Toyota, TOM’S Fastest Again in Okayama GT500 Test

Toyota narrowly eclipsed Nissan to set the pace in this week’s two-day SUPER GT manufacturer test at Okayama International Circuit.

Following last month’s Sepang test, the Okayama test marked the first group running of the year for GT500 machinery on Japanese soil, and featured a total of nine cars – four Honda Civic Type R-GTs, three Toyota GR Supras and a pair of Nissan Zs – that did not participate in Malaysia.

It was Nissan driver Katsumasa Chiyo who set the fastest time on Wednesday with a 1:17.167 in the No. 23 NISMO car during the morning session, before lowering the bar to a 1:16.646s on the morning of the second day.

But that was beaten by Kenta Yamashita’s best effort of 1:16.335 aboard the No. 36 TOM’S Toyota in the closing stages of the afternoon on Thursday.

Chiyo’s morning benchmark was good enough for second overall, a scant 0.005 seconds ahead of Hiroaki Ishiura’s best time in the Cerumo Toyota set in the same session.

The other Nissan present at Okayama, the No. 3 NISMO NDDP car, was fourth-fastest in the hands of Mitsunori Takaboshi on a 1:16.711, likewise set in the morning on Thursday.

Best of the Honda contingent in fifth was the No. 8 ARTA car in which Nobuharu Matsushita set the best time of 1:16.865, a little over five tenths off the pace.

Honda’s No. 99 test car, shared by Team Kunimitsu pair Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino, was sixth-fastest on a 1:17.035, just ahead of the Real Racing Honda.

The order was completed by the SARD Toyota and the second of the ARTA cars, the No. 16 in which Ren Sato had his first experience in a GT500 car.

Also of note was Honda convert Toshiki Oyu turning his first laps at the wheel of a Toyota with his new team Cerumo on Wednesday afternoon, when the track was hit by rain.

Toyota squad Rookie Racing is now the only GT500 team not to have completed any testing in 2024, although both Kazuya Oshima and Nirei Fukuzumi were among those to drive the marque’s No. 90 test car in Sepang.

GT300 Testing Begins at Fuji Speedway

On Thursday, a two-day SUPER GT-organised test for GT300 cars commenced at Fuji Speedway, with 14 cars taking part.

These notably included Ferrari 296 GT3 users PONOS Racing and Team LeMans, new-for-2024 Nissan team Helm Motorsports and Tsuchiya Engineering with its old Toyota 86 MC as it continues to restore its hand-built GR Supra.

Goodsmile Racing, Team Mach, Team UpGarage, Shade Racing, both apr cars, Kondo Racing, Subaru, LEON Racing and JLOC (with a single car) were the other participants.

Roberto Merhi, who hasn’t been formally confirmed by Team LeMans for 2024, set the fastest time of the day, a 1:35.171, aboard the No. 6 Ferrari 296 GT3 that was running for the first time.

Merhi’s time was 0.279 seconds clear of the Tsuchiya 86 MC, running as a Yokohama test mule with development tires, and 1.211 seconds up on the next-quickest of the regular GT300 runners, the No. 61 Subaru BRZ.

Lilou Wadoux was sixth-fastest aboard the No. 45 PONOS Ferrari that she is piloting solo this week with her teammate Kei Cozzolino away on Asian Le Mans Series duties.

Testing for both GT500 and GT300 cars continues next week. Honda and Toyota will be represented in a two-day test at Suzuka Circuit on Feb. 13-14, with Nissan set to be absent, while a GT300 test is planned for Feb. 14-15 at Okayama.