Speed lovers had more than what they had bargained for with countless of horsepower went blazing on the already sizzling Sepang International Circuit at the recent 2011 AUTOBACS SUPER GT Round 3 held at 18 – 19 June 2011.
Smile for Malaysia!
34 Grand Tourer cars from both the GT300 and the GT500 class compromising a mix of drivers from all over the world will give a fight for the podium on their insanely fast cars. And although this race originates from Japan, that does not mean only Japanese long-range cruisers will appear in the race. Race-goers will encounter cars like the BMW Z4, Lamborghini Gallardos and even Porsche 911s competing alongside their famous Japanese counterparts like the Nissan GT-R and the Lexus SC430 for the top spot.
The only BMW Z4 in the series
Crossing borders to challenge the Japanese rivals
Another contender from Germany, the Porsche 911
It took the world by storm, and it still is; the mighty Nissan GT-R.
It might not be as famous as the others, but the SC430 sure packs a punch on the tracks.
And on this year’s race, the avid fans of Super GT are in for a new breath of change in the cars as new GT cars are replacing some of the older models that had been taking part in the previous years. The F430 for example, is replaced by the stunningly-looking 458 Italia and the legendary NSX has the HSV-010 to carry on the legacy.
The sole Ferrari 458 Italia in the race by JIMGAINER’s team.
With a menacing yet smooth appearance, the HSV-010 seems to be carrying the NSX’s legacy with pride.
Besides of the cars itself, this year’s Super GT in Sepang has also been “revitalized” by the new management for the Malaysia round, JPM Motorsports. Aiming to create the event as a family-friendly carnival, the Sepang International Circuit was turned into a “festival” filled with booths and stands for everybody at all ages. Flea markets, car shows and food stalls were just a fraction of what filled and made the whole venue much alive. One of the highlight of JPM’s great achievement was the attempt of organizing the largest supercar gathering in Malaysia by lining up an endless stream of high-performance cars on the track itself.
Supercars galore!
The Sepang International Circuit did not only host the Super GT Round 3, but a number of support races were also held to give out more to the speed fans in Malaysia. One of the most adrenaline-pumping support races that took place was the GT Asia Series race which compromises a number of great cars. Spectators were greeted by Ford GTs, Lamborghini Gallardos, Lotus Elises and even a lightning-quick Ferrari 458 Italia that gave the race a great atmosphere with their high-pitched exhaust notes and blistering speeds.
The Ferrari 458 Italia GT; shatteringly loud and fast.
A car from the yesteryears but still has the firepower for today, the Ford GT
Though some refer it as a “squashed VW Beetle”, the 911’s straight-six is not something to be fooled around with
Though World War II has ended for decades, theirs are far from over.
From the Land of the Queen, the baby Aston fights for both fame and glory
Three Lotuses battling it out in the challenge against the drivers
But of course, the real show-stopper was undeniably the exhilarating Super GT race which saw a lot of competition between the great cars and talented drivers. Slick overtakings at tight corners and the breath-taking drafting at the main straight generated a lot of drama and suspense for the whole race at a surprisingly sunny day in Sepang. Among the hopefuls that had a good lead from the previous rounds of the 2011 AUTOBACS SUPER GT were the NISMO team of the GT500 and the JIMGAINER team from GT300 which topped the leader board for the team ranking. But other teams are also gunning for the top spot, like the Keihin Real Racing and also LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM’S which would not give up without a fight.
That is a nice….car…
Do not be fooled, this GT-R is not like the ones that you see on the streets
The Autech MOTUL GT-R waiting its turn for a warm up lap.
JIMGAINER’s Ferrari 458 Italia
Calsonic’s GT-R
The Man who needs no introduction in the Japanese motoring scene, Mr. Tsuchiya Keiichi
Moments before the battle
And no race will ever be free from the haunting of mechanical or technical difficulties that could lead to the loss of precious time, position and points for the team. As much as how they tried to avoid them, there are just some parts that were overseen or even unseen, which was shown by one of the GT300 entries, the SG CHANGI IS350. They had a strong run for 20 laps until a mechanical problem forced them to bail from the race, right at the main straight. Other teams that shared the same fate include the triple a Vantage GT2 and the ZENT Porsche RSR.
SG CHANGI’s IS350 running strong, until…
…the inevitable happened.But the ones that caught the limelight on this Round 3 of Super GT were Weider’s Honda Racing HSV-010 from the GT500 class and the GT300 HATSUNEMIKU GOODSMILE BMW Z4 which thundered on to the top position of the podium, managing to maintain their lead from the starting grid to the finish line. The Weider’s HSV-010 maintained their lead with 14 seconds to spare after the 46-lap stint but as for the GOODSMILE BMW Z4, only a small error was more than enough for them to lose the 1st place as they only had less than a fraction of a second of lead from the 2nd place after 42 laps around Sepang.
The GT500 champion of SUPER GT Round 3, Weider HSV-010
We’re number 1! =D
HATSUNEMIKU GOODSMILE BMW Z4 finishes 1st for the GT300 class
Conquerors of SUPER GT Round 3 in Sepang International Circuit
Nevertheless, their journey to the top was not without any trouble or threats from the rivals that kept giving them constant pressure on the track. For the GT500, the S Road MOLA GT-R and Keihin HSV-010 gave chase to Weider’s HSV from the start all the way to the end, but the inability for them to overtake forced them to finish for the 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
S Road MOLA GT-R coming in 2nd after Weider’s HSV…
…followed by another HSV-010 from Keihin.
On the GT300 class however, saw the JIMGAINER DIXCEL DUNLOP Ferrari 458 Italia fought ferociously for the podium finish which rewarded them the gain of two places from the starting grid, overtaking JLOC Lamborghini RG-3 and PACIFIC NAC IKAMUSUME Ferrari F430. The PACIFIC NAC IKAMUSUME Ferrari F430 finished in 3rd followed by JLOC Lamborghini RG-3 in 4th.
JIMGAINER 458 in 2nd place
PACIFIC NAC IKAMUSUME Ferrari F430 taking 3rd position
JLOC Lamborghini RG-3 in 4th
The winners of the GT300 class. Drivers from the left: JIMGAINER 458; Katsuyuki Hiranaka, Tetsuya Tanaka. HATSUNEMIKU Z4; Taku Bamba, Nobuteru Taniguchi. LMP F430; Hideki Yamauchi, Yutaka Yamagishi.
GT500 victors taking the podium. Drivers from the left: MOLA GT-R; Masataka Yanagida, Ronnie Quintarelli. Weider HSV-010; Loic Duval, Takashi Kogure. Keihin HSV-010; Koudai Tsukakoshi, Toshihiro Kaneishi.
And as the drivers went for their much-awaited rest after a grueling task of commandeering their race machines to the checkered flag, the atmosphere of Sepang International Circuit slowly dies down under the setting sun. As the crew began to pack their equipments to mark the end of Round 3, deep in their minds they are preparing for Round 4 in Sugo at 30 – 31 July 2011. JPM Motorsports had done a very good job on organizing the 2011 AUTOBACS SUPER GT Round 3 in Sepang International Circuit, with lots of changes and entertainment in store for the visitors. Stay tuned to Super GT’s official website at http://supergt.net/jp/ for any latest updates.
As the crowd slowly dies down…
…the media team just got their heads cranking to bring the best of the Super GT Round 3 to the fans out there.
By the way, the Super GT 2011 – Racing Queens Edition is coming very soon, so stay tuned!
