2024 Autobacs SUPER GT

Naoya Gamou and Takuro Shinohara (#65 LEON PYRAMID AMG/Bridgestone) entered the final race at the top of the standings but ultimately finished fourth, narrowly missing out on the championship by just four points, placing second in the series.

QUALIFYING RECAP

Gamou/Shinohara entered the final round with an 11-point advantage over Takashi Kogure/Yuya Motojima (#88 VENTENY Lamborghini GT3 ) in second place and a 20-point lead over third-placed Tsutsumi/Taira. These three teams were the only ones still in contention for the championship.

In Q1, Kogure/Motojima set the fastest lap, while Gamou/Shinohara dropped to ninth. Tsutsumi/Taira qualified fourth, keeping themselves well within striking distance. In the intense Q2 session, where multiple course records were shattered, Daiki Sasaki and João Paulo Lima de Oliveira (#56 REALIZE NISSAN MECHANIC CHALLENGE GT-R) topped the timesheets. Gamou/Shinohara managed only tenth, both in Q2 and overall, while Tsutsumi/Taira secured fifth-fastest. This placed them third on the starting grid and reduced their deficit to Gamou/Shinohara to 19 points. Meanwhile, Kogure/Motojima’s combined times earned them pole position, trimming Gamou/Shinohara’s lead to just eight points. .

QUALIFYING ROUND

PO.	NO.	MACHINE	DRIVER	BEST TIME	TYRE
3	#2	muta Racing GR86 GT TOYOTA GR86	Q1 Dr.2 Hibiki Taira Q2 Dr.1 Yuui Tsutsumi	1'55.720 1'55.326
4	#31	apr LC500h GT LEXUS LC500h	Q1 Dr.2 Jin Nakamura Q2 Dr.1 Kazuto Kotaka Dr.3 Yuki Nemoto	1'55.894 1'55.268
10	#31	LEON PYRAMID AMG  Mercedes AMG GT3	Q1 Dr.1 Naoya Gamou Q2 Dr.2 Takuro Shinohara Dr.3 Haruki Kurosawa	1'56.437 1’56.400
11	#52	Green Brave GR Supra GT TOYOTA GR Supra	Q1 Dr.1 Hiroki Yoshida Q2 Dr.2 Seita Nonaka	1'56.817 1'56.344

THE FINAL RACE: SO CLOSE

Starting from third, Tsutsumi/Taira opted for an overcut strategy, while Gamou/Shinohara aimed to recover from a challenging start using an aggressive undercut. Pitting after just 15 laps, Gamou/Shinohara changed drivers but opted to keep the same tyres, a move that briefly propelled them into second place behind the leading Kogure/Motojima.

Conversely, Tsutsumi/Taira delayed their pit stop until lap 25, hoping to build a gap. They also changed drivers without replacing their tyres, returning to the track in first. However, they could not hold off Kogure/Motojima, who overtook them in the closing stages to secure the win and the championship.

Elsewhere, Jin Nakamura/Kazuto Kotaka/Yuki Nemoto (#31 apr LC500h GT/Bridgestone) climbed to second after their pit stop but fell back to third towards the end. Gamou/Shinohara pushed hard in the final laps, closing in on the podium positions, but ultimately crossed the line in fourth. A second-place finish would have secured them the title, but their result left them four points shy of the series leaders. Meanwhile, Tsutsumi/Taira’s second-place finish earned them third in the overall standings.

ACTUAL RACE

PO.	NO.	MACHINE	DRIVER	TOTAL TIME	TYRE
2	#2	muta Racing GR86 GT TOYOTA GR86	Yuui Tsutsumi Hibiki Taira	1'59.281
3	#31	apr LC500h GT LEXUS LC500h	Kazuto Kotaka Jin Nakamura Yuki Nemoto	1.58.934
4	#65	LEON PYRAMID AMG Mercedes AMG GT3	Naoya Gamou Takuro Shinohara Haruki Kurosawa	2'00.317
11	#52	Green Brave GR Supra GT TOYOTA GR Supra	Hiroki Yoshida Seita Nonaka	1'59.991