Japan Lamborghini Owners Club ( JLOC ) is an organization of Lamborghini car owners in Japan that was formed in 1980 to help information exchange between Lamborghini owners in Japan.
86-535: Members of JLOC would later form Team JLOC , a Japanese auto racing team that currently competes in the GT300 class of Super GT . Team JLOC first entered Super GT in 1994 and has been active in the series ever since, initially fielding cars in the GT500 class before switching to GT300 in 2006 due to the uncompetitiveness of its cars against factory-backed entries in GT500. Cars run by Team JLOC had also previously competed in
172-402: A Murciélago R-GT that was modified by JLOC for endurance racing. JLOC’s Super GT drivers Marco Apicella , Yasutaka Hinoi , and Koji Yamanishi would share the driving duties for the team’s debut at Le Mans. The team completed 283 laps but stopped with three hours left in the race and did not complete the final lap, leaving them non-classified in the final results. The team returned to Le Mans
258-458: A few teams were penalised after the race ended when race officials discovered their pit stops came one lap before the mandatory window had opened. Perhaps the best-known performance balancing system in use in the Super GT is its Success Ballast system, also known as Success Weight and formerly referred to as "weight handicap". Weight penalties are assigned depending on a car's performance during
344-410: A last-lap overtake on GAINER's Ryuichiro Tomita by Kogure, allowed Kondo Racing to clinch the GT300 title after the right front wheel of Kondo's Nissan GT-R GT3 came off the car midway through the race. JLOC first attempted to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2005, but they failed to secure an entry. They entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in 2006 with a Lamborghini Murciélago RG-1LM,
430-465: A managerial role upon his retirement in 2004. Other drivers who were famously associated with the series and still are actively involved in Super GT through team ownership are Masahiro Hasemi , Kazuyoshi Hoshino , Aguri Suzuki , and Kunimitsu Takahashi , with the latter being a former President of the GT Association, which runs the series. The series also attracts drivers who see the series as
516-850: A race during the 2005 season at the Shanghai International Circuit in China , in addition to the existing overseas round at Sepang in Malaysia . However, holding the series in more than two countries would have meant the JGTC would lose its status as a "national championship" under the International Sporting Code of the FIA , and therefore could not keep "Japanese Championship" in its name. The series would instead be classified as an "international championship" by
602-422: A rarity in top-level circuit racing, are further examples of unique GT300 machines. They competed in their original configurations until the early 2000s, when FWD cars were being permitted to be converted to rear-wheel drive configuration. The FWD cars were mostly unsuccessful, failing to win any championships, although a Celica won a race in 1999 after a Porsche 911 was disqualified. Rear-wheel drive cars dominated
688-544: A record five championship races, plus the post-season all-star race, giving them a total of six wins in 1998. The season was marred by a horrific crash at the All Japan Fuji GT Race on May 3, 1998, when Ferrari Club of Japan driver Tetsuya Ota lost control of his Ferrari F355 in heavy rain and fog, and crashed into the stationary Porsche 911 of Tomohiko Sunako . Ota's car erupted into flames upon impact, and fellow racer Shinichi Yamaji rushed to extinguish
774-407: A single race in particular), the handicap system was changed in 2009 to combat sandbagging , discouraging a team from intentionally performing poorly in order to secure a more favorable weight handicap. The ballast is now halved in the penultimate race and lifted altogether in the final race for teams that participated in every round of the season. Teams missing only one round receive halved-ballast in
860-551: A single specification of car. After some delays, technical regulations were fully aligned in 2020, with the GT500 category fully adopting Class One specifications. By 2021 however, DTM switched to a Group GT3 series due to massive manufacturer exodus. Super GT maintained the current technical regulations for GT500, though the "Class 1" moniker would no longer be used. Super GT races take place on well-known Japanese race tracks such as Fuji Speedway , Suzuka Circuit , and Mobility Resort Motegi . The series also races at Autopolis in
946-417: A stepping-stone to Formula One such as Ralf Schumacher and Pedro de la Rosa , as well as former F1 drivers, most famously Érik Comas , who was the series' most successful driver until he stepped down from his position as a number one driver, and 2016 champion Heikki Kovalainen . After a one-off appearance in 2017, 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button drove for Team Kunimitsu in 2018 and 2019, winning
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#17327974078081032-490: A trend that accelerated in 2010 with the introduction of FIA GT cars to the series. In response to the decline of locally produced entries from specialist manufacturers, the GTA worked with Dome to create the " Mother Chassis " ( ja: マザーシャシー ), a low-cost GT300 platform, with the first MC car entering the series in 2014. Mother Chassis cars utilize a standard Dome-produced tub and GTA-branded Nissan VK45DE engine, while maintaining
1118-638: A year after Lamborghini’s introduction as a fully licensed manufacturer in 2009’s Gran Turismo for the PlayStation Portable . JLOC redeveloped the Diablo GT-1 into the Diablo JGT-1 for the 2001 season, which featured a reworked chassis and suspension along with other parts specially built for JGTC. The Diablo JGT-1 was raced for three seasons but despite this, the car continued to score little success as it struggled to compete with
1204-405: Is a spin-off company of Honeywell International Inc. currently supplies exclusive turbocharger kits including wastegate for all Super GT GT500 class cars from 2014 season onwards using a 846519-15 model. The turbocharger spin rev limit spins up to 150,000 rpm but not exceeding 155,000 rpm due to higher turbo boost pressure. Unlike GT500, both works-backed and independent teams compete in GT300, so
1290-449: Is becoming increasingly more difficult for GT500 cars to overtake GT300s, the GTA may review the speed difference between the two classes in the future, especially if the pace of the GT300 cars continues to increase. 2024–present (second generation) Converted to 4WD layout in 2006. Converted to rear-wheel drive layout in 2010. Super GT is unique in its open and blunt statement that it is committed to providing exciting racing first, at
1376-518: Is composed entirely of manufacturer-supported teams, representing the three biggest Japanese automobile manufacturers: Toyota , Honda , and Nissan . Since 2014, GT500 cars have been powered by single-turbocharged, inline four-cylinder engines with two liters of displacement and producing over 650 horsepower. The cars are silhouette racing cars with purpose-built carbon fibre monocoques. The advancements in aerodynamics and horsepower, combined with an ongoing tyre war driving even higher speeds, have made
1462-545: The 1995 season, scoring no championship points and a best finish of 13th at Sendai and Fuji respectively. Wada and Ikezawa were retained as the team’s drivers, although Ikezawa was replaced by Tatsuhiko Kanoumi for the final round at Mine. Tragedy struck the team that year, however, as Terai died from cancer in August. JLOC continued to campaign the Diablo Jota’s for the 1996 season, once again scoring no championship points at
1548-528: The 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Asian Le Mans Series . JLOC was first founded in 1980 by a group of Lamborghini Miura owners due to difficulties with getting spare parts and maintenance of their cars. The original JLOC operated in the Kansai region and was dissolved a few years later, but it was reformed in 1987 following Lamborghini's request. Isao Noritake, who had already become a member of
1634-615: The GT3 cars in the class are closely related to production cars, the JAF-GT machines differ from production vehicles to a greater degree, and in the case of the Mother Chassis cars, share little more than a badge and exterior styling with their road-going counterparts. While engine outputs are at a lower level than the GT500 cars, the GT300 cars still post competitive times and races are relatively tight when combined with GT500 traffic. As it
1720-675: The Honda Civic Type R (FL5). Other models, such as the Nissan Fairlady Z , Lexus SC 430 , Lexus RC F , Lexus LC 500 , Nissan GT-R , and the Honda NSX (NC1) have been used, as well as the Honda HSV-010 GT , a prototype car developed specifically for Super GT with its planned road-going variant having been cancelled. In the earlier years of the GT500 category, a number of foreign manufacturers entered cars in
1806-635: The Kyushu region, Okayama International Circuit in the Chugoku region, and Sportsland Sugo in the Tohoku region. Races are typically single events between 250 and 300 kilometres' distance, with one compulsory pit stop in the middle of the race for driver changes and refuelling. In 2022, the series introduced a new longer-distance format for select races, held over 450 kilometres with two compulsory pit stops. The series had already expanded internationally by
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#17327974078081892-766: The Zen Nihon GT Senshuken ( 全日本GT選手権 ) , generally referred to as the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship ( JGTC ), the series was renamed to Super GT in 2005. It is the top level of sports car racing in Japan. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and run by the GT Association (GTA). Autobacs has been the title sponsor of the series and its predecessor since 1998. The JGTC (Japanese Grand Touring Championship)
1978-490: The #86 team, who finished 9th in the GT300 standings after scoring one podium, one pole position and five points finishes. JLOC continued to enter three RG-3s in 2011 before expanding to a four-car team once more in 2012 after the team acquired two FIA- GT3 specification Gallardos. Manabu Orido and Atsushi Yogo , racing the GT3-specification Gallardo, recorded the team’s new best place finish in
2064-427: The #87 car. Kogure and Motojima enjoyed a better season that year as they were consistently finishing in the points, eventually finishing that year in 8th place with 1 podium finish and five points finishes. Matsuura and Sakaguchi, on the other hand, continued to struggled as they only recorded one points finish at Sugo, eventually finishing 20th in the driver standings. Despite this, all four drivers would be retained by
2150-479: The 2018 title. In the GT300 class, notable drivers include Nobuteru Taniguchi of Goodsmile Racing , who is also well known as a D1GP competitor, and Manabu Orido , a former D1GP judge currently driving for apr Racing. Other well-known drivers in the category were the TV presenter and singer Hiromi Kozono and Masahiko Kondo , who was also a pop star, actor, and racer-turned-GT500 team owner. Another popular GT300 driver
2236-463: The 2020 provisional calendar, but both races were cancelled due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic . As of the 2023 season, the series has yet to stage another race outside of Japan. The International Suzuka 1000km endurance race in late August was the longest and most prestigious event on the Super GT calendar, from 2006 when it was added as a championship round, until 2017, the final year of
2322-598: The FIA, and would therefore require direct authorization from it, rather than the JAF. Initially, JAF announced JGTC would be renamed "Super GT World Challenge" with the goals of "challenge to the world", and "challenge to entertainment"; however, FIA prevented JAF from using it due to confusion of the suffix with "World Championship" (a higher level FIA recognition status) and a dispute with Sports Car Club of America , which ran Speed World Challenge since 1990. On December 10, 2004, it
2408-463: The GT300 class after they homologated the R-GT for GT300 regulations. JLOC made the full switch to GT300 class in the 2006 season and expanded to a two-car team with the addition of the #87 Murciélago RG-1, driven by Koji Yamanishi and Hisashi Wada. The team scored immediate success as the team’s #88 Murciélago RG-1, driven by long-time JLOC driver Marco Apicella and new signing Yasutaka Hinoi , won
2494-610: The GT500 class the fastest form of production-based sports car racing today. The pace of a current GT500 car is roughly equivalent to that of the fastest non-hybrid Le Mans Prototypes . For many years, the Nissan Skyline GT-R , the Toyota Supra , and the Honda NSX (NA1) represented their respective brands in GT500. Today, the three cars competing in GT500 are the Nissan Z (RZ34) , the revived Toyota GR Supra , and
2580-641: The Gallardo GT3’s for another season before they switched to the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 in the 2016 season. The flagship number 88 JLOC car was a consistent points scorer on the team’s first season with the Huracán GT3, finishing 11th in the championship with the driver pairing of Orido and Kazuki Hiramine after scoring 6 top-10 finishes. JLOC’s performance was inconsistent in the following year, but Orido and Hiramine finished 10th in
2666-504: The Murciélago R-GT project, forcing JLOC to compete independently despite being the sole representative for Lamborghini at Le Mans. ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Super GT Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT ) is a sports car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as
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2752-555: The NSX-Concept GT and NSX-GT (both second-generation based models) to run with a midship engine to match the road car's engine position; the waiver expired at the end of 2019 season with the implementation of Class 1 technical regulations, after which Honda was required to redesign the NSX-GT to accommodate a front-engine layout. New GT500 cars were introduced in 2014 in preparation for the future Class 1 Touring Cars , including
2838-556: The appearance of production cars such as the Toyota 86 , Lotus Evora , and Toyota Mark X . The MC concept proved to be popular with independent teams, as well as competitive, with the Toyota 86 MC winning the GT300 championship in 2016. Since 2006, Group GT1 and Group GT2 could race in GT300, and Group GT3 cars are able to enter GT300 since 2010 season. After the 2011 season, GTA announced GT1 and GTE cars are not eligible anymore with
2924-436: The balance of performance are publicly accessible. The regulations stipulate that no single driver drive over two-thirds of the race distance, which affects the timing of pit stops and driver changes, therefore preventing strategy from dominating the competition. Formerly, the regulations went further and required pit stops and driver changes be done within mandatory windows; in 2004, during an exhibition race held at Fontana ,
3010-515: The burnt chassis with a mono-plastic body with plans to enter the 1994 JGTC season, but by the spring of 1994 the project was still unfinished. JLOC, competing under the KEN WOLF with Terai Engineering name in 1994 , was initially unable to enter the season opening race at Fuji Speedway but they were requested to enter the race by the organizers after they heard the news of JLOC’s planned participation. Circuit no Ōkami ’s mangaka Satoshi Ikezawa
3096-561: The car number is assigned to the team, in which each team is allowed to choose whichever number they want as long as the number isn't already used by any other team. The number assigned to each team is permanent, and may only change hands when the team exits the series. The number 1 is reserved for the defending GT500 champion, and the number 0 is reserved for the reigning GT300 champion. For easy identification, headlight covers, windshield decals, and number panels are white on GT500 cars, and yellow on GT300 cars. The top class in Super GT, GT500,
3182-489: The categories derive from their traditional maximum horsepower limit – in the early years of the series, GT500 cars would have no more than 500 horsepower, GT300 cars would max out at around 300 hp. However, the current generation of GT500 engines produce in excess of 650 horsepower. Meanwhile, in present-day GT300, the horsepower range varies from around 400 to just over 550 horsepower; however, GT300 cars have far less downforce than their GT500 counterparts. In both groups,
3268-401: The championship in play up to the final race of the season: only two GT500 teams (ARTA in 2007 and MOLA in 2012) and one GT300 team (GAINER with André Couto in 2015) have managed to clinch a driver's championship prior to the final race. Following repeated cases of teams and drivers not winning a single race but still winning the championship (in 2003, neither the GT500 nor GT300 champions won
3354-436: The championship in the GT300 class. Italian driver Ronnie Quintarelli won the most drivers championship titles with four. Quintarelli also holds the record for the most drivers championship title won by a non-Japanese driver and the most drivers championship won in GT500 class with four. Tatsuya Kataoka and Nobuteru Taniguchi were tied for the record of most drivers championship won in GT300 class with three. Tetsuya Yamano
3440-503: The class by GT3 cars. This reflects a growing interest in the series from European manufacturers, with Audi and BMW fielding works-supported entries. Toyota/Lexus, Nissan, and Subaru also campaign works-supported cars in the class. The GT300 class used to host more exotic cars from the likes of ASL , Mosler , Mooncraft and Vemac , as well as detuned GT500 cars, such as the 2004 title-winning M-TEC NSX. However, starting in 2006, teams increasingly chose to campaign European GT cars instead,
3526-410: The drivers championship title in both classes. Multiverse Partners, through Haro Sports & Entertainment, undertakes the international content syndication of Autobacs Super GT 2019 Series (outside of Japan and Thailand). 1998 All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship The 1998 All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship was the sixth season of Japan Automobile Federation GT premiere racing. It
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3612-420: The early 1990s, JLOC member Teruaki Terai wanted to take part in motorsport despite lacking a race car or a sponsor. In 1993, Terai managed to acquire a fire-damaged Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary that he planned to convert into a race car for the recently established All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship . Terai and Masahiko Mearashi, a former car magazine editor and a JLOC member, planned to reinforce
3698-600: The end of the season. In between the 1996 and 1997 seasons, Lamborghini contracted Signes Advanced Technologies (SAT) to develop the Lamborghini Diablo GT-1 Stradale, a racing version of the Diablo that was planned to be raced in the GT1 class at Le Mans . Financial difficulties would force the company to not go further with the project, but two cars had been built before the project was closed. One of
3784-610: The endurance races, finished 8th after winning the Fuji GT 500 Mile Race. Couto and Lamborghini factory driver Dennis Lind were due to compete with the team in 2020 , but the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that they were unable to foresee their deal with JLOC that year. JLOC would eventually retain Kogure, Motojima and Takahashi for 2020 as Shinnosuke Yamada, who raced with Team UpGarage as their endurance race driver last year,
3870-494: The event in its 1000 km format. The Suzuka 1000 km was replaced with the Intercontinental GT Challenge Suzuka 10 Hours in 2018. That year, Super GT revived the Fuji GT 500 Mile Race (805 km) as the series' new endurance round. It ran from 2018 to 2019, but was not renewed from 2020 onwards. The Golden Week race at Fuji Speedway, held annually on May 4, is also considered to be
3956-403: The expense of runaway investment by works teams. GT500 cars are fitted with many common parts, lowering costs and equalizing the performance of those parts across all competitors. In the GT300 class, air restrictor sizes, minimum weights, ride heights, and maximum turbo boost pressures are modified on a race-to-race basis to balance performance across all cars. All adjustments to the regulations and
4042-467: The factory-backed entries in GT500. JLOC then switched to a brand new Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT for the 2004 season, labeled as the RG-1 by the team, but a lack of spare parts forced the team to race the Diablo JGT-1 for the fourth round at Tokachi. JLOC continued to be uncompetitive with the Murciélago R-GT in GT500 and when JGTC was rebranded into Super GT in the 2005 season, JLOC began to compete in
4128-494: The field tends to be much more varied in terms of types of cars entered. As in GT500, the major Japanese automakers participate in this class, entering cars such as the Toyota Prius and Subaru BRZ , which comply with JAF-GT regulations. However, the GT300 class is predominantly composed of GT3 -class cars from European manufacturers such as Audi and Mercedes , although Toyota/Lexus, Nissan and Honda are also represented in
4214-409: The final race instead. In 2017, the weight handicap system for GT500 cars was amended to add fuel flow restrictions. Actual weight ballast will be capped at 50 kilograms for reasons of practicality and safety. When a car's assigned ballast exceeds 50 kilograms, it will be assigned a lesser amount of weight ballast, but a fuel flow restriction will be imposed, the severity of which increases according to
4300-616: The first Lamborghini car to be featured in Gran Turismo due to a licensing quirk. Sony Computer Entertainment , who at that time did not have the official Lamborghini licensing, paid JLOC to license their Diablo GT-1 for Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec . The licensing controversy meant that the JLOC Diablo only appeared in the NTSC-J version of Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec at Lamborghini’s request and only made its return in Gran Turismo 5 ,
4386-545: The first car in the class to utilize a KERS -assisted hybrid powertrain, the Honda NSX Concept-GT. Common aerodynamic regulations with the DTM were adopted, as was Class 1's turbocharged four-cylinder engine specification. Furthermore, the 2014 rules overhaul also increased the cars' downforce by 30%, while lowering costs. Aerodynamic development above a "design line" wrapping around the fenders, bumpers, and doorsills
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#17327974078084472-534: The following year and was replaced by Takashi Kogure , who had been released from his Honda GT500 factory seat. Since Hiramine was signed by Kondo Racing in the off-season, Yuya Motojima was transferred from the #87 team to join Kogure in the #88 car. Kogure and Motojima would bring JLOC their best-ever championship finish to date as they finished the year in 7th with 36.5 points and 2 podium finishes. The #87 car, primarily driven by Tsubasa Takahashi and former GT300 champion André Couto with Kiyoto Fujinami entered on
4558-473: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, this event has been run as the Fuji GT 500 km Race, but in 2022, the event was shortened to 450 km (100 laps). Due to the effects of the 2009 energy crisis in Japan , the Fuji 500 km and Suzuka 1000 km race distances were shortened. The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and its effects resulted in a further reduction in all race distances for
4644-569: The intention of reducing costs, and adopted full GT3 rule. One of the more unique GT300 competitors was the Mooncraft Shiden MC/RT-16 , a Riley Daytona Prototype -based revival of the original 1977 Mooncraft Shiden 77 (紫電77). It competed from 2006 to 2012, narrowly losing the title in 2006, and winning the championship in 2007. Front-wheel drive cars such as the Mitsubishi FTO , Toyota Celica and Cavalier ,
4730-449: The manufacturers introducing new cars to comply with the new rules. Aerodynamic development was further restricted, and a standardized ECU and suspension were introduced. The standard turbochargers were introduced from the start of 2014 season . The turbo configuration is single-turbocharged and producing the turbo boost level pressure up to 3.5 bar (51 psi ). Swiss-American turbocharger company Garrett Advancing Motion which
4816-504: The models, the racing version of the Diablo GT-1 Stradale, was bought by JLOC for the 1997 JGTC season. Hisashi Wada was also signed by the team to replace Ikezawa. JLOC raced the Diablo GT-1 for the next four seasons. JLOC scored two points finishes with the Diablo GT-1 in 1998 , but they failed to score a championship point in the 1997 , 1999 , and 2000 seasons. The 2000 version of JLOC’s Diablo GT-1 famously became
4902-577: The next year with a driver line-up of Apicella, Yamanishi and Atsushi Yogo. JLOC received logistical support from DAMS for their participation in the 2007 race. Apicella suffered a major crash at the first Mulsanne chicane in the Wednesday first qualifying session, which damaged the RG-1LM beyond repair. JLOC successfully earned a dispensation by the ACO to replace their damaged RG-1LM with a standard R-GT for
4988-461: The original JLOC, was elected as the chairman of the group upon its reformation. Seventeen members became part of the organization when JLOC held their first meeting in Sanza Villa, Lake Hamana in 1988 and by 2000, more than 100 members had joined the organization. The first meeting in 1988 served as the inspiration for Team JLOC's usage of #88 as their primary number in racing competition. In
5074-498: The race itself. In addition, Apicella was declared unfit after the crash, leaving Yamanishi and Yogo to compete as a duo. The team only completed one lap before it was forced to retire due to a broken driveshaft. JLOC didn’t enter the 2008 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and only returned for the 2009 edition with Apicella, Yogo, and Yutaka Yamagishi as the team’s drivers. JLOC suffered numerous mechanical issues throughout practice and qualifying that left them unable to qualify for
5160-639: The race, similar to systems used in the DTM and the BTCC . The system metes out two kilograms of ballast per point scored; it formerly added ballast based on qualifying positions and individual lap times. Stickers on the cars display every car's weight handicap level. In the 2007 season, the Takata NSX team achieved a record-breaking 5 pole positions in the first 7 races, but due to the weight handicap system, they only won one race among those seven. Such regulations keep
5246-558: The race. ACO , however, allowed the team to start the race. As Apicella and a number of mechanics had flown back home after the team’s initial failure to qualify, JLOC elected to start and park the car after completing just one lap. For the 2010 race, JLOC was given an entry after the team won the Okayama 1000km race of 2009 that made up the sole Asian Le Mans Series round of that year. Yogo, Yamanishi, and Hiroyuki Iiri are elected to drive JLOC’s newly-prepared Murciélago LP670 R-SV for
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#17327974078085332-422: The race. The team retired at the 18th hour mark after only completing 138 laps due to suffering from numerous puncture and transmission problems. JLOC never received manufacturer support and struggled to be competitive during their four Le Mans attempts. In an interview with Motorsport.com in 2022, JLOC’s team principal Isao Noritake believes that the project struggled to be competitive because Audi lost interest in
5418-575: The same position as in their production counterparts. However, apr took advantage of a loophole in the regulations to continue to race their mid-engine Prius until 2018, when the team was required to build a new, front-engine Prius. The development of GT300 cars is much more regulated than that of their GT500 counterparts; the GTA works with the Stephane Ratel Organisation to balance the performance of all GT300 cars via technical adjustments in order to create close racing. While
5504-495: The season opening race at Suzuka to give Murciélago its first win in international competition. The #88 team would also score one pole position at Sportsland Sugo and finished 11th in the GT300 standings that year while the #87 team would finish 19th, having scored 3 points finishes and one fastest lap in Suzuka. JLOC expanded further into a four-car team in 2007 , entering two self-developed Lamborghini Gallardo RG-3s alongside
5590-627: The season, before standard distances were restored in 2012. Non-championship rounds have been run sporadically during Super GT's history. The Fuji Sprint Cup was held from 2010 to 2013, consisting of two sprint races per class. The first annual Super GT x DTM Dream Race was held in November 2019, consisting of two sprint races for GT500 and DTM cars, supported by the auto sport Web Sprint Cup, two sprint races for select GT300 teams as well as one-off GT3 entries from other Japanese events. The cars are divided into two classes: GT500 and GT300. The names of
5676-487: The series until 2008 , when an all-wheel drive Subaru Impreza developed by Cusco won in Sepang. An open top car, Renault Sport Spider , made a one-off participation in 1997, also with lack of success. Hybrid cars first raced in the GT300 class in 2012, when apr introduced their Toyota Prius apr GT , and Team Mugen fielded a Honda CR-Z GT . Both cars were heavily modified from their production counterparts. The Prius
5762-584: The series was the Aston Martin DBR9 , which fared poorly in its brief run in 2009 - illustrating the overwhelming advantage in raw pace that the GT500 class cars had over the FIA GT1 category cars that dominated the landscape in Europe; Team Goh , who entered the 1996 F1 GTRs, planned to enter a Maserati MC12 in 2006, but withdrew during testing for similar reasons. In 2012, the GT500 regulations
5848-408: The series' most prestigious event. Held during a major public holiday season, it regularly draws the largest crowds of any Super GT race, with a two-day attendance of 91,000 spectators in 2019. It was the first event of the first official JGTC season in 1994, and has been a permanent fixture of the series' calendar with the exception of 2004, when the circuit was closed for renovations, and 2020, due to
5934-513: The series, with varying success. The Porsche 911 GT2 and the BMW -powered McLaren F1 GTR are, to date, the only foreign cars to win the GT500 championship, when the former won the teams' title in 1995 and the latter won both titles in 1996. A longtail version of the F1 GTR would later score a race victory in 2001. The Ferrari F40 , Porsche 911 Turbo, and Porsche 962. The last foreign-built car to enter
6020-478: The size of the assigned weight handicap. While the amount of actual weight ballast carried may vary, the weight handicap stickers on the cars will continue to display the assigned weight handicap. Like the series, Super GT drivers are very popular in Japan with a growing international fanbase. One driver who gained international appeal is Keiichi Tsuchiya , who raced for the Taisan and ARTA teams before moving to
6106-530: The standings and both JLOC cars finished on the podium at the Suzuka 1000km race. Orido left the team at the end of the 2017 season and was replaced by Lamborghini factory driver Marco Mapelli in the 2018 season. JLOC scored two pole positions that year with the #88 Huracán GT3, but was unable to score a victory as the Team JLOC cars finished 10th and 11th at the end of the season. Mapelli returned to Europe in
6192-472: The standings as the duo finished 8th as the highest finishing team to not score a race win that year. By 2013 , the team had fully phased out the RG-3s and returned into a three-car team, all of them fielding GT3-specification Lamborghini Gallardos. JLOC downscaled further into a two-car team in 2014 and scored one win at Sugo, courtesy of Orido and Takayuki Aoki in the #88 Gallardo GT3. JLOC continued to field
6278-523: The team also secured sponsorship from Rain-X . The car was mostly unsuccessful, having only finished two of the five races it competed in but it managed to score points with an eight place finish in the second round at Sendai . For 1995, JLOC requested Lamborghini to develop a Diablo homologation special for JGTC competition. Three Diablo Jota’s were developed, two for competition purposes and one for road homologation; all three models still exist in Japan. The Diablo Jota would compete in all but one round of
6364-460: The team for the 2022 season. The pairing of Kogure and Motojima went on to finish 13th in the drivers standings, having finished in the top-10 positions five times. Matsuura and Sakaguchi enjoyed a better season as they scored JLOC's lone podium finish of the year in the final round at Motegi and finished 15th in the driver standings. The team also played a crucial role in the championship as two late overtakes from both JLOC cars at Motegi, including
6450-471: The time it was rebranded in 2005. Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia hosted a championship round every year until 2014, when it was replaced by a new event at Chang International Circuit in Buriram , Thailand . Additional overseas races were planned to be held at Shanghai Circuit in 2005, and Yeongam International Circuit in 2013, but both events were cancelled. Buriram and Sepang were both on
6536-544: The two Murciélago RG-1 entries. The team downscaled into a three-car team in the following season as the team phased out one of the Murciélago entries before the Murciélago RG-1 was placed into retirement at the end of the 2009 season. The team competed with three Gallardo RG-3s for the 2010 season and scored their best championship finish at the time with Yamanishi and future series champion Yuhi Sekiguchi in
6622-486: Was Tetsuya Yamano, who runs his own driving school and took the GT300 class victory at Sepang for three consecutive years. Overall, across all classes, 36 different drivers have won the drivers' championship in Super GT. Japan has produced the most winning drivers with 26. For the ten non-Japanese drivers who had become champions, eight of them won the drivers championship in the GT500 class while Macau driver André Couto and Brazilian driver João Paulo de Oliveira won
6708-575: Was announced that new name of JGTC was confirmed as "Super GT". However, despite the name change and several attempts at holding a second overseas race, Super GT has continued to only hold one overseas race per year; in theory, it could regain its status as a national championship and return to JAF jurisdiction. In 2014, Super GT and the German touring car series DTM announced the creation of Class 1 , which would unify GT500's and DTM's technical regulations, allowing manufacturers to race in both series with
6794-514: Was changed in order to provide provisions for four-door vehicles, although none was run until Honda announced that the Civic Type R will replace the outgoing NSX in 2024. In 2010, front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout became the only permitted layout in the class, prompting Honda to initially replace the first generation-based NSX GT with the HSV-010. In 2014, Honda was granted a waiver to allow
6880-716: Was established in 1993 by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) via its subsidiary company the GTA (GT Association), replacing the defunct All Japan Sports Prototype Championship for Group C cars and the Japanese Touring Car Championship for Group A touring cars, which instead would adopt the supertouring formula. Seeking to prevent the spiraling budgets and one-team/make domination of both series, JGTC imposed strict limits on power, and heavy weight penalties on race winners, in an openly stated objective to keep on-track action close with an emphasis on keeping fans happy. The JGTC had planned to hold
6966-504: Was invited by Mearashi to negotiate a deal with exotic car dealership Art Sports to supply a road-going Countach for JLOC. Due to the limited amount of time, the Countach was kept mostly stock but it received modifications to its bodywork, suspension, and engine. Noritake, who had flown to Italy to inform Lamborghini about the project, became Team JLOC’s team manager. F3000 driver Takao Wada and Ikezawa were signed to be their drivers, while
7052-505: Was marked as well as the sixteenth season of a JAF-sanctioned sports car racing championship dating back to the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship . The GT500 class champion was the #23 Pennzoil NISMO Nissan Skyline GT-R driven by Érik Comas and Masami Kageyama, and the GT300 class champion was the #25 Team Taisan Jr with Tsuchiya MR2 driven by Keiichi Suzuki and Shingo Tachi , who won
7138-510: Was powered by a 3.4 liter V8 LMP1 engine, which worked in concert with production Hybrid Synergy Drive components; the CR-Z utilized a 2.8 liter V6 LMP2 engine and a 50 kW Zytek electric motor. Both the CR-Z and Prius were mid-engined, differing from their front-engined road-going counterparts; this resulted in the CR-Z's withdrawal after the 2015 season, as new regulations for 2016 stipulated that GT300 cars' engines were to be located in
7224-446: Was restricted. Over sixty common parts were introduced, including the brakes, diffuser, and rear wing. In response to increasing cornering speeds, another aerodynamic overhaul was introduced in 2017, lowering downforce by 25%. Furthermore, KERS units were banned, although the only manufacturer to utilize such systems, Honda, had already discontinued their usage in 2016. In 2020, Class 1 technical regulations were fully implemented, with
7310-436: Was signed by JLOC to partner Takahashi in the #87 car for the full season. The team struggled in 2020 as they only scored a total of three points finishes with Kogure and Motojima ending up as the best finishing JLOC car in 13th place on the standings. Kogure and Motojima continued to race the #88 JLOC car in 2021 as former IndyCar driver Kosuke Matsuura and Natsu Sakaguchi was signed to create an all-new driver line-up in
7396-429: Was the first driver to win multiple championship as well as the sport's first two-time champion, all of them won consecutively. Three drivers, Toranosuke Takagi in 2005, Jenson Button in 2018, and Nirei Fukuzumi in 2019 have managed to win the championship in their first full-season attempt. As of the end of the 2019 season, Masataka Yanagida and Kazuya Oshima are the only drivers in the series' history to have won
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