SUPER GT 2009 - A New Season Begins
Round 1 : OKAYAMA GT300 KM

The 2009 season of Japan's famous SUPER GT Championship started on the March 21st-22nd weekend, the first race being ran the Okayama international circuit in GT 300km format. After coming quite close, Honda lost the championship last year to the new Nissan R35 Skyline GT-R. This year, Honda continues to challenge for the championship with the ever-dependable NSX, again fielded with 5 teams, basically the same teams as the previous year though there are some minor changes in title sponsors.

The qualifying for the OKAYAMA GT 300km race on March 21 saw the ZENT CERUMO SC430 driven by Yuji Tachikawa on the pole. After running fastest in the morning's session, Tachikawa took his Lexus SC430 out last in the afternoon Super-Lap session and again delivered in the fastest lap (1 min 24.069 sec). This pole was his 14th career pole position in GT competition and also extends his own record for most pole positions won in the SUPER GT. Qualifying second in the GT500 class was another Lexus SC430, making this a fine start for the Lexus camp for the 2009 season. In third comes the venerable R35, in the form of No 24 HIS ADVAN GT-R.

Just out of the top-3 was the No. 18 NSX, this year with a new main sponsor and carrying the team name 'Rockstar-Dome'. Last year's losing defending champion the ARTA NSX is back with its familiar No. 8 number and qualified in P5. Next in P6 was the No. 100 Raybrig NSX with the No. 17 Keihin NSX, this year also with a new main sponsor, in P7. Just outside of the top-10 was the No. 32 Epson NSX. Thus eventhough locked out of the top-3 in the starting grid, the NSX occupied the next 4 positions after, from P4 right to P7.

Race day on March 22nd was a wet affair, with heavy rain making the track conditions bad. No. 24 HIS ADVAN KONDO GT-R's driver, de Oliveira, made a good start from 3rd position on the grid to take the lead. After that, while the other teams struggled with the wet track, he continued run away at a high pace. By the time he turned over the wheel to second drive, Ara, they were already had a massive 60-second lead over the second place competitor. From there on, Ara was able to run comfortably alone in the lead all the way to the checkered and victory.

In contrast to last year's opening race, Honda did relatively very well in this year's opening race. It was a double podium for the NSX, with P2 won by the No. 18 ROCKSTAR DOME NSX and P3 won by No. 8 ARTA NSX. The rest of the 3 NSX'es finished inside the top-10 as well, with No. 17 Keihin NSX in P5, No. 32 Epson in P7 and No. 100 Raybrig in P8. So it can be considered a good start by Honda and the NSX in this year's SUPER GT championship.

WongKN
2009
© Temple of VTEC Asia