Japan’s Own Exciting GT Series

Among racing categories using cars based on street models, the GT is one generally competed over long distances. GT stands for “grand touring,” and even street models designed to drive at high speeds over long distances are often given the GT name.
GT races are popular throughout the world, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans being one of the most famous examples. Sister events in the Le Mans Series are conducted in Europe and America, including a GT car class.
For the Super GT, the Japanese GT Championship (JGTC), launched in 1994, looked to expand beyond Japan, gaining official recognition from the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) as an international series in 2005, whereupon the series changed its name. Among the nine races scheduled for 2010, one will be held in Malaysia. In addition to Malaysia, this series has made significant efforts to hold other overseas races, including an all-star race in the United States.
Naturally, this series is very popular in Japan, boasting the many years of attracting the most fans of any racing series in the nation. The attraction lies in the fierce competition as car manufacturers put their reputations on the line with their GT car entries, in the fact that Japan’s top drivers participate in the series, and in the glitzy atmosphere promoted at the circuits.

The series includes elements to prevent one car from dominating throughout the year, incorporating weight handicaps based on the results up to prior race. This prevents one team and car from winning week-in and week-out, with the title generally in contest until the last race of the season.

The weight handicap this season calls for adding 2 kg of weight (100 kg maximum) per championship point won in races two through six (no weight handicap for the season-opener). In race seven, cars are weighted 1 kg per point, and there is no weight handicap used for any car in the eighth (final) race of the year.

Cars competing in SUPER GT are separated into the GT500 and GT300 classes, with the GT500 class consisting of high-performance cars of approximately 500 hp developed by manufacturers that compete tooth-and-nail in each series race. Since 2006, Toyota has entered the Lexus SC430 into these races, scoring a championship in its debut year. In 2009, the Lexus SC430 won its second championship in the series.

Cars in the GT300 class are limited to 300 hp according to the rules of the series. Teams are generally smaller than the teams competing in the GT500 class, and rules are designed to keep operating costs down. Entries not only represent Japanese manufacturers, but also sports cars and GT cars from manufacturers around the globe—a wide variety of models and types. This season, Toyota has entered the Lexus IS350 and Toyota Corolla Axio into the series. In 2009 the Lexus IS350 won the season honors.