Weekly Racing Roundup (10.16.23)

Miyata, Tsuboi Boost Title Bid at Autopolis

Ritomo Miyata and Sho Tsuboi will head to the Super GT title decider with a seven-point advantage after winning the penultimate round of the season at Autopolis.

The drivers of the No. 36 TOM’S Toyota GR Supra claimed their second victory of the season, beating the Honda pairing of Nirei Fukuzumi and Hiroki Otsu by 5.4 seconds.

Fukuzumi made the best getaway and quickly opened a lead of almost 20 seconds as the GT500 drivers behind him battled for the other positions. Tsuboi, meanwhile, started back in 12th and handed the TOM’S car over to Miyata at the first of two pit stops.

The ARTA Honda NS-X GT remained in control as Fukuzumi jumped out for Otsu at their car’s second service on lap 59 of 82, but Miyata was on a charge and the Toyota FIA World Endurance Championship prospect took third from Hiroki Ishiura at Turn 11.

Miyata then hunted down the Nissan Z GT500 of Mitsunori Takaboshi and used a GT300 car to get alongside his title rival down the front straight before completing the move six corners later.

Otsu soon had to defend as Miyata came onto his tail and the lead changed at the Turn 11 hairpin with ten laps remaining.

Behind Miyata and Otsu, Takaboshi and Katsumasa Chiyo finished third as all three GT500 manufacturers reached the podium.

Hiroki Yoshida and Kohta Kawaai came within touching distance of the GT300 title with their second consecutive victory in the Green Brave Toyota GR Supra.

They now sit 20 points clear of their only challengers Yuui Tsutsumi and Hibiki Taira, who need to win from pole position and rely on a disaster for the leaders to cause an upset.

RESULTS: Autopolis

Other Racing Action & News

***Giancarlo Fisichella and Tommaso Mosca were crowned Italian GT Endurance champions after the final round of the season at Mugello. The Scuderia Baldini Ferrari duo, who had already mathematically clinched the title before the event, finished first on the road but were demoted to second after Mosca was penalized post-race for contact when overtaking Kevin Gilardoni for the lead. Gilardoni, Stuart Middleton and Raul Guzman ended up as the winners. Results

***Cheng Congfu and Chris Chia won the third round of the China Endurance Championship in a FAW Racing Team Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II. They finished 14 seconds clear of second place and increased their series lead to 15 points with one round to go.

***The Prototype Cup Germany season wrapped up with a pair of races at the Nürburgring. Already-confirmed champions Markus Pommer and Gary Hauser won the opener, with solo driver Nigel Moore in second after holding off Jan Marschalkowski over several laps. Oscar Tunjo and Julien Apotheloz prevailed in the second encounter. Race 1 / Race 2

***Mercedes-AMG factory driver Philip Ellis will team up with points leader James Cottingham for this weekend’s Intelligent Money British GT Championship season finale at Donington. Phil Keen was originally named as the replacement for Jonny Adam, who is missing the event due to a European Le Mans Series date clash.

***2021 ELMS LMP2 runner-up Tom Gamble will drive a McLaren Artura GT4 at Donington. Gamble has been drafted into Paddock Motorsport’s Pro-Am lineup alongside Kavi Jundu, replacing Tom Rawlings.

***One of the Schnitzelalm Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos competing in this weekend’s ADAC GT Masters round will be equipped with NX NextMotion drive-by-wire technology developed by Arnold NextG. The system is aimed at exploring potential options for autonomous driving.

***The 2024 edition of the Sepang 12 Hours will take place on March 14-16, event promoter Top Speed has confirmed. It will again be open to GT3, GT4, Cup and touring cars.

***The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is inviting spectators at next year’s 100th-anniversary edition to contribute their own memorabilia from the event to a ‘Gallery of Time’ temporary exhibition that will form part of the festivities.

On this weekend: European Le Mans Series (Portimao), DTM (Hockenheim), International GT Open (Barcelona), Intelligent Money British GT Championship (Donington Park)