TOM’S Wins Suzuka Finale as JLOC Claims GT300 Title

TOM’S Toyota pair Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita capped off their title-winning season with a third win at Suzuka, as JLOC Lamborghini duo Takashi Kogure and Yuya Motojima claimed the GT300 crown with a stunning fourth win of 2024.

Tsuboi and Yamashita, who had already claimed the championship with pole on Saturday, came through for a narrow victory in the No. 36 Toyota GR Supra, just 1.5 seconds ahead of Real Racing Honda pair Koudai Tsukakoshi and Kakunoshin Ohta.

But with the championship in the upper division having been settled in qualifying, all eyes were on the title battle between the No. 88 JLOC Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 and the LEON Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Naoya Gamou and Takuro Shinohara.

Motojima led from pole at the start 300km race, which was shortened to 51 laps following an added formation lap, as the team was investigated for a potential start procedure infraction but got away with just a warning.

JLOC also had to contend with the loss of the sister No. 87 car as Natsu Sakaguchi crashed hard at Degner after contact with the Real Racing Honda Civic Type R-GT.

After the sole round of pit stops, the No. 88 crew lost ground as its three Bridgestone-shod rivals, including the No. 2 Inging Toyota GR86 GT and the No. 31 apr Lexus LC500h as well as the LEON Mercedes-AMG, opted for no-tire change strategies.

JLOC opted to fit two fresh Yokohama tires at the rear, but the longer pit stop meant that they would drop behind both the Inging Toyota and the apr Lexus, while the LEON car jumped up to fourth having started down in 10th in Shinohara’s hands.

However, without any fresh rubber to work with, Gamou was unable to challenge Kogure up ahead, as the Lamborghini driver began to make inroads on the two cars ahead.

Just a few laps after the second full-course yellow period, triggered by the No. 48 NILZZ Racing Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 briefly stopping on track, Kogure passed Kazuto Kotaka, who was visibly struggling for grip in the apr Lexus.

Afterwards, Kogure closed the gap to Yuui Tsutsumi in the Inging Toyota within just a few laps, and with 10 laps to go, Kogure made what proved to be the winning move as he made a slightly better exit coming out of the final corner and drafted by Tsutsumi.

Kogure, already a former GT500 champion in 2010 with Honda, became the third driver to win the SUPER GT title in both classes, while former Honda junior Motojima celebrated his maiden title win.

Tsutsumi came home to claims second in the Inging car started by Hibiki Taira, while Kotaka fended off Gamou’s LEON Mercedes-AMG to deliver a first podium finish of the season for the apr Lexus he shares with Jin Nakamura.

Completing the top five was the Team LeMans Ferrari 296 GT3 of Roberto Merhi and Yoshiaki Katayama, ahead of the D’station Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo and the works R&D Sport Subaru BRZ that had started on the front row.

Tsuboi/Yamashita See Off Nissan, Honda Threats to Win

Although, it looked like it would be a comfortable cruise to victory for the No. 36 Toyota in the opening stint, as Tsuboi led the way from pole, Yamashita came under pressure for the lead after taking over when Tsuboi pitted on lap 18 of 51.

The biggest challenge came from the No. 3 NISMO Nissan Z of Atsushi Miyake, who took over from starting driver Mitsunori Takaboshi after Takaboshi had managed to progress from seventh on the grid to third in the opening stint.

However, a mistake at the restart following the second FCY cost Miyake greatly, as the GT500 rookie just went a little bit too hard on the throttle on cold tires when the green flag was waved Degner exit, spinning out and dropping all the way down to P6.

This cleared the way for the Real Racing Honda, which had lost ground when Tsukakoshi made contact with the No. 87 JLOC Lamborghini, to get back into victory contention, with Ohta appearing to gain significant ground during the FCY.

Following a mistake in the Spoon Corner with four laps to go, Yamashita came under pressure as Ohta tried a daring attempt to pass at the final chicane only to run wide.

Ohta finally had to be content with second, 1.513 seconds down at the checkered flag.

Victory for the No. 36 TOM’S car in the final race of the season means that Toyota has been triumphant in six of the eight rounds this season, with TOM’S winning five races between its two cars. It also marked a clean sweep for Bridgestone tires.

In the final race for long-time title sponsor Marelli, the No. 12 Impul Nissan of Kazuki Hiramine and Bertrand Baguette took the final spot on the podium, taking advantage of a quick pit stop to jump up the order having started 15th and last.

The No. 100 Kunimitsu Honda of Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino finished in fourth to cement second in the championship standings, one position ahead of the No. 16 ARTA Mugen Honda Civic of Hiroki Otsu and Ren Sato.

ARTA’s No. 8 car finished out of the points in 12th after changing the engine overnight and having to serve a five-second stop-and-hold penalty early in the race.

Ronnie Quintarelli put on a combative display in his final SUPER GT race, rising from 11th to sixth in the opening stint, but he and his NISMO teammate Katsumasa Chiyo had to be content with eighth behind the Rookie Racing Toyota.

RESULTS: GT500/GT300