Super GT

The Super GT series, formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship or JGTC (全日本GT選手権, Zen Nihon GT Senshuken), is a grand touring car race series promoted by the GT-Association (GT-A). Though the JGTC was authorized by the Japan Automobile Federation and recognized by the FIA, the Super GT is authorized directly by FIA.

History

The JGTC Years

The JGTC—established in 1993^[1][2] by the JAF (Japanese Automobile Federation) via its subsidiary company the GT-A (GT Association)—replaced the defunct All Japan Sports Prototype Championship for Group C cars (that was terminated by the end of 1994) and in the same year Japanese Touring Car Championship for Group A touring cars, which would adopt the supertouring formula which was used worldwide. Seeking to prevent the spiraling budgets and one-team/make domination of both series, JGTC imposed strict limits on power, and heavy weight penalties on race winners in an openly-stated objective to keep on-track action close with an emphasis on keeping the race goers happy.

In its first ever race, which was also an IMSA GT exhibition race, apart from the GTS and GTU cars from the United States series, as with the rest of the season, the grid consisted of mostly Japan Sport Sedan cars with the only genuine JGTC cars being two Nissan Skyline GT-Rs entered by NISMO, which were in fact modified Group A cars. The prototypes and European GT cars would only appear one race to be joined by the IMSA and Group N cars at the Suzuka 1000 km.

For the following season, the series would undergo a rules overhaul, class 1 for cars similar to that of the FIA's GT1 category and class 2 for cars that were the equivalent to the GT2 category. The JSS series would altogether dissolve into the latter category. What made the series more significant was compared to the series from other countries, JGTC teams had at the time the freedom to enter whichever cars they preferred, even if it was the JSS cars from the inaugural season and IMSA GTS spaceframe racers. The Group C prototypes, whilst easily showing dominant form, were banished at the end of the 1994 season.

By the end of the season, as the cost of attaining a FIA's GT1 cars shot through the roof dramatically, in order to keep costs down and determined not to go the same way as the JSPC series it replaced, the GT-A would go through another rules overhaul. This time was a change adoption of the newly formed GT500 and GT300 regulation which capped cars depending on weight and brake horsepower with an air restrictor. In 2002, the GT-A made another rule change, this time because the series had been intended to be a GT championship; this meant all competing cars must remain as two doors, while a special waiver was given to allow Cusco Racing to race their Subaru Impreza sedan.

The JGTC would first venture abroad with its first oversea race at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia and after another successive year, the Malaysian race would become a regular championship fixture. After GT-A's abortive attempt at hosting a street race in Shanghai, the series would also venture into the United States with an exhibition race to be run with the D1 Grand Prix exhibition event in the Los Angeles area-California Speedway in Fontana, held during the week before Christmas in December 2004, which was not shown to be a success, since then no exhibition event was held until in 2010 season, which will be held in Fuji Speedway.

Super GT

After years of successive rules changes, at the same time, the JGTC planned holding one more race outside of Japan, in China (Shanghai), in addition to Malaysia (Sepang). However, holding the series in more than three countries violates from the definition of the "national championship" of FIA. Therefore, the series needed to be authorized directly by FIA and was not able to be named Japanese Championship because the series had to be parted from Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), the Authority Sport Nationale (ASN) of Japan.

On December 10, 2004, while the series had been mainly focused on Japanese domestic teams, sponsors and fans, with an ever-rising international fan following and TV coverage shown all over the world it was announced that JGTC would now be called Super GT with the goals of "challenge to the world", "challenge from the world", and "challenge to entertainment".

Races

Races are held as part of a yearly series. Races take place on well known Japanese race tracks like Twin Ring Motegi, Fuji Speedway, and Suzuka Circuit. The series was expanded to its first international venue in Malaysia (2000), and an exhibition race at the California Speedway (2004). The Malaysian leg of the series, held at Sepang International Circuit was made an official race from 2002 and counted in the points. For the 2011 & 2012 Malaysian leg, the official organizer is JP Performance Motorsports Sdn. Bhd. (JPM). The baton was passed on to JPM to carry the Super GT tradition in Malaysia with hopes of producing an even more electrifying event.

Races were planned for both Zhuhai International Circuit in 2004 and Shanghai International Circuit in 2005, but both events failed to materialize.

Races are held as a single long endurance race of 300 km or greater such as 1000km Suzuka event. Through in season 2011, most of the race changes into sprints of 250 km due to the aftermath of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

The cars

The cars are divided into two groups: GT500 and GT300 (cars with no more than 500 and 300 horsepower (374 and 224 kW), respectively). These power outputs are capped via the use of intake restrictors although some heavier cars are given allowances to run larger restrictors to maintain parity.

In order to ensure maximum excitement, both of the GT500 and GT300 groups are run at the same time although points are awarded separately for each group.

Apart from sport cars, personal luxury cars such as the Lexus SC 430 and BMW Z4, and small family cars such as Toyota Corolla Axio have also joined the series.

GT500

The top class in Super GT, GT500, is dominated by the Big 3 Japanese automakers: Honda (HSV-010 GT replacing NSX Super GT), Nissan (GT-R replacing 350Z), and Toyota/Lexus (LFA replacing SC 430 in 2012, which replaced the Toyota Supra) with some privateer teams running European cars such as Aston Martin DB9, Ferrari 550-GTS, Lamborghini Murciélago or McLaren F1 GTR.

Regulations in GT500 are considerably looser than most GT classifications, and teams are free to change engines with other models made by the manufacturer, change the alignment of the engine, or add forced-induction systems to models which do not normally have it, however from 2010 onwards all GT500 cars run V8 engines displacing 3.4 liters. The chassis may also be heavily modified, with lightweight tube-frame "clips" being allowed in front of and behind the main cockpit, although the car must overall look similar to its road-going variant. These regulations result in cars which are possibly the fastest GT racing cars in the world. The rationale for this was to allow manufacturers to field competitive cars without having to spend large amounts of money for homologation versions of the race car's road car counterparts (although some companies, notably Honda and Nissan, have still developed homologation specials).

In comparison to other grand tourer series, GT500 cars are generally quicker compared to similar FIA GT1 cars, in part due to the more liberal aerodynamic regulations present in Super GT. An FIA GT1 Maserati MC12 briefly entered the series, participating in a pre-season test, but was unable to match the cornering speeds of the existing Super GT competitors. The only car to successfully run in both specifications was the McLaren F1 GTR which won races in the past in both categories.

In 2010 the GT association announced they will start to investigate the possibility to unite their GT500 regulations with the DTM regulations for the 2012 season. Additionally, 2012 season GT500 cars based on 4-door sedans are allowed, where in the past only 2-door cars were allowed in GT500.

Electronic aids such as ABS, Traction Control and Stability Control are not allowed even if fitted to the road going variant, and ceramic brakes are prohibited. There are also restrictions regarding placement and size of aerodynamic aids such as wings and spoilers. From 2010 onwards canards fitted to the front sides in the front bumper are prohibited. The choice of tires is also varied with Bridgestone, Yokohama, Dunlop, Kumho, Michelin and Hankook (new for 2006) available to teams.

GT300

Few works teams participate in GT300, so the field tends to be much more varied in terms of types of cars entered. The big Japanese car makers also participate in this class, as well as more exotic cars from the likes of ASL, Mosler and Vemac (Lotus tuner). Since 2006, European-style GT cars have chosen to concentrate in this series. Starting from 2010 season, cars which mainly participates in FIA GT3 also entered the series with minor modifications.

Along with the standard GT cars, the Shiden (MC/RT-16), a Mooncraft/Riley Daytona Prototype car reviving the original 1977 Mooncraft Shiden 77 (紫電77)^[3] also exists in GT300 class since 2006, getting good results (losing the title to RX-7 with tied points but fewer wins in 2006, and won the title in 2007). Until early 2000s when FWD cars were being permitted to be converted to RWD configuration, many of these such as Mitsubishi FTO and Toyota Corolla Levin AE101 competed in its original configuration, and did not win any championships. Cars with rear wheel drive tend to dominate the series until 2008, when an All Wheel Drive Subaru Impreza developed by Cusco won in Sepang.

GT300 cars are much more regulated than their GT500 counterparts, and much more closely resemble road-going versions. Chassis clips and realignments are not allowed (except the latter in the case of front-wheel drive cars), which results in a much more affordable racing experience for privateers. Canards, like FIA GT3, is not allowed in GT300 even it come in stock with the car. While engine outputs and modifications are at a lower level than the GT500 cars, the GT300 cars still post competitive times and races are very competitive.

The GT300 series is one of the racing category that are having most of the makes at the same time in the world. The list below are the list that GT300 cars participated in GT300 series in Super GT, with their active years.

Parity

Super GT is fairly unique in its open and blunt statement that it is committed to providing exciting racing first, at the expense of runaway investment by works teams. Cars are therefore very heavily tampered with by the governing body. At the start of the season, each car is fitted with an air intake restrictor to limit power to the stated class maximums, thus restricting excessive development to make a more powerful engine. Pitstops and driver changes during the race are done within mandatory windows, to prevent tactics from dominating a race. (In 2004, during the exhibition race at the California Speedway, a few teams were penalised after the race ended when race officials, a mix of SCCA and JAF officials (SCCA is a member of ACCUS/FIA, the American national governing body of the FIA; the JAF is the Japanese governing arm of the FIA) discovered their pit stop came one lap before the mandatory window had opened.) All regulations and adjustments to the regulations are publicly announced, in contrast to many other better-known racing promotions.

Success ballast

Perhaps the best-known handicap system in use in the Super GT is the 'success ballast' system, called "weight handicap" ^[4] where weight penalties are assigned depending on a cars performance during the race weekend. While this system is also used in other series like the FIA GT and the BTCC, who pioneered the system, the Super GT's version of the system is notable in that weight penalties are meted out more aggressively. While other series mete out penalties based on final position at the end of the race, Super GT also adds ballast based on qualifying position and individual lap times, and even in specific modifications (with the penalty on fastest lap in final lifted in 2007). In the 2007 season (GT500), the Takata NSX team achieved a record-breaking 5 pole positions in the first 7 races, but as such a system exists, they only won one race among them. Such regulation also keeps teams from the championship before the final race, only the ARTA NSX team has managed to clinch a GT500 Championship prior the final race (2007) in the series' history.

Since 2009 season, the "success ballast" has changed to increase excitement and prevent strategical losing, in gaining advantage in final races. The ballast will be halved in the second last race, and lifted in final race for all teams participated in all rounds. Teams missing only 1 round also receive halved-ballast in the final race.

The drivers

Like the series, Super GT drivers are very popular in Japan with a huge international fan base. One of these drivers who has gained international appeal is Keiichi Tsuchiya who raced for the ARTA team before transferring to a managerial role. Other drivers who were famously associated with the series and still have active involvement through team ownership are Masahiro Hasemi, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Aguri Suzuki, Kunimitsu Takahashi with the latter being President of the GT Association, who runs the series. The series also attracts drivers who see the series as a stepping stone to the Formula One championship (almost always parallel with their involvement with Formula Nippon) including Ralf Schumacher or Pedro de la Rosa, and drivers who are no longer in F1 but want to continue their career, most famously Érik Comas, who was the series' most successful driver until he stepped down from his position as a number one driver.

With very few professional GT300 drivers, many of them have a fan base for their car, but very few of them have a fan base as a driver, particularly Nobuteru Taniguchi (formerly driving the Wedsport/Bandoh Racing Project Celica and Direxiv but now with RE Amemiya) who is also well known as a D1GP competitor and Manabu Orido (formerly driving the Denso SARD Supra and the Eclipse Advan Supra for the GT500 class, and the WedSport/Bandoh Racing Project IS350 which won the 2009 GT300 championship.) who is a D1GP judge turned competitor and currently driving the RIRE Lamborghini Gallardo. The other well known driver in the category who is well known within Japan, is the TV presenter and singer Hiromi Kozono, who currently drives a Jim Gainer Ferrari 360 and Masahiko Kondo, also a pop star, actor and racer turned team owner who competes in the GT500 category. The only foreign driver in the GT300 class is ex-Formula 3000 driver Marco Apicella. Another popular GT300 driver is Tetsuya Yamano, who runs his own driving school in Japan and has been a winner in his class for 3 successive years at the Malaysian round. As of 2007, he is driving for Cusco.

Controversies

1998 JGTC Fuji incident

Japanese driver Tetsuya Ota is notable for surviving a fiery multi-car pileup he was involved in during a JGTC race at Fuji Speedway on May 3, 1998. The accident was initially caused by an oversaturated track. Tetsuya then hydroplaned and left the track which put him directly into an already crashed Porsche. At the time of the accident, the Ferrari Tetsuya was driving had a full cell of fuel which was ignited by the impact. Ota was severely injured due to third-degree burns on a good percentage of his body which may have been prevented if JGTC, at the time, had sufficient emergency response. Ota filed a lawsuit against the racing club plus organizers for negligence and won the sum of ¥90 million (US$800,000).

Champions

See also

• Zen-Nippon GT Senshuken
• GT 64: Championship Edition

References

• (English)[1] About Weight Handycap System

External links

• Super GT website (English)/(Japanese)