Sims Returns as 31-Car Okayama Entry List Released

Factory Corvette driver Alexander Sims will make his first GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS appearance since the opening round at Sepang in the penultimate round of the season at Okayama International Circuit later this month.

Released on Wednesday, the 31-car entry list confirms that Sims will race alongside Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim aboard the No. 66 Johor Motorsports Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R for at the Western Japanese venue on August 29-31.

Sims appeared in JMR’s other car, the No. 99 car driven by title contender Prince Jefri Ibrahim at Sepang, before Ben Green took his place at Mandalika, Buriram and Fuji amid clashes with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

However, Green remains in place aboard the No. 99 Corvette for Okayama, with Prince Abu Bakar’s previous teammate Jordan Love absent from the entry list.

It follows a strong run of form for Green and Prince Jefri in the previous two events at Buriram and Fuji that has propelled the latter to second in the drivers’ standings, seven points behind Origine Motorsport Porsche duo Leo Ye Hongli and Yuan Bo.

There are several other notable changes on the entry list for the SRO GT PowerTour event, which also features the Japan Cup spinoff series.

A clash with the Nürburgring round of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup means Kazuto Kotaka is unavailable to take up his usual seat with Porsche Centre Okazaki, with Naoya Gamou taking his place in the No. 18 car.

Gamou leads the points in SUPER GT’s GT300 class with his regular LEON Racing team, winning at Okayama in April, although he is new to the Porsche 911 GT3 R.

The clash with the Nürburgring race also means Alessio Picariello is absent, his place at Origine Motorsport aboard the No. 4 Porsche being taken by Bastian Buus.

Elsewhere, Edoardo Mortara returns to the wheel of Absolute Corse’s No. 19 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 for the first time since Mandalika, having skipped the last two rounds due to Formula E clashes, joining Vincenzo Ricci in the car.

Danial Frost returns to Craft-Bamboo Racing’s No. 77 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo after skipping Fuji, while Martin Berry is back in the No. 8 EBM Mercedes-AMG, having missed Fuji due to a clash with his new FIA World Endurance Championship duties for Iron Lynx.

Another Mercedes-AMG squad, Elegant Racing, also returns to the field having skipped the Fuji event, balancing out the absence of the Absolute Racing Ferrari 296 GT3.

The Japan Cup meanwhile has attracted a 19-car entry for its third round of the season, of which 14 are GT3s, meaning a total of 50 cars will be in action at Okayama.