Initial IGTC Entries Confirmed for Suzuka 10H

Photo: SRO

The initial entry list for the Suzuka 10 Hours has been released, featuring 25 Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli cars that will race alongside local entries in the Japanese 48th Summer Endurance Race.

The number already surpasses last year’s 17 IGTC-nominated entries that contested the race, which featured 35 cars in total.

Full-season IGTC entries dominate the list, with all eight manufacturers represented. 

Championship leaders Mercedes-AMG have nominated single-car entries from GruppeM Racing, Craft-Bamboo, Strakka Racing and Japanese squad GoodSmile Racing.

Defending IGTC champions, Audi, meanwhile, will also utilize both local and season-long teams, with Absolute Racing and Audi Team Hitotsuyama being again joined by WRT. 

Ferrari, which claimed its first IGTC win in last month’s California 8 Hours, meanwhile, will have at least three nominated cars, in apr with ARN Racing and CarGuy Racing joining HubAuto Corsa.

Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour winners Earl Bamber Motorsport, as expected, will again represent Porsche with a pair of Porsche 911 GT3 Rs entered for the German manufacturer’s full-season driver lineups, while two cars will be run by Absolute Racing.

Bentley’s two-full season M-Sport-run Continental GT3s will also be on the grid, alongside the pair of KCMG-entered Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 cars and a single Honda NSX GT3 from Honda Team Motul, which debuted at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Team Schnitzer and Walkenhorst Motorsport, meanwhile, will represent BMW.

An additional four international cars have been entered but will not score IGTC manufacturer points, including a single Aston Martin Vantage GT3 from Garage 59, as well as the expected return of SunEnergy1 Racing. 

More than 40 entries are expected for the Aug. 23-25 race in total, with at least seven additional cars coming from the Pirelli Super Taiku series, with Suzuka being a points-paying race for its ST-X class for GT3 machinery.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John