Fukuzumi and ENEOS ROOKIE on pole at Fuji; Subaru BRZ dominates GT300 qualifying

Credit: GT Association

After finishing shy of the podium in the season opener at Okayama, ENEOS Rookie Racing have put themselves on the top spot yet again, qualifying maestro Nirei Fukuzumi grabbing pole position for the team after a hard-fought battle with fellow Supras, the au Team TOM’S and the KeePer Cerumo.

In GT300, the Subaru BRZ went above and beyond; the car’s impressive straight line speed and Hideki Yamauchi’s speedy driving led to the team qualifying on pole by 0.748 seconds and setting a new GT300 lap record at the circuit.

GT300

Qualifying 1

Group A

The first to kick things off in GT300 was Miki Koyama in the apr Lexus, setting a benchmark of 1:36.130 with 2 minutes on the clock. Her time at the top did not last long, however, as the fastest in practice, the Subaru BRZ, driven by Takuto Iguchi, set the fastest time, 9 tenths faster than the apr driver.

Koyama improved but couldn’t get closer than four-tenths to Iguchi’s impressive lap time.

It was disappointment for the two Ferraris, the Uni-Robo and the CarGuy, who could not make the cut to Qualifying 2. The Mach 5 Lexus was another unexpected team to get knocked out, the fan favourite having trouble with the front bumper.

Group B

Hiroaki Ishiura in the ENEOS Mercedes was the first to set a competitive lap time in Group B, but was soon usurped by the Hyper Water Inging and the Syntium Lexus.

At the end, it was the Syntium Lexus at the top with a 1:35.525 lap time following a close battle with the Realize Nissan, Green Brave Supra and the Hyper Water Inging, 4 tenths separating the top four.

Q2

Like in Q1, it was the Subaru BRZ, this time driven by Hideki Yamauchi, that looked to be the fastest car with the apr Lexus being second. The Subaru was the first and only car to enter the 1:34 lap time range with a 1:34.314 time, setting a new GT300 lap record at the Fuji Speedway.

Credit: GT Association

Nobody could improve on Yamauchi’s stellar lap time, the new engine giving a massive advantage in sector three and the long start-finish straight. Seita Nonaka in the apr Lexus was three-quarters of a second back in second.

The Green Brave Supra continue their strong start to the season with a third-place start. The Gainer Nissan impressed with fourth in qualifying, and the reigning champions, the LEON Racing Mercedes crew, round off the top five.

GT500

Qualifying 1

The Impul Nissan was the first to set a competitive push lap in GT500, but the Modulo Civic was quick to respond, taking the top spot. The factory-run NISMO Nissan soon beat both of them.

However, at the end, the top spots were yet again taken up by the Supras. Rikuto Kobayashi, quickly becoming a regular at the top, was fastest. He was followed by Sho Tsuboi in the au Team TOM’S Supra, the reigning champion, making his only push lap count.

The teams that were eliminated in Q1 were, in order: Realize Kondo Nissan, SARD Supra, Deloitte Team TOM’S Supra and the WedSport Supra.

Qualifying 2

Riki Okusa in the Modulo Prelude started things off with an impressive 1:26.719 lap time. His Honda peers came close but could not top his time. The NISMO Nissan didn’t take long to take the top spot away from the Hondas, but struggled to keep up with the Supras towards the end of the session.

Credit: GT Association

Nirei Fukuzumi in the ENROS Supra found his way back to the top, grabbing pole position with a time of 1:26.254. A tenth and a half behind him was Kenta Yamashita in the au Team TOM’S car. Katsumasa Chiyo qualified third for the NISMO Nissan.

Toshiki Oyu, piloting the KeePer Cerumo, was on track for pole in the first two sectors, but could only be fourth fastest following a poor third sector. The Modulo Prelude was the fastest from the Honda camp, rounding off the top five.