SRO: “Momentum Picking Up” for Suzuka 1000km Entries

SRO Motorsports Asia general manager Benjamin Franassovici has expressed confidence about September’s Suzuka 1000km attracting at least 30 cars following a recent surge of entry confirmations for the revived Intercontinental GT Challenge fixture.

The grid for the fourth round of the IGTC season on Sept. 12-14 looks set to exceed the target of 25 cars set out by SRO Motorsports Group boss Stephane Ratel upon last year’s confirmation that the series would return to Suzuka for the first time since 2019 in spite of the fact that relatively few teams have publicly revealed their plans.

It comes as SRO prepares to publish an initial entry list for the Japanese event, which would come as early as this week, ahead of the entry deadline in early August.

“I’d be surprised if we don’t end up with 30 cars,” Franassovici told Sportscar365.

“It’s quite an achievement for the first year back. At first some people were hesitant, but the past two weeks the entries have been coming in. The momentum is picking up.

“We’re good with numbers. Initially we hoped to have 25 cars for year one, and we’re above that. We’re doing better than expected, it’s exciting.”

The entry for the Suzuka 1000km is expected to draw heavily on teams participating in the GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS and its Japan Cup spinoff series.

Compared to the grid for the second and final running of the Suzuka 10 Hours in 2019, there are set to be fewer European teams, while the uptake from the SUPER GT paddock is also understood to have been limited, with only Goodsmile Racing set to take part outside of the handful of GT300 teams that are already engaged in Japan Cup.

One major question mark that remains is whether BMW squad Team WRT, which won the 2019 Suzuka IGTC event with Audi machinery, will make the trip to Japan.

BMW leads the IGTC manufacturers’ standings following success in the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour with WRT and the Nürburgring 24 with ROWE Racing.

But the marque only has two entries in GTWC Asia with Team Studie and Team KRC, with Studie having already decided not to enter, and none in Japan Cup.

“We discuss about it [with BMW],” WRT boss Vincent Vosse told Sportscar365 when asked if the team plans to race at Suzuka. “It’s not my decision.

“Of course BMW is interested because we are leading the championship. I have the capacity to run two cars. If BMW [approves] the decision, I will do it.”

SRO Explains Why Buriram Dropped Off 2026 GTWC Asia Calendar

Franassovici has explained that logistical issues were behind Buriram dropping off next year’s GTWC Asia calendar as the Thai venue makes way for Shanghai.

The 2026 schedule was revealed last month in the SRO’s annual press conference ahead of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, with Shanghai returning to the six-round series after a year’s absence and Buriram not featuring for the first time since 2022.

It also means China will host two rounds of the series next year, as it did previously in 2017-18, with Shanghai joining the new-for-2025 Beijing street event.

Explaining the change, Franassovici said: “We love Buriram. We’ve been going since 2017, so it’s part of our DNA. But the date didn’t quite work for us with the logistics. 

“We are skipping next year and hopefully we’ll go back another year. We needed a bit of a change and Shanghai is a great track; a lot of people wanted to go back there.

“China is the number one nationality for the teams and the drivers, so it’s important.”

One TBC slot remains on next year’s GTWC Asia calendar, with the series yet to firm up a second date in Japan after Fuji Speedway, which retains its now-traditional July fixture.

Franassovici did not rule out a move away from Okayama, which holds the slot currently, citing the track’s relatively small paddock size as a sticking point in negotiations.

John Dagys contributed to this report