2024 Autobacs SUPER GT

Round 4 Fuji Speedway [GT500 class]

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It was an unusually hot summer across the country, and Fuji Speedway, under the gaze of the majestic Mount Fuji, was no exception. The fourth round of the series marked the final race of the first half of the season, with the return of GT machines after a two-month hiatus.

 

BRIDGESTONE DOMINATES IN A THRILLING SHOWDOWN

Saturday’s qualifying session was a test of endurance, with temperatures soaring above 30 degrees in the morning and the track surface heating up beyond 50 degrees by afternoon. The newly introduced Honda Civic Type R quickly proved its prowess. Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino of the STANLEY CIVIC TYPE R-GT/Bridgestone set the pace in Q1, followed closely by Takuya Izawa and Riki Okusa of the Modulo CIVIC TYPE R-GT, and Tomoki Nojiri and Nobuharu Matsushita of ARTA MUGEN TYPE R-GT #8/Bridgestone.

As the track heated up, so did the competition. Nojiri and Matsushita secured the fastest time in Q2, clinching the lead in the combined times with Q1. Hiroaki Ishiura and Toshiki Oyu of the Keeper CERUMO GR Supra/Bridgestone managed the second-fastest time in Q2, placing fourth on the grid overall. Yamamoto and Makino’s consistent performance landed them a second-place start on the front row, despite their sixth-place finish in Q2. This marked Nojiri’s seventh pole position and Matsushita’s first in the GT500 class, with the Bridgestone-equipped Civics dominating the front row.

Yamamoto Naoki and Makino Tadasuke of the STANLEY CIVIC TYPE R-GT/Bridgestone setting the pace in Q1.

QUALIFYING ROUND

 

PO. NO. MACHINE DRIVER BEST TIME TYRE
1 #8 ARTA MUGEN CIVIC TYPE R-GT
Honda CIVIC TYPE R-GT		 Tomoki Nojiri
Nobuharu Matsushita		 1'28.135
1'28.224		 BRIDGESTONE
2 #100 STANLEY CIVIC TYPE R-GT
Honda CIVIC TYPE R-GT		 Naoki Yamamoto
Tadasuke Makino		 1'28.651
1'28.026		 BRIDGESTONE
3 #38 KeePer CERUMO GR Supra
TOYOTA GR Supra GT500		 Hiroaki Ishiura
Toshiki Oyu		 1'28.470
1’28.529		 BRIDGESTONE
4 #17 Astemo CIVIC TYPE R-GT
Honda CIVIC TYPE R-GT		 Koudai Tsukakoshi
Kakunoshin Ohta		 1'28.703
1'28.387		 BRIDGESTONE

 

THE FINAL BATTLE

Race day brought extreme conditions, with temperatures peaking at 35 degrees and the track reaching 56 degrees. The 350km race saw the top qualifiers—the trio of Civics—dominating, while a fierce battle for fourth place unfolded among Ishiura/Oyu, Hiramine/Baguette, and Oshima/Fukuzumi.

Thankfully, the race had minimal incidents, with only a Full Course Yellow (FCY) on lap 26 due to a GT300 car stopping near the B corner chicane. The top two Civics—Nojiri/Matsushita and Yamamoto/Makino—were in a tight duel, with the latter finishing 3.2 seconds behind at the finish line.

 

A HARD-FOUGHT ACHIEVEMENT IN EXTREME CONDITIONS

The race concluded with a triumphant 1-2 finish for the Bridgestone-shod Honda Civics, marking the first victory for the Civic in this series. Nojiri Tomoki and Matsushita Shinji of ARTA MUGEN TYPE R-GT #8/Bridgestone emerged victorious, with their teammates Yamamoto Naoki and Makino Tadasuke in second place. The Oyu/Ishiura duo secured the third podium spot, solidifying Bridgestone's dominance as all top five finishers sported their tyres.

The heat was relentless, the competition fierce, and the performance of the Bridgestone-equipped machines unparalleled. This race will be remembered as a testament to endurance, skill, and the indomitable spirit of motorsport..

ACTUAL RACE

 

PO. NO. MACHINE DRIVER TOTAL TIME TYRE
1 #8 ARTA MUGEN CIVIC TYPE R-GT
Honda CIVIC TYPE R-GT		 Tomoki Nojiri
Nobuharu Matsushita		 1'30.363 BRIDGESTONE
2 #100 STANLEY CIVIC TYPE R-GT
Honda CIVIC TYPE R-GT		 Naoki Yamamoto
Tadasuke Makino		 1'30.624 BRIDGESTONE
3 #38 KeePer CERUMO GR Supra
TOYOTA GR Supra GT500		 Hiroaki Ishiura
Toshiki Oyu		 1'30.589 BRIDGESTONE
4 #14 ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra
TOYOTA GR Supra GT500		 Kazuya Oshima
Nirei Fukuzumi		 1'30.766 BRIDGESTONE

 

 

WORDS FROM THE PODIUM

"ARTA has had some past races where the gears didn't mesh properly, so I wanted to not only win this race but also create a gap that would keep that from happening, so I was pushing full force from start to finish to pull away from Makino (car number 100). Ultimately, I could widen the gap safely, just as I had expected, so I did the best I could in my stint. We've had some trouble up until now, but they've kept looking forward and built the car for today, so in that sense, I'm grateful to my team, HRC, and Bridgestone. We kept the Civic waiting for its first win, but I'm thrilled we could achieve it."

Tomoki Nojiri, Winning Driver (ARTA MUGEN TYPE R-GT #8/Bridgestone)

 

“I think the saying 'you only get one first win' is great." As our manager, Mr. Aguri, told us, there were many races where we looked like we could win but didn't or looked like we could make it to the podium but didn't, so I'm very grateful that we were able to win this time. Tomoki Nojiri's pace in the first stint was good, and he opened up a gap to the point that even if something happened during the pit stop, it would be fine, which was the most significant factor. My stint was long and hot, and I didn't know how worn the tyres were, so at first, I felt like I wanted to stay calm. My pace was also much slower than the second-place car, No. 100. When he suddenly appeared in my rearview mirror, I knew I couldn't keep going like this. I increased my pace, and both the car and the tyres obediently increased their pace so I could race under control after that. Since the success weight was light, I was driving with the feeling that I couldn't drop it here."

Nobuharu Matsushita, Winning Driver (ARTA MUGEN TYPE R-GT #8/Bridgestone)

 

"This heatwave and difficult conditions were within our expectations, but the road surface temperature was a little higher than expected at the start. Even in these difficult conditions, we were able to support all the manufacturers without any trouble, in terms of both performance and durability, and we were able to obtain good data. Congratulations to the Honda Civic for its first win. The Civic was fast during practice, and was able to go from pole position to win in the final."

Takahiko Yamamoto, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Manager