Abajian Speedway

Honda to compete in Super GT Series GT 500 with HSV-010 GT

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:25:31 GMT

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has officially announced that it will compete in the GT500 class of the 2010 Super GT Series with its HSV-010 GT.

The HSV-010 GT was developed exclusively for racing with the hope of offering thrills and dreams to fans through an unremitting focus on speed - the starting point of all motorsports. The model conforms to the 2010 GT500 Regulations, (including a 3.4-liter V8 engine and an FR layout) issued by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), having earned JAF-GT500 basic vehicle registration.

The HSV-010 GT is slated to debut at the Super GT season opener at the Suzuka Circuit, held on March 20-21 (Sat.-Sun.), 2010.

* The letters "HSV" stand for Honda Sports Velocity.
* Since joining the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) in 1997 with its NSX-GT, Honda has competed in a total of 106 races during 13 years through the end of the 2009 season. During this time, Honda has taken the pole position 50 times and won 37 races.

Kamui Kobayashi signs with Sauber

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:30:08 GMT

Japan's Kamui Kobayashi will drive for Sauber next season, the former BMW-owned Formula One team said on Thursday. The 23-year-old impressed after competing as a stand-in for Germany's Timo Glock at now-departed Toyota in the last two races of this year.

Kamui Kobayashi:
"Ever since the start of my career I have dreamed of racing in Formula One. Now this dream has come true. I am very happy that my two races in 2009 have earned me a cockpit place. I will do my very best for Peter Sauber's team and I am proud to be able to carry on flying the Japanese flag in Formula One."

Peter Sauber, Team Founder:
"I'm very much looking forward to working together with Kamui. In the final two Grand Prix of last season he was granted an unexpected chance to show his skills, and he made impressive use of it. Particularly in the Abu Dhabi race he demonstrated not only that he can drive fast and aggressively, but also his ability to successfully implement a strategy. I am convinced he has a great deal of potential and will be able to make the most of it in our team."

Bridgestone Jerez test / Summary

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:35:24 GMT

Young drivers test Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres
Motor sport's finest up and coming drivers sampled Bridgestone's Potenza Formula One tyres in the final group test of 2009 at the Jerez racing circuit in southern Spain on December 1-3.

All four compounds of 2009 specification dry tyres were available and used at the test. Twenty drivers drove 2602 laps over the course of the three days for the nine attending teams. Bridgestone's intermediate and wet tyres were also used.

Bridgestone's Potenza Formula One tyres are next scheduled to be used at a group test at the beginning of February next year at Valencia, Spain where the 2010 specification tyres will be in use.

Jun Matsuzaki, Chief Engineer:
Q: What was learnt from the young drivers test in Jerez?

Jun Matsuzaki: "This was an interesting test as we had many different drivers, most of whom had little or no experience of Formula One cars. The teams all had different programmes, and all four 2009 dry compounds were available to them. There was a lot of running with heavy cars to simulate the heavier fuel loads of next season so we gained useful data from this."

Q: How was the feedback from the young drivers?

Jun Matsuzaki: "It was good to see so many young drivers here at the same test, and there were more experienced F1 test drivers in action too, so we had a good benchmark. We could see some of these names again in the future and our current F1 drivers will always need to keep looking over their shoulders because of these youngsters."

Q: What will be the changes to the Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres for the next test?

Jun Matsuzaki: "Our 2010 tyres are designed for the requirements of the heavier fuel loads in next year's cars and also for the potential different pit stop strategies we could see without refuelling. The construction is more durable, and the compounds have also been modified. A narrower front tyre will also be introduced to adjust the basic balance of the cars. As tyre characteristics will be changed due to the modifications, we are now working very hard with all teams to enhance their understanding of this. We are very looking forward to seeing how quickly the teams maximise tyre performance within the new regulations of 2010."

Jerez Testing / 3 Dec 2009

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:10:20 GMT

Pos. Driver          Team        Time      Laps
 1.  D. Ricciardo    Red Bull    1:17.418  77
 2.  P. di Resta     Force India 1:18.736  53
 3.  G. Paffett      McLaren     1:18.746  59
 4.  M. Conway       Brawn       1:19.096  77
 5.  N. Hulkenberg   Williams    1:19.226  106
 6.  B. Baguette     Sauber      1:19.356  70
 7.  O. Turvey       McLaren     1:19.358  32
 8.  M. Ericsson     Brawn       1:19.382  49
 9.  L. di Grassi    Renault     1:19.602  123
10.  J. Hildebrand   Force India 1:19.873  41
11.  P. S. Lopez     Ferrari     1:21.147  39
12.  D. Zampieri     Ferrari     1:21.279  42
13.  M. Zipoli       Ferrari     1:21.725  41
14.  B. Hartley      Toro Rosso  1:22.493  50
15.  M. Bortolotti   Toro Rosso  1:23.271  34
16.  H. Tung         Renault     1:32.477  4

All timings are unofficial

Jerez Testing / 2 Dec 2009

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:15:18 GMT

Pos. Driver          Team        Time      Laps
 1.  G. Paffett      McLaren     1:18.718  80
 2.  N. Hulkenberg   Williams    1:19.184  94
 3.  D. Ricciardo    Red Bull    1:19.243  93
 4.  P. di Resta     Force India 1:19.411  58
 5.  E. Gutierrez    Sauber      1:20.190  68
 6.  M. Conway       Brawn       1:20.222  83
 7.  M. Ericsson     Brawn       1:20.440  37
 8.  J. Hildebrand   Force India 1:20.517  50
 9.  J. Bianchi      Ferrari     1:20.585  113
10.  L. di Grassi    Renault     1:20.898  55
11.  H. Tung         Renault     1:21.492  67
12.  M. Bortolotti   Toro Rosso  1:21.761  69

All timings are unofficial

Jerez Testing / 1 Dec 2009

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:55:18 GMT

Pos. Driver          Team        Time      Laps
 1.  A. Soucek       Williams    1:19.158  87
 2.  P. di Resta     Force India 1:19.369  46
 3.  G. Paffett      McLaren     1:19.426  54
 4.  D. Ricciardo    Red Bull    1:19.534  112
 5.  J. Bianchi      Ferrari     1:19.626  90
 6.  M. Conway       Brawn       1:19.920  58
 7.  A. Rossi        Sauber      1:20.227  82
 8.  M. Ericsson     Brawn       1:20.333  49
 9.  B. Baguette     Renault     1:20.511  105
10.  J.R. Hildebrand Force India 1:20.537  49
11.  O. Turvey       McLaren     1:20.856  27
12.  B. Hartley      Toro Rosso  1:21.325  69

All timings are unofficial

2009 FN Driver audition / Times

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:30:20 GMT

DATE: 2009/11/30
WEATHER : RAIN - SUNNY, CONDITION : WET - DRY
SESSION 1: 10:00 - 12:00 / 2: 14:00 - 16:00

Pos. Driver                           Team        Time (AM) Time (PM)
 1.  #31 Naoki Yamamoto (JPN)         Nakajima    -         1:24.666
 2.  # 7 Henki Waldschmidt (NED)      LeMans      ?         1:24.952
 3.  #10 Yuki Nakayama (JPN)          HFDP        -         1:25.073
 4.  #10 Naoki Yamamoto (JPN)         HFDP        1:31.236  -
 5.  #31 Yuki Nakayama (JPN)          Nakajima    ?         -

 T.  #   Daisuke Ito (JPN)            (LeMans)    1:35.938  1:25.361

2009 Formula Nippon / Driver audition

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:40:13 GMT

Japan Race Promotion has announced that three drivers will take part in the 2009 'Formula Nippon Rookie Driver Audition taking place on Monday, 30th November at Fuji Speedway.

Date: Monday, 30th November
Circuit: Fuji Speedway
Session 1: 10:00 - 12:00 / 2: 14:00 - 16:00

HFDP Racing / Nakajima Racing
Naoki Yamamoto (21, JPN, JF3 N Class Champion)
Yuki Nakayama (22, JPN, Super GT)

Team LeMans
Henki Waldschmidt (22, NED, EURO F3)

F3 Macau GP / Race

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:40:31 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/22
WEATHER : SUNNY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : RACE

Pos. Driver                     Time      Laps
 1.  Edoardo Mortara (ITA)      53:07.769 15
 2.  Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA)       + 1.146 15
 3.  Sam Bird (GBR)              + 10.982 15
 4.  Marcus Ericsson (SWE)       + 14.988 15
 5.  Valtteri Bottas (FIN)       + 19.188 15
 6.  Takuto Iguchi (JPN)         + 21.406 15
 7.  Renger van der Zande (NED)  + 22.059 15
 8.  Mika Maki (FIN)             + 29.005 15
 9.  Yuji Kunimoto (JPN)         + 33.348 15
10.  Jules Bianchi (FRA)         + 35.761 15
11.  Victor Garcia (ESP)         + 46.923 15
12.  Carlos Huertas (COL)        + 47.111 15
13.  Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)      + 48.036 15
14.  Koki Saga (JPN)             + 54.965 15
15.  Stef Dusseldorp (NED)     + 1:05.637 15
16.  Henry Arundel (GBR)       + 1:10.699 15
17.  Roberto Merhi (ESP)         - 1 lap  14
18.  Alexander Sims (GBR)        - 1 lap  14
DNF
     Kei Cozzolino (ITA)         - 5 laps 10
     Alexandre Imperatori (SUI) - 12 laps 3
     Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)     - 15 laps 0
     Max Chilton (GBR)          - 15 laps 0
     Daniel Zampieri (ITA)      - 15 laps 0
     Stefano Coletti (MON)      - 15 laps 0
     Brendon Hartley (NZL)      - 15 laps 0
     Jake Rosenzweig (USA)      - 15 laps 0
     Michael Ho (MAC)           - 15 laps 0
     Daniel Mckenzie (GBR)      - 15 laps 0


Fastest Lap
Edoardo Mortara (ITA)           2:10.732 (10/15)

F3 Macau GP / Qualification Race

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:54:58 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/21
WEATHER : CLOUDY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : QUALIFICATION RACE

Pos. Driver                     Time      Laps
 1.  Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA)     31:52.192 10
 2.  Marcus Ericsson (SWE)        + 0.271 10
 3.  Edoardo Mortara (ITA)        + 1.094 10
 4.  Valtteri Bottas (FIN)        + 1.587 10
 5.  Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)       + 2.178 10
 6.  Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)       + 4.598 10
 7.  Sam Bird (GBR)               + 6.093 10
 8.  Takuto Iguchi (JPN)          + 6.665 10
 9.  Roberto Merhi (ESP)          + 8.072 10
10.  Mika Maki (FIN)              + 9.250 10
11.  Renger van der Zande (NED)   + 9.720 10
12.  Yuji Kunimoto (JPN)         + 10.493 10
13.  Alexander Sims (GBR)        + 10.769 10
14.  Victor Garcia (ESP)         + 11.149 10
15.  Max Chilton (GBR)           + 11.627 10
16.  Kei Cozzolino (ITA)         + 13.395 10
17.  Stef Dusseldorp (NED)       + 14.531 10
18.  Koki Saga (JPN)             + 19.317 10
19.  Carlos Huertas (COL)        + 20.060 10
20.  Daniel Zampieri (ITA)       + 20.292 10
21.  Jules Bianchi (FRA)         + 20.624 10
22.  Stefano Coletti (MON)       + 21.332 10
23.  Alexandre Imperatori (SUI)  + 21.974 10
24.  Brendon Hartley (NZL)       + 22.262 10
25.  Daniel Mckenzie (GBR)       + 23.145 10
26.  Michael Ho (MAC)            + 24.222 10
DNF
     Wayne Boyd (GBR)            - 4 laps 6
     Henry Arundel (GBR)         - 5 laps 5
     Jake Rosenzweig (USA)      - 10 laps 0


Fastest Lap
Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA)          2:10.906 (7/10)

F3 Macau GP / Combined Qualifying

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:15:09 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/19-20
WEATHER : SUNNY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : QUALIFYING 1, 2

Pos. Driver                     Q1 Time   Q2 Time
 1.  Marcus Ericsson (SWE)      2:11.811  2:10.042*
 2.  Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA)     2:12.852  2:10.081*
 3.  Valtteri Bottas (FIN)      2:12.910  2:10.108*
 4.  Edoardo Mortara (ITA)      2:11.903  2:10.234*
 5.  Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)     2:11.848  2:10.780*
 6.  Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)     2:12.532  2:11.073*
 7.  Jules Bianchi (FRA)        2:13.084  2:11.279*
 8.  Sam Bird (GBR)             2:12.239  2:11.334*
 9.  Stefano Coletti (MON)      2:12.605  2:11.476*
10.  Mika Maki (FIN)            2:12.636  2:11.812*
11.  Takuto Iguchi (JPN)        2:13.203  2:12.024*
12.  Brendon Hartley (NZL)      2:12.055* 2:12.168
13.  Roberto Merhi (ESP)        2:12.940  2:12.068*
14.  Alexander Sims (GBR)       2:13.078  2:12.256*
15.  Renger van der Zande (NED) 2:13.127  2:12.306*
16.  Yuji Kunimoto (JPN)        2:15.603  2:12.547*
17.  Max Chilton (GBR)          2:12.994  2:12.568*
18.  Wayne Boyd (GBR)           2:14.135  2:12.749*
19.  Carlos Huertas (COL)       2:12.913* 2:14.321
20.  Jake Rosenzweig (USA)      2:15.140  2:13.000*
21.  Kei Cozzolino (ITA)        2:13.453  2:13.051*
22.  Daniel Zampieri (ITA)      No Time   2:13.734*
23.  Victor Garcia (ESP)        2:19.269  2:13.781*
24.  Koki Saga (JPN)            2:14.960  2:13.825*
25.  Stef Dusseldorp (NED)      2:16.062  2:13.946*
26.  Alexandre Imperatori (SUI) 2:16.847  2:14.124*
27.  Henry Arundel (GBR)        2:18.985  2:14.362*
28.  Daniel Mckenzie (GBR)      2:18.431  2:16.210*
29.  Michael Ho (MAC)           2:18.180* 2:18.484
30.  Kevin Chen (TPE)           2:22.667  2:18.910*

F3 Macau GP / Qualifying 2

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:09 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/20
WEATHER : SUNNY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : QUALIFYING 2

Pos. Driver                     Time      Lap
 1.  Marcus Ericsson (SWE)      2:10.042  16
 2.  Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA)     2:10.081  18
 3.  Valtteri Bottas (FIN)      2:10.108  17
 4.  Edoardo Mortara (ITA)      2:10.234  16
 5.  Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)     2:10.780  17
 6.  Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)     2:11.073  16
 7.  Jules Bianchi (FRA)        2:11.279  17
 8.  Sam Bird (GBR)             2:11.334  17
 9.  Stefano Coletti (MON)      2:11.476  17
10.  Mika Maki (FIN)            2:11.812  17
11.  Takuto Iguchi (JPN)        2:12.024  18
12.  Roberto Merhi (ESP)        2:12.068  17
13.  Brendon Hartley (NZL)      2:12.168  15
14.  Alexander Sims (GBR)       2:12.256  16
15.  Renger van der Zande (NED) 2:12.306  17
16.  Yuji Kunimoto (JPN)        2:12.547  16
17.  Max Chilton (GBR)          2:12.568  18
18.  Wayne Boyd (GBR)           2:12.749  8
19.  Jake Rosenzweig (USA)      2:13.000  8
20.  Kei Cozzolino (ITA)        2:13.051  16
21.  Daniel Zampieri (ITA)      2:13.734  17
22.  Victor Garcia (ESP)        2:13.781  17
23.  Koki Saga (JPN)            2:13.825  17
24.  Stef Dusseldorp (NED)      2:13.946  16
25.  Alexandre Imperatori (SUI) 2:14.124  16
26.  Carlos Huertas (COL)       2:14.321  3 
27.  Henry Arundel (GBR)        2:14.362  17
28.  Daniel Mckenzie (GBR)      2:16.210  18
29.  Michael Ho (MAC)           2:18.484  15
30.  Kevin Chen (TPE)           2:18.910  16

F3 Macau GP / Friday Practice

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:10:08 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/20
WEATHER : SUNNY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : FREE PRACTICE 2

Pos. Driver                     Time      Lap
 1.  Edoardo Mortara (ITA)      2:10.593  7
 2.  Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)     2:11.006  13
 3.  Valtteri Bottas (FIN)      2:11.169  13
 4.  Brendon Hartley (NZL)      2:11.193  13
 5.  Marcus Ericsson (SWE)      2:11.285  11
 6.  Sam Bird (GBR)             2:11.285  13
 7.  Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)     2:11.294  12
 8.  Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA)     2:11.340  14
 9.  Stefano Coletti (MON)      2:11.660  12
10.  Jules Bianchi (FRA)        2:11.769  12
11.  Carlos Huertas (COL)       2:12.129  13
12.  Renger van der Zande (NED) 2:12.190  14
13.  Takuto Iguchi (JPN)        2:12.273  15
14.  Alexander Sims (GBR)       2:12.323  11
15.  Roberto Merhi (ESP)        2:12.443  13
16.  Wayne Boyd (GBR)           2:12.586  14
17.  Mika Maki (FIN)            2:12.646  10
18.  Max Chilton (GBR)          2:12.732  12
19.  Koki Saga (JPN)            2:13.453  14
20.  Yuji Kunimoto (JPN)        2:13.557  14
21.  Kei Cozzolino (ITA)        2:13.616  13
22.  Victor Garcia (ESP)        2:13.950  14
23.  Alexandre Imperatori (SUI) 2:14.017  13
24.  Jake Rosenzweig (USA)      2:14.056  13
25.  Daniel Zampieri (ITA)      2:14.493  14
26.  Henry Arundel (GBR)        2:15.787  14
27.  Daniel Mckenzie (GBR)      2:16.548  14
28.  Stef Dusseldorp (NED)      2:16.897  7
29.  Michael Ho (MAC)           2:20.580  9
30.  Kevin Chen (TPE)           2:22.683  5

F3 Macau GP / Qualifying 1

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:05:05 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/19
WEATHER : SUNNY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : QUALIFYING 1

Pos. Driver                     Time      Lap
 1.  Marcus Ericsson (SWE)      2:11.811  16
 2.  Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)     2:11.848  17
 3.  Edoardo Mortara (ITA)      2:11.903  15
 4.  Brendon Hartley (NZL)      2:12.055  16
 5.  Sam Bird (GBR)             2:12.239  16
 6.  Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)     2:12.532  15
 7.  Stefano Coletti (MON)      2:12.605  15
 8.  Mika Maki (FIN)            2:12.636  16
 9.  Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA)     2:12.852  16
10.  Valtteri Bottas (FIN)      2:12.910  7
11.  Carlos Huertas (COL)       2:12.913  17
12.  Roberto Merhi (ESP)        2:12.940  13
13.  Max Chilton (GBR)          2:12.994  16
14.  Alexander Sims (GBR)       2:13.078  16
15.  Jules Bianchi (FRA)        2:13.084  14
16.  Renger van der Zande (NED) 2:13.127  16
17.  Takuto Iguchi (JPN)        2:13.203  16
18.  Kei Cozzolino (ITA)        2:13.453  16
19.  Wayne Boyd (GBR)           2:14.135  15
20.  Koki Saga (JPN)            2:14.960  17
21.  Jake Rosenzweig (USA)      2:15.140  16
22.  Yuji Kunimoto (JPN)        2:15.603  16
23.  Stef Dusseldorp (NED)      2:16.062  16
24.  Alexandre Imperatori (SUI) 2:16.847  8
25.  Michael Ho (MAC)           2:18.180  15
26.  Daniel Mckenzie (GBR)      2:18.431  17
27.  Henry Arundel (GBR)        2:18.985  16
28.  Victor Garcia (ESP)        2:19.269  16
29.  Kevin Chen (TPE)           2:22.667  4

F3 Macau GP / Thursday Practice

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:55:05 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/19
WEATHER : SUNNY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : FREE PRACTICE 1

Pos. Driver                     Time      Lap
 1.  Marcus Ericsson (SWE)      2:13.035  11
 2.  Edoardo Mortara (ITA)      2:13.584  9
 3.  Brendon Hartley (NZL)      2:13.863  11
 4.  Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)     2:13.882  11
 5.  Stefano Coletti (MON)      2:14.175  9
 6.  Valtteri Bottas (FIN)      2:14.411  8
 7.  Roberto Merhi (ESP)        2:14.584  12
 8.  Sam Bird (GBR)             2:14.588  11
 9.  Jules Bianchi (FRA)        2:14.873  10
10.  Renger van der Zande (NED) 2:15.109  10
11.  Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA)     2:15.123  12
12.  Alexander Sims (GBR)       2:15.227  11
13.  Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)     2:15.422  10
14.  Mika Maki (FIN)            2:15.941  10
15.  Daniel Zampieri (ITA)      2:16.159  8
16.  Max Chilton (GBR)          2:16.300  11
17.  Wayne Boyd (GBR)           2:16.719  11
18.  Kei Cozzolino (ITA)        2:16.914  11
19.  Carlos Huertas (COL)       2:16.966  10
20.  Takuto Iguchi (JPN)        2:17.042  11
21.  Koki Saga (JPN)            2:17.490  11
22.  Alexandre Imperatori (SUI) 2:17.504  10
23.  Yuji Kunimoto (JPN)        2:18.603  10
24.  Michael Ho (MAC)           2:20.103  9
25.  Stef Dusseldorp (NED)      2:20.141  10
26.  Jake Rosenzweig (USA)      2:21.245  8
27.  Victor Garcia (ESP)        2:21.361  4
28.  Kevin Chen (TPE)           2:21.791  10
29.  Henry Arundel (GBR)        2:22.145  10
30.  Daniel Mckenzie (GBR)      2:31.980  2

Timetable / F3 Macau GP

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:50:13 GMT

Windsor Arch Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix

Thursday 19th November
10:30-11:00         Practice
14:00-14:45         Qualifying

Friday 20th November
11:15-11:45         Practice
14:45-15:30         Qualifying

Saturday 21st November
13:45-14:35         Qualification Race (10 laps)

Sunday 22nd November
08:20-08:40         Warm Up
15:30-16:30         Race (15 laps)

2009 Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix / Entry list

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:45:14 GMT

Windsor Arch Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix
Provisional Entry List

No.  Driver                     Team
 1.  Marcus ERICSSON (SWE)      TOM'S/Toyota-TOM'S
 2.  Takuto IGUCHI (JPN)        TOM'S/Toyota-TOM'S
 3.  Jules BIANCHI (FRA)        ART Grand Prix/Mercedes-HWA
 4.  Valtteri BOTTAS (FIN)      ART Grand Prix/Mercedes-HWA
 5.  Sam BIRD (GBR)             ART Grand Prix/Mercedes-HWA
 6.  Daniel RICCIARDO (AUS)     Carlin Motorsport/Volkswagen
 7.  Brendon HARTLEY (NZL)      Carlin Motorsport/Volkswagen
 8.  Max CHILTON (GBR)          Carlin Motorsport/Volkswagen
 9.  Henry ARUNDEL (GBR)        Carlin Motorsport/Volkswagen
10.  Kei COZZOLINO (ITA)        Toda Racing/Honda-Toda
11.  Carlo van DAM (NED)        Hitech Racing/Mercedes-HWA
12.  Wayne BOYD (GBR)           Hitech Racing/Mercedes-HWA
14.  Mika MAKI (FIN)            Signature/Volkswagen
15.  Laurens VANTHOOR (BEL)     Signature/Volkswagen
16.  Edoardo MORTARA (ITA)      Signature/Volkswagen
17.  Renger van der ZANDE (NED) City of Dreams/Raikkonen Robertson/Mercedes-HWA
18.  Alexander SIMS (GBR)       City of Dreams/Raikkonen Robertson/Mercedes-HWA
19.  Kevin CHEN (TPE)           Champ Motorsport/Raikkonen Robertson/Mercedes-HWA
20.  Michael HO (MAC)           Champ Motorsport/Manor Motorsport/Mercedes-HWA
21.  Carlos HUERTAS (COL)       Manor Motorsport/Mercedes-HWA
22.  Roberto MERHI (ESP)        Manor Motorsport/Mercedes-HWA
23.  Yuji KUNIMOTO (JPN)        NOW Motor Sport/Toyota-TOM'S
24.  Koki SAGA (JPN)            Le Beausset Motorsports/Toyota-TOM'S
25.  Victor GARCIA (ESP)        Fortec Motorsport/Mercedes-HWA
26.  Daniel MCKENZIE (GBR)      Fortec Motorsport/Mercedes-HWA
27.  Jake ROSENZWEIG (USA)      Fortec Motorsport/Mercedes-HWA
28.  Stefano COLETTI (MON)      Prema Powerteam/Mercedes-HWA
29.  Daniel ZAMPIERI (ITA)      Prema Powerteam/Mercedes-HWA
30.  Stef DUSSELDORP (NED)      Kolles & Heinz Union/Volkswagen
31.  Alexandre IMPERATORI (SUI) Kolles & Heinz Union/Volkswagen

Williams / Season Review

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:10:17 GMT

After a long, but thrilling, season in Formula One, we talk to the team's Technical Director, Sam Michael, about drivers, engines, performance and rule changes...

Q: Thinking about 2009, what are your overall thoughts about the team's season?

Sam Michael: 2009 was a good step forward from where we've been in previous seasons, particularly from an aerodynamic perspective and in terms of consistency of the car across different tracks. It was a very competitive season this year with only a second covering the field at some races, so it was also satisfying when we were getting an extra one or two tenths out the car at those tracks. Overall, this year was a good step forward, but we didn't end it where we wanted to be.

Q: What were the highs and lows?

Sam Michael: I think the high points in terms of performance were when Nico was leading in Malaysia before the rain came and then Singapore before the white line incident. The car's much stronger performance at Silverstone also upped our credibility as well.

Q: And how do you feel Nico and Kazuki performed?

Sam Michael: Nico's done a great job for the team and scored all of our points this year. He's come a long way as a driver since he joined us four years ago and we wish him all the best. Kazuki certainly improved as a driver this year and did a lot of work setting up the car over race weekends. If anything, he drove better this year than last. In 2008 he was scoring points, but in a car that wasn't as competitive. The difference was that this year the field was so tight and therefore the grid so penalising. If you were a couple of tenths off, you just didn't cut it.

Q: The team's three year partnership with Toyota has come to an end with the move to Cosworth. How were Toyota as an engine partner?

Sam Michael: Our relationship with Toyota was excellent. They did some great development work for us and they always went the extra mile. We have only good memories of our time with them. It's a loss for the sport that they have withdrawn, and we wish all the staff at Cologne well for the future.

Q: There were significant changes to the regulations for 2009 with the express purpose of improving the racing. Do you think they worked?

Sam Michael: I think that clearly the changes made the cars easier to follow, however, there's a lot of work that still needs to be done. One of the things that wasn't addressed in the 2009 rule changes was circuit design. If you look at tracks like Barcelona where no one overtakes and take exactly the same cars to tracks like Monza, Hockenheim etc, there's plenty of overtaking. The difference is circuit layout. Organisers need to look closer at creating slower speed corners which feed onto straights and at removing chicanes. If you look at somewhere like Abu Dhabi, there are some good aspects to the circuit, but there are fundamental mistakes. There wasn't good enough racing there and the organisers need to rectify that before next year. You can't keep blaming car design. The FIA are looking into this now and will hopefully solve the problem.

Q: Can you take us through the regulation changes for next season?

Sam Michael: There will be three main changes: narrower front tyres, no refuelling and a ban on wheel farings. Narrower front tyres will shift weight distribution rearwards slightly, which will affect the aerodynamics and set-up of the car because of where the tyres position the wake. With no refuelling permitted, all the fuel will have to be carried at the start of the race, so the driver will have to manage brakes and tyres more effectively than they've ever done. A ban on wheel farings should also improve the wake behind the car, so drivers can get closer to each other. That should help to improve overtaking opportunities.

Q: Looking ahead to 2010, it's all change at Williams, firstly with a completely new driver pairing. Can you explain the choice of Barrichello and Hulkenberg?

Sam Michael: We chose Rubens because he is a multiple Grand Prix winner and has a huge amount of experience; he also still has a huge amount of enthusiasm to win races. He's quick and is the complete package. We're combining Rubens with Nico Hulkenberg, a rookie, but one who's won everything he's competed in since he started karting. Nico has great potential for the future. Combining youth with experience, we have what we wanted.

Q: What can each bring to the team and what are your expectations for them?

Sam Michael: We expect both of them to deliver at the level of the car and beyond. Rubens is already having a motivating effect and we expect him to keep bringing that to everyone at Grove. Nico has worked on the factory floor all year, so everyone knows him and is behind him. We want them both to drive the factory towards wins. Unless you've worked with a race winner, you don't know where that level is and that is something that Rubens will bring us which we anticipate will have a great effect on the team.

Q: The team is switching to Cosworth engines next year. Will they be able to compete against the likes of the Mercedes and Ferraris?

Sam Michael: Cosworth have a lot of work to do over the winter on the dynos, particularly on fuel consumption but, in terms of performance and reliability, it will be difficult to judge how competitive they are until we get out on track. They are an engineering-led company, they're pushing hard and what we've seen so far is encouraging.

Q: How is winter development of the FW32 going?

Sam Michael: It's going really well. It's a big aero race over the winter to see how much downforce you can add and drag you can take off. It's also a matter of optimising all the different design parts and mechanical development as well. Both are areas of intense activity at the moment and we're making good progress, but there's still a lot to do.

Q: When will the FW32 make its track debut?

Sam Michael: In the first week of February with the four, single car tests ahead of Bahrain.

Q: There is a young driver test coming up in December, who will the team have in the cockpit?

Sam Michael: We will be running Andy Soucek on day one as part of his prize for winning the F2 Championhip and then Nico Hulkenberg will take over for the remaining two days.

Q: What are the team's ultimate objectives for 2010 and how will we achieve them?

Sam Michael: Our objective is to push everything to a much higher level from the solid base that we had with the FW31; from our drivers to the engines, chassis and trackside performance. Everyone in the factory is up for that and we want it to be a year about moving to the next level. We need to re-establish ourselves as one of the top teams and 2010 is our best opportunity to do that.

Bridgestone / Season Review

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:45:15 GMT

Q: How would you evaluate the 2009 F1 season from Bridgestone's perspective?

Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport: The 2009 season took place in very difficult economic circumstances but within the sport of Formula One we saw fantastic competition. It was great to see so many race winners and such close racing from the cars on track, despite all of the changes. We continued to provide fair service to all of the teams who this year had new challenges with many rule changes. The return to slick tyres was met with a positive response from the teams and the many millions of fans around the world so this was very good for us. The story of Brawn Grand Prix and Jenson Button winning the Constructors' and Drivers' Championship titles was also remarkable and it was a great pleasure to be a part of it.

Q: What does Bridgestone gain from its Formula One involvement?

Hiroshi Yasukawa: Formula One is a highly visible marketing tool, not just for our brand but also for initiatives like the FIA's Make Cars Green campaign, for which we carry the green bands on the tyres at all events. As well as our brand name featuring on all of our tyres at races there is also circuit branding which gains significant exposure. Through working with many of the world's top motor manufacturers we have learnt many good lessons and established very good working relationships with them. For our sales companies around the world our involvement in Formula One gives them unique and valuable access to many top sporting events.

Q: How important has Formula One been for Bridgestone?

Hiroshi Yasukawa: Formula One has been crucial to us building the Bridgestone brand around the world. In Japan, the name Bridgestone has been famous for most of our company's history however we needed something that would showcase our performance and technology around the world. Formula One achieves this perfectly as it is one of the world's top sports and the only one where our products can be used as part of the sporting activity. We have developed many good business relationships in Formula One and we have worked very closely with the teams, the FIA, FOM, the circuits and it has been a pleasure to work with them this season. We also thank our staff for their hard work this year.

Q: How will Bridgestone approach the 2010 F1 season?

Hiroshi Yasukawa: Next season will be our fourteenth season in Formula One. We will continue to deliver safe tyres to Formula One in a professional manner. Safety is always a priority for us and we will continue to promote environmental matters through the FIA's Make Cars Green campaign. It should be an interesting season as there will be no refuelling, which means that our tyres will change and we will also introduce a narrower front tyre too. There are 19 races scheduled with the return to Canada and a visit to Korea for the first time. We also look forward to welcoming new teams to this fabulous sport.

Q: What were the key factors for Bridgestone in 2009?

Hirohide Hamashima: Director of Motorsport Tyre Development: We re-introduced slick tyres and this was a significant change in philosophy in the Formula One regulations away from the grooved tyres of the previous eleven seasons. The aerodynamic regulation changes meant that teams had to work hard to develop and refine their cars though the season, and this was made harder with there being no testing. We worked very closely with all of the teams to help them to achieve their goals in this intense competition. This season we also responded to requests to make a bigger difference between the two different compounds that the regulations stipulate we bring to races. We achieved this with the concept of different temperature working ranges for our tyre allocations and this added another element of challenge for competitors at races.

Q: Which were the most significant factors for the sport this season?

Hirohide Hamashima: I think that the changes in regulations combined with no testing provided the biggest challenge. Previously there would be test days all through the season and teams would be able to develop their cars and test parts with the luxury of time and mileage. This year's change meant that we saw a variety of competitors at the front of the field, and some incredible developments to the cars over the season despite these limiting factors.

Q: Bridgestone used slick tyres in its first season of Formula One - how much tyre development has there been in the intervening eleven years?

Hirohide Hamashima: We have learnt a lot from our participation in Formula One. The eleven seasons with grooved tyres were very good for our development. A grooved tyre is not a natural racing tyre so making it perform like one was a big challenge. The return to slicks meant we could apply the technology and lessons learnt to the ultimate racing tyre that is a slick.

Q: Next season there will be a smaller front tyre, tell us about this.

Hirohide Hamashima: For 2010 we will have a narrower front tyre. This will help to bring a better grip balance between the front and the rear grip of the cars. When we changed back to slick tyres the grooved tyre size was retained, meaning that the front gained proportionally more grip than the rear. This is addressed by making the front tyre narrower.

Q: Also next year, there will be no refueling - how much of an impact does this have for Bridgestone?

Hirohide Hamashima: The cars will be around 100kg heavier at the start of a race so the tyre needs to be stronger. However, when you consider that the downforce acting on a car can be as much as 2000kg an extra 100kg is not so much of a change for us in terms of our tyre compounds and construction. For competitors the omission of refuelling will add another challenge and I expect we will see an evolution of race strategies through the season as everyone begins to understand what works best. Drivers will have to use their tyre management skills at the beginning of the race, especially at the start, when the cars are heaviest and the tyres at their coolest.

Super GT Round 9 Motegi / Race

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:05:33 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/8
WEATHER : CLOUDY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : RACE
CLASS : GT500

Pos. Team / Tire                    Drivers          Time         Laps
 1.  #  8 ARTA NSX                  R. Firman        1:43:30.913  53
          BS                        T. Izawa
 2.  # 36 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430      J. Wakisaka          + 8.829  53
          BS                        A. Lotterer
 3.  # 17 KEIHIN NSX                T. Kaneishi          + 9.010  53
          BS                        K. Tsukakoshi
 4.  #  6 ENEOS SC430               D. Ito              + 10.440  53
          BS                        B. Wirdheim
 5.  # 39 DUNLOP SARD SC430         A. Couto            + 12.653  53
          DL                        K. Hirate
 6.  # 32 EPSON NSX                 L. Duval            + 13.417  53
          DL                        Y. Nakayama
 7.  # 12 IMPUL CALSONIC GTR        T. Matsuda          + 19.213  53
          BS                        S. Philippe
 8.  #100 RAYBRIG NSX               Y. Ide              + 25.402  53
          BS                        K. Matsuura

 9.  # 35 KRAFT SC430               H. Ishiura          + 26.900  53
          BS                        K. Oshima
10.  # 18 ROCKSTAR DOME NSX         R. Michigami        + 27.811  53
          BS                        T. Kogure
11.  # 24 HIS ADVAN KONDO GTR       J. P. Oliveira      + 38.254  53
          YH                        S. Ara
12.  #  3 HASEMI TOMICA EBBRO GTR   R. Quintarelli      + 42.655  53
          MI                        H. Yasuda
13.  # 38 ZENT CERUMO SC430         Y. Tachikawa      + 1:29.331  53
          BS                        R. Lyons
25.  #  1 MOTUL AUTECH GTR          S. Motoyama         - 5 laps  48
          BS                        B. Treluyer


BS: Bridgestone
DL: Dunlop
MI: Michelin
YH: Yokohama


Fastest lap
# 36 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430 (A. Lotterer)      1:47.602 (3/53)


STARTING GRID
Pos. Team / Tire                    Drivers
 1.  #  8 ARTA NSX                  R. Firman
          BS                        T. Izawa
 2.  # 36 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430      J. Wakisaka
          BS                        A. Lotterer
 3.  #  6 ENEOS SC430               D. Ito
          BS                        B. Wirdheim
 4.  # 38 ZENT CERUMO SC430         Y. Tachikawa
          BS                        R. Lyons
 5.  #  1 MOTUL AUTECH GTR          S. Motoyama
          BS                        B. Treluyer
 6.  # 18 ROCKSTAR DOME NSX         R. Michigami
          BS                        T. Kogure
 7.  #  3 HASEMI TOMICA EBBRO GTR   R. Quintarelli
          MI                        H. Yasuda
 8.  # 39 DUNLOP SARD SC430         A. Couto
          DL                        K. Hirate
 9.  # 17 KEIHIN NSX                T. Kaneishi
          BS                        K. Tsukakoshi
10.  # 12 IMPUL CALSONIC GTR        T. Matsuda
          BS                        S. Philippe
11.  #100 RAYBRIG NSX               Y. Ide
          BS                        K. Matsuura
12.  # 24 HIS ADVAN KONDO GTR       J. P. Oliveira
          YH                        S. Ara
13.  # 32 EPSON NSX                 L. Duval
          DL                        Y. Nakayama
14.  # 35 KRAFT SC430               H. Ishiura
          BS                        K. Oshima

Super GT Round 9 Motegi / Sunday Practice

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:50:39 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/8
WEATHER : CLOUDY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : SUNDAY PRACTICE
CLASS : GT500

Pos. Team / Tire                    Drivers          Time      WH
 1.  # 35 KRAFT SC430               H. Ishiura       1:45.630  0
          BS                        K. Oshima
 2.  #  8 ARTA NSX                  R. Firman        1:47.175  0
          BS                        T. Izawa
 3.  # 39 DUNLOP SARD SC430         A. Couto         1:47.302  0
          DL                        K. Hirate
 4.  # 36 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430      J. Wakisaka      1:47.337  0
          BS                        A. Lotterer
 5.  #  1 MOTUL AUTECH GTR          S. Motoyama      1:47.501  0
          BS                        B. Treluyer
 6.  #  6 ENEOS SC430               D. Ito           1:47.537  0
          BS                        B. Wirdheim
 7.  # 18 ROCKSTAR DOME NSX         R. Michigami     1:47.601  0
          BS                        T. Kogure
 8.  # 12 IMPUL CALSONIC GTR        T. Matsuda       1:47.736  0
          BS                        S. Philippe

 9.  #100 RAYBRIG NSX               Y. Ide           1:47.895  0
          BS                        K. Matsuura
10.  #  3 HASEMI TOMICA EBBRO GTR   R. Quintarelli   1:48.067  0
          MI                        H. Yasuda
11.  # 17 KEIHIN NSX                T. Kaneishi      1:48.115  0
          BS                        K. Tsukakoshi
12.  # 38 ZENT CERUMO SC430         Y. Tachikawa     1:48.339  0
          BS                        R. Lyons
13.  # 32 EPSON NSX                 L. Duval         1:48.922  0
          DL                        Y. Nakayama
14.  # 24 HIS ADVAN KONDO GTR       J. P. Oliveira   1:49.334  0
          YH                        S. Ara


BS: Bridgestone
DL: Dunlop
MI: Michelin
YH: Yokohama

Super GT Round 9 Motegi / Qualifying

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:44:54 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/7
WEATHER : SUNNY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : QUALIFYING
CLASS : GT500

Pos. Team / Tire                    Drivers          Q1 Time   Q2 Time   Q3 Time
 1.  #  8 ARTA NSX                  R. Firman        1:44.854  1:44.864  1:44.390
          BS                        T. Izawa
 2.  # 36 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430      J. Wakisaka      1:44.787  1:45.054  1:44.400
          BS                        A. Lotterer
 3.  #  6 ENEOS SC430               D. Ito           1:44.964  1:45.017  1:44.712
          BS                        B. Wirdheim
 4.  # 38 ZENT CERUMO SC430         Y. Tachikawa     1:45.265  1:45.146  1:44.781
          BS                        R. Lyons
 5.  #  1 MOTUL AUTECH GTR          S. Motoyama      1:45.439  1:44.829  1:45.028
          BS                        B. Treluyer
 6.  # 18 ROCKSTAR DOME NSX         R. Michigami     1:45.298  1:45.204  1:45.118
          BS                        T. Kogure
 7.  #  3 HASEMI TOMICA EBBRO GTR   R. Quintarelli   1:46.086  1:45.489  1:45.316
          MI                        H. Yasuda
 8.  # 39 DUNLOP SARD SC430         A. Couto         1:45.475  1:44.821  1:46.091
          DL                        K. Hirate

 9.  # 17 KEIHIN NSX                T. Kaneishi      1:45.091  1:45.513
          BS                        K. Tsukakoshi
10.  # 12 IMPUL CALSONIC GTR        T. Matsuda       1:45.114  1:45.548
          BS                        S. Philippe
11.  #100 RAYBRIG NSX               Y. Ide           1:45.636  1:45.617
          BS                        K. Matsuura
12.  # 24 HIS ADVAN KONDO GTR       J. P. Oliveira   1:45.882  1:45.687
          YH                        S. Ara
13.  # 32 EPSON NSX                 L. Duval         1:46.087
          DL                        Y. Nakayama
-    # 35 KRAFT SC430               H. Ishiura       No Time
          BS                        K. Oshima


BS: Bridgestone
DL: Dunlop
MI: Michelin
YH: Yokohama

Super GT Round 9 Motegi / Qualifying 1

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:34:53 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/7
WEATHER : SUNNY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : QUALIFYING 1
CLASS : GT500

Pos. Team / Tire                    Drivers          Time      WH
 1.  # 36 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430      J. Wakisaka      1:46.688  0
          BS                        A. Lotterer
 2.  #  8 ARTA NSX                  R. Firman        1:46.916  0
          BS                        T. Izawa
 3.  #  6 ENEOS SC430               D. Ito           1:46.969  0
          BS                        B. Wirdheim
 4.  # 38 ZENT CERUMO SC430         Y. Tachikawa     1:47.007  0
          BS                        R. Lyons
 5.  # 17 KEIHIN NSX                T. Kaneishi      1:47.216  0
          BS                        K. Tsukakoshi
 6.  # 18 ROCKSTAR DOME NSX         R. Michigami     1:47.388  0
          BS                        T. Kogure

 7.  #  1 MOTUL AUTECH GTR          S. Motoyama      1:47.628  0
          BS                        B. Treluyer
 8.  #100 RAYBRIG NSX               Y. Ide           1:47.707  0
          BS                        K. Matsuura
 9.  # 12 IMPUL CALSONIC GTR        T. Matsuda       1:47.833  0
          BS                        S. Philippe
10.  # 39 DUNLOP SARD SC430         A. Couto         1:48.408  0
          DL                        K. Hirate
11.  # 24 HIS ADVAN KONDO GTR       J. P. Oliveira   1:48.850  0
          YH                        S. Ara
12.  #  3 HASEMI TOMICA EBBRO GTR   R. Quintarelli   1:49.811  0
          MI                        H. Yasuda
13.  # 32 EPSON NSX                 L. Duval         1:49.811  0
          DL                        Y. Nakayama
-    # 35 KRAFT SC430               H. Ishiura       1:46.957  0
          BS                        K. Oshima


BS: Bridgestone
DL: Dunlop
MI: Michelin
YH: Yokohama

Super GT Round 9 Motegi / Saturday Practice

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:54:59 GMT

DATE : 2009/11/7
WEATHER : SUNNY, CONDITION : DRY
SESSION : SATURDAY PRACTICE
CLASS : GT500

Pos. Team / Tire                    Drivers          Time      WH
 1.  # 36 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430      J. Wakisaka      1:45.375  0
          BS                        A. Lotterer
 2.  # 12 IMPUL CALSONIC GTR        T. Matsuda       1:46.100  0
          BS                        S. Philippe
 3.  #  8 ARTA NSX                  R. Firman        1:46.109  0
          BS                        T. Izawa
 4.  #  1 MOTUL AUTECH GTR          S. Motoyama      1:46.133  0
          BS                        B. Treluyer
 5.  #  3 HASEMI TOMICA EBBRO GTR   R. Quintarelli   1:46.178  0
          MI                        H. Yasuda
 6.  # 39 DUNLOP SARD SC430         A. Couto         1:46.197  0
          DL                        K. Hirate

 7.  # 35 KRAFT SC430               H. Ishiura       1:46.239  0
          BS                        K. Oshima
 8.  # 18 ROCKSTAR DOME NSX         R. Michigami     1:46.247  0
          BS                        T. Kogure
 9.  #100 RAYBRIG NSX               Y. Ide           1:46.472  0
          BS                        K. Matsuura
10.  # 38 ZENT CERUMO SC430         Y. Tachikawa     1:46.481  0
          BS                        R. Lyons
11.  #  6 ENEOS SC430               D. Ito           1:46.758  0
          BS                        B. Wirdheim
12.  # 32 EPSON NSX                 L. Duval         1:46.990  0
          DL                        Y. Nakayama
13.  # 24 HIS ADVAN KONDO GTR       J. P. Oliveira   1:47.086  0
          YH                        S. Ara
14.  # 17 KEIHIN NSX                T. Kaneishi      1:47.273  0
          BS                        K. Tsukakoshi


BS: Bridgestone
DL: Dunlop
MI: Michelin
YH: Yokohama

Super GT Round 9 Motegi / Information

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:24:58 GMT

2009 AUTOBACS SUPER GT ROUND 9
MOTEGI GT 250km RACE

TIMETABLE
Saturday, 7th November
 9:55-11:40         Practice GT300, GT500
12:50-13:35         Qualifying GT300, GT500
14:25-14:35         Qualifying 1 GT300
14:35-14:45         Qualifying 1 GT500
14:52-14:59         Qualifying 2 GT300
14:59-15:06         Qualifying 2 GT500
15:13-15:20         Qualifying 3 GT300
15:25-15:32         Qualifying 3 GT500

Sunday, 8th November
 8:45-  9:15        Free Practice
13:05-              Warm-up
14:00-              Race (53 laps)

ENTRY LIST FOR GT500 CLASS
No.  Car                       Drivers          Handicap (kg)
#  1 MOTUL AUTECH GTR          S. Motoyama      0
     BS                        B. Treluyer
#  3 HASEMI TOMICA EBBRO GTR   R. Quintarelli   0
     MI                        H. Yasuda
#  6 ENEOS SC430               D. Ito           0
     BS                        B. Wirdheim
#  8 ARTA NSX                  R. Firman        0
     BS                        T. Izawa
# 12 IMPUL CALSONIC GTR        T. Matsuda       0
     BS                        S. Philippe
# 17 KEIHIN NSX                T. Kaneishi      0
     BS                        K. Tsukakoshi
# 18 ROCKSTAR DOME NSX         R. Michigami     0
     BS                        T. Kogure
# 24 HIS ADVAN KONDO GTR       J. P. Oliveira   0
     YH                        S. Ara
# 32 EPSON NSX                 L. Duval         0
     DL                        Y. Nakayama
# 35 KRAFT SC430               H. Ishiura       0
     BS                        K. Oshima
# 36 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430      J. Wakisaka      0
     BS                        A. Lotterer
# 38 ZENT CERUMO SC430         Y. Tachikawa     0
     BS                        R. Lyons
# 39 DUNLOP SARD SC430         A. Couto         0
     DL                        K. Hirate
#100 RAYBRIG NSX               Y. Ide           0
     BS                        S. Hosokawa


BS: Bridgestone
DL: Dunlop
MI: Michelin
YH: Yokohama