 class]

In a thrilling display of precision and strategy under harsh conditions, Naoya Gamou and Takuro Shinohara (LEON PYRAMID AMG/Bridgestone) pulled off a stunning victory, making it two wins in a row and catapulting themselves to the top of the championship standings!

The fifth round at Suzuka was postponed due to Typhoon No. 10, shifting the schedule so that the sixth round at Sportsland Sugo took place first. Heavy rain washed out the qualifying session on Saturday, and with the schedule reshuffled, the race was anyone’s to win. Starting from 15^th on the grid in the chaotic final, Gamou and Shino

QUALIFYING CANCELED DUE TO RAIN WITH GRID SET BY PRACTICE TIMES

Torrential rain that began the night before the race persisted into Saturday, forcing officials to cancel the GT300 class qualifying session. The starting grid was determined by times from the morning’s practice run. However, the session itself was no walk in the park. Hiroki Yoshida and Seita Nonaka (Green Brave GR Supra/Bridgestone), ranked 7th in the points standings, suffered a significant crash after spinning out of the SP corner, destroying their car and forcing them to retire. This was just the beginning of a turbulent session filled with red flags. Multiple cars spun off course in the worsening downpour, leading to five stoppages in total!

#31 apr LC500h GT finished in 6th position during the Practice Race

PRACTICE RUN

PO.	NO.	MACHINE	DRIVER	BEST TIME
8	#31	apr LC500h GT LEXUS LC500h	Kazuto Kotaka Jin Nakamura	1'31.547
9	#2	muta Racing GR86 GT TOYOTA GR86	Yuui Tsutsumi Hibiki Taira	1'31.925
15	#65	LEON PYRAMID AMG Mercedes AMG GT3	Naoya Gamou Takuro Shinohara	1'32.614
19	#52	Green Brave GR Supra GT TOYOTA GR Supra	Hiroki Yoshida Seita Nonaka	1'45.938

WISE CALLS FROM ALL BRIDGESTONE TEAMS

After several weather-related schedule changes, the final race began an hour late under light rain and wet track conditions. Following three laps behind the Safety Car, racing action finally kicked off on the fourth lap as the skies started to clear. Sensing a potential shift in conditions, two teams gambled with slick tyres. However, the course dried out with air temperatures below 20 degrees and a chilly track temperature of just 24 degrees. All Bridgestone teams wisely stuck with rain tyres, including Gamou and Shinohara.

Shortly afterwards, another Safety Car deployment allowed most teams to pit and switch to slick tyres just before the pit road closed. The track was still half-wet, presenting tricky conditions for all driv-ers. In a high-stakes battle, Gamou and Shinohara closed the gap on race leaders Kei Cozzolino and Lilou Wadoux (PONOS FERRARI 296), bringing the lead down to less than a second. What followed was a gripping, 10-lap showdown where Gamou and Shinohara relentlessly hunted down the leaders. Their persistence paid off as they finally took the lead and crossed the finish line first, securing a brilliant back-to-back victory.

Thrilling comeback by Naoya Gamou and Takuro Shino-hara (LEON PYRAMID AMG/Bridgestone)

With this triumph, Naoya Gamou and Takuro Shinohara now hold a commanding lead in the championship standings, leaving their rivals far behind in the race for the title!

ACTUAL RACE

PO.	NO.	MACHINE	DRIVER	TOTAL TIME
1	#65	LEON PYRAMID AMG Mercedes AMG GT3	Naoya Gamou Takuro Shinohara	1’21.982
6	#31	apr LC500h GT LEXUS LC500h	Kazuto Kotaka Jin Nakamura	1’21.567
8	#2	muta Racing GR86 GT Toyota GR86	Yuui Tsutsumi Hibiki Taira	1’22.724

WORDS FROM THE PODIUM

"I never thought we could win, so I'm really surprised and really happy. Looking back on my stint, I started with wet tyres in the light rain, and it was a challenge to see how long I could run on wet tyres.

Even if we had changed to slick tyres, the road surface took a long time to dry, so I thought it was very important to run on wet tyres as long as possible, and I was glad that the performance of the Bridgestone tyres was good and I was able to catch up. Also, I was able to pit in when the Full Course Yellow (FCY) came out, so just like in the previous race, I was lucky and was able to win two races in a row.”

Naoya Gamou, Winning Driver (LEON PYRAMID AMG/Bridgestone)

"Since we was 15th on the grid, I really didn't think we could win, so to be honest, I'm surprised and happy.

During my stint, Gamou made a lot of progress, and I was able to pit at the right time, so when I came out of the pits, the team told me, 'You're in second place,' which was a surprise. The leading car was pretty close, so I pushed and pushed after the Safety Car. I really wanted to progress sooner, but it took longer than I expected, but I was able to overtake eventually and finish in first place, so I'm glad.

I'm in the top of the series rankings after five races, but the team always prepares a great car and strategy for me, my teammate is Gamou, who drives really well, and Bridgestone has the best tyres, so I'm in a really good position to race in, so I'll keep growing in the remaining three races, and I'll do my best to keep racing the best I can at each moment.”

Takuro Shinohara, Winning Driver (LEON PYRAMID AMG/Bridgestone)

"In these really difficult conditions, we had to think about which range of rain tyres to choose and how to formulate a strategy. When to bring in the Safety Car, and other things like that. It was unfortunate that the Yoshida/Nonaka pair in car #52, who were Bridgestone tyre users, crashed just after the start of practice and had to retire before they could even fight.

I think it was challenging to drive in such low track temperatures. On the other hand, Gamou/Shinohara, who steadily worked their way up from the back in 15^th place, made an excellent tire choice and strategy, which led to them winning consecutive races. I think being able to supply tyres that matched the conditions was a strong back-up for this victory.”

Takahiko Yamamoto, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Manager

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