Super GT: A weekend to forget for Audi teams at Okayama

By Tarek Ramchani

Okayama hosted the season opener of the Japanese Super GT series this weekend. As in 2012 the Audi R8 LMS ultra is taking part in the demanding GT300 class. Two Audi teams were present at the event, Hitotsuyama Racing and äpr racing, with some disappointing results in the end.

Both Hitotsuyama Racing and äpr racing are returning to the series with Audi. Hitotsuyama Racing,  unlike last season, is entering a single Audi R8 LMS utlra, a brand new 2013 spec car on Hankook rubber. The #21 ZENT car had an extra 40 kg added by the GTA, the series organizers, as the car is not yet homologated by the FIA. The other car from äpr racing was in its 2012 specification, using Yokohama tires. Both teams struggled in the qualifying sessions. Hitotsuyama Racing finished eighteenth in class, even worse for äpr racing with no time at all.

On race day things were not different, both Audi cars were forced to follow behind. In the end the #30 IWASAKI R8 of äpr racing ended fourteenth in the GT300 class with drivers Yuki Iwasaki and Fairuz Fauzy. The #21 ZENT R8 of Hitotsuyama Racing finished in sixteenth, in the hands of Richard Lyons and Akihiro Tsuzuki. The race win went to the #11 GAINER DIXCEL Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, the same team that gave Audi its first and only GT300 class win in Super GT last year. One thing is clear now, the Audi R8 LMS ultra is severely penalized in Super GT. Since its debut race win last year, at the same Okayama circuit, the car has been facing a very unfair Balance of Performance. The race results of Okayama race are here.

Next stop for Super GT will be at Fuji in three weeks time. We hope that both Audi teams will be allowed to compete fairly.

Photo credit: Hitotsuyama Racing

2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra of Hitotsuyama Racing testing at Fuji

By Tarek Ramchani

The all conquering Audi R8 LMS ultra has received aerodynamic changes for the 2013 season. Two fully detailed threads about the 2013 R16 can be read here and here. 

Hitotsuyama Racing is the first team to unveil their new 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra. The Japanese Audi Sport customer racing team recently tested their car at the Fuji Speedway. The team is set to return to the Japanese Super GT series, the car will be shared by drivers Akihiro Tsuzuki and Richard Lyons. Last year Hitotsuyama Racing entered two older specification Audi R8 LMS cars in the demanding GT300 class with mixed results all season long.

Our friends from RacerLink were on site and offered great photo coverage of the new Hitotsuyama Racing racer. Their topic about Fuji's tests can be seen here.

Photo credit: RacerLink

First 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra delivery

By Johan Laubscher

The first 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra delivery follows shortly on the heels of the first public sighting. On Thursday a new white R8 LMS ultra was spotted in the Netherlands at Schiphol whist in transit, more can be read HERE. Following this sighting in Europe another car, claimed to be the first delivery worldwide, arrived in Japan for Hitotsuyama Racing, on Friday 15 February. The Japanese team have recently put their two older Audi R8 LMS cars up for sale, after making the decision to acquire a new specification Audi R16 for the first time. 

They have taken delivery of a brand new white Audi R8 LMS ultra. They published the first photos on their Facebook page late last night followed by Racerlink and QuattroWorld running the first stories, those can be read HERE and HERE respectively. More detailed photos are available via Racerlink. 

For now it remains speculation whether these two cars are different or indeed the same car in transit. Inspection of the wood foundation in the packaging suggests that they are not the same car, and that the car spotted in Schiphol may be heading to a customer team else where. So far only the cars in the Netherlands and Japan have been widely seen by the public, but more deliveries are expected to come to light soon. 

More information:
Hitotsuyama Racing on Facebook
Racerlink on Facebook
QuattroWorld article
Racerlink article

Photos by Hitotsuyama Racing

Mixed Fuji Sprint Cup race 1 for Audi teams

By Tarek Ramchani

The Japanese Super GT series is hosting its annual non-championship special event this weekend. The Fuji Sprint Cup at the Fuji Speedway. Unlike the usual endurance format, the Fuji Sprint Cup consists of two separate sprint races. Each car is driven by only one driver for each race of the two races individually. Race 1 was already run today in apocalyptic weather.

Four Audi R8 LMS race cars entered the event. The R16 had a very hard qualifying session for race 1. Richard Lyons was the best ranked in twelfth place, with the #21 ZENT Audi R8 LMS. Katsuyuki Hiranaka was fourteenth in the #11 GAINER DIXCEL R8 LMS. Yuya Sakamoto with the #30 IWASAKI MODA KUROCO apr R8 was seventeenth, while Igor Sushko was twenty third driving the #77 investors Audi R8 LMS.

The race do not have a Le Mans style rolling start, but a standing start. Right after the start Richard Lyons with the #21 Audi was forced to retire after damaging the clutch. Heavy rain made the race very difficult. However the Audi drivers were able to recover and improve. In the end Katsuyuki Hiranaka come home in seventh with the #11 Audi, while a great charge by Igor Sushko in the #77 Audi gave him a ninth place finish, not bad starting from the back of the pack.

Race 2 is set for tomorrow. The Audi cars will again start from behind. Tetsuya Tanaka in the #11 Audi will start from fourteenth, Akihiro Tsuzuk #21 R8 from fifteenth, Yuki Iwasaki #30 car from sixteenth and Kenji Kobayashi #77 machine from twenty first. We wish the best of luck for the three Audi teams and the four drivers.

Photo credit: GTA/Super GT

More information:
Super GT official website

Gallery: Audi R8 LMS at Suzuka 1000Km by motorsport.com

By Tarek Ramchani

The Suzuka 1000Km was round 5 and the stellar event of the Japanese Super GT. This year marked the debut of the Audi R8 LMS in this demanding and prestigious Grand Touring endurance race. Four Audi cars were entered in the GT300 class. After a hard and chaotic race with high attrition, the best ranked R8 LMS car was the #11 R8 LMS ultra from GAINER DIXCEL, fifth in class. The second Audi R8 LMS ultra also placed in the top ten, the #30 car from äpr racing. Hitotsuyama Racing had a very hard race with their two R8 LMS cars. The #99 finished outside the top ten after contact during the race and unfortunately the #21 retired late in the proceedings. Motorsport.com, as always, were covering the event with great photos as well. Here the very best from the Audi squad at Suzuka shot by motorsport.com's Eric Gilbert.

Thanks to Motorsport.com for these great photos, and remember to have a look at their online gallery, the biggest motorsport and archive gallery on the internet.

Motorsport.com full photo gallery of Suzuka 1000km

Suzuka 1000Km GT300 results