2013 Super GT Series
The 2013 Autobacs Super GT Series was the twenty-first season of the Japan Automobile Federation Super GT Championship including the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) era, and the ninth season under the name Super GT. It marked the thirty-first season overall of a Japanese professional sportscar championship dating back to the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship. It was the final year of the GT500 regulations introduced in 2010 as the 2014 season would see unified technical regulations with the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.[1] The season began on April 7 and ended on November 17, 2013 after 8 regular races and 1 non championship event.
Apart the series' 8 points-scoring races, the 3 Hours of Fuji, a part of 2013 Asian Le Mans Series organized by Automobile Club de l'Ouest, also counted for points towards the GT300 class.
Schedule
An updated provisional calendar was released on November 1, 2012.[2]
| Round | Race | Circuit | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Okayama GT 300 km |
 Okayama International Circuit
|
April 7 |
| 2 | Fuji GT 1 500 km |
Fuji Speedway
|
April 29 |
| 3 | Super GT International Series Malaysia 300 km |
 Sepang International Circuit
|
June 16 |
| 4 | Sugo GT 300 km |
Sportsland SUGO
|
July 28 |
| 5 | 42nd International Pokka Sapporo 1000km 1000 km |
Suzuka Circuit
|
August 18 |
| 6 | Fuji GT 2 300 km |
Fuji Speedway
|
September 8 |
| Asian LMS |
2013 Asian Le Mans Series 3 Hours of Fuji1 |
Fuji Speedway
|
September 22 |
| 7 | Autopolis GT 300 km |
Autopolis
|
October 6 |
| 8 | Motegi GT 250 km |
Twin Ring Motegi
|
November 3 |
| NC | Fuji Sprint Cup | Fuji Speedway
|
November 232 |
| November 242 |
Notes:
- There was originally a non-championship race to be held at the Korea International Circuit scheduled for May 19 but was postponed and not held during the season.
- ^1 — The 3 Hours of Fuji is an optional points-scoring round that is only open to teams competing in the GT300 class, held as a part of the 2013 Asian Le Mans Series season, where the cars were reclassified as "SGT". Points and success ballast were to be counted if points were awarded to the top 10 finishers in the SGT class; no penalty was to be imposed on success ballast reduction if entrants miss the race.
- ^2 — Originally scheduled for November 16 and 17 but rescheduled to November 23 and 24.[3]
Drivers and teams
GT500
GT300
Driver changes
Team transfers
- Naoki Yamamoto, who competed with Team Kunimitsu last year, swapped seats with Weider Honda Racing's Takashi Kogure.
- Team Mugen's Daisuke Nakajima was promoted to the GT500 class, replacing Yuhki Nakayama at Nakajima Racing. Nakayama will drive for Mugen instead.
- Takashi Kobayashi and Kosuke Matsuura of Autobacs Racing Team Aguri switched classes; Kobayashi moved to the GT300 class, while Matsuura moved to GT500.
Joining Super GT
- Frédéric Makowiecki joined Weider Honda Racing, replacing Carlo van Dam.
- James Rossiter, Force India's test driver, joined TOM'S, replacing Loïc Duval.
- Jörg Müller from Team BMW RLL will race for Goodsmile Racing as the team's third driver in the Suzuka 1000 km.[14]
Leaving Super GT
Mid-season changes
- Ryo Orime was replaced by Yuji Ide at Bonds Racing after the first race of the season.[15]
- Tsubasa Kurosawa joined his brother Haruki at Leon Racing, replacing Masanobu Kato from race three onwards.[16]
- Igor Sushko joined apr[clarification needed] following their switch from an Audi R8 LMS ultra to a Nissan GT-R GT3, replacing Fairuz Fauzy.[17]
Team changes
GT500
- Honda
- With new technical regulations being introduced for the 2014 Super GT season, Honda announced 2013 will be the final year for the Honda HSV-010 GT. For the 2014 season, Honda will base their cars on the Honda NSX.
- Weider Honda Racing will switch to running Michelin tyres for the 2013 season.[18]
- Lexus
- TOM'S expanded to two cars, with the acquisition of Team Kraft's machinery.
- After two seasons competing on Michelin tyres, Lexus Team SARD will compete on Bridgestone tyres for the 2013 season.[19]
- Nissan
GT300
- New technical regulations were in effect for the 2013 season; as a result, LM-GTE class machinery and racing prototypes were no longer eligible, making FIA-GT3 and JAF-GT – based on vehicles currently in production – were the only eligible machinery. This resulted in a switchout of machinery for many teams. Team SGC and Team LMP Motorsports withdrew from the series, as they could not acquire eligible machinery for the class.[21][22]
- After three seasons, A speed announced their withdrawal from the series.[23] Their team was later formally taken over by Arnage, the mechanics of A speed.
- After participating with the Mooncraft Shiden since 2006, Cars Tokai Dream28 would switch to race a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 for 2013.[6]
- Gainer expanded their team to two cars, switching their Audi R8 LMS ultra for two Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3s.
- Green Tec & Leon with Shift, who utilised a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 in 2012, split up into three separate teams: Green Tec, Leon Racing, and Team Shift. With Green Tec backing the R'Qs Motorsports and the other two teams operating separately, the three teams all used a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3.
- Autobacs Racing Team Aguri will switch from running a Garaiya to a Honda CR-Z in their GT300 entry.[24]
- R&D Sport switched to Michelin tyres for the 2013 season.
- Goodsmile Racing scaled back from two cars to a single BMW Z4 GT3 for the 2013 season.[14]
- JLOC scaled back from four cars to three cars, with their JAF-GT specification Lamborghini Gallardo RG-3 becoming no longer eligible for Super GT.
- Team Kraft, a regular Toyota/Lexus GT500 participant since Super GT's establishment, pulled out from GT500 competition at the end of the 2012 season. They will participate in GT300 under Bonds Racing, using a Nissan GT-R GT3.[7]
- Tomei Sports would switch their Callaway Corvette Z06.R GT3 to race with a Nissan GT-R GT3.
- Dijon Racing expanded their team to two cars, racing with both a Nissan GT-R GT3 and a Callaway Corvette Z06.R GT3.
- After a season's absence, Direction Racing will return to GT300 in 2013, with a Porsche 911 GT3R.
Mid-season changes
- Team Mach replaced their Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 with a Nissan GT-R GT3 from the Suzuka 1000 km onwards.[25]
- apr replaced their Audi R8 LMS ultra with a Nissan GT-R GT3 from the Sugo round onwards.[17]
Calendar
Standings
GT500 Drivers
- Scoring system
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Suzuka | 25 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
|
|
GT300 Drivers
- Scoring system
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Suzuka | 25 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| AsLMS Fuji | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
|
JAF Grand Prix
GT500 Drivers
GT300 Drivers
References
- ^ "SUPER GT and DTM agreed to unify technical regulation from 2014". Super GT. October 16, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
- ^ "Changes in the 2013 SUPER GT Calendar". Super GT. November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
- ^ "A change in schedule announced for the Fuji Sprint Cup with a delay for one week, the event will be held during November 22nd – 24th". Super GT. April 22, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Honda 2013 Motorsports Overview". February 8, 2013. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
- ^ "峰尾＆横溝の王座を祝いパーティ開催。来季新車!?". as-web.jp. November 26, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
- ^ a b "カーズ東海が来季新体制を発表。高橋／加藤組継続". as-web.jp. December 25, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
- ^ a b "クラフト、ボンズに名称一新。GT-RでGT300参戦". as-web.jp. February 3, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- ^ "今日は・・・". February 3, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ^ "GAINER、今季はSLSを加え2台体制。ビヨン加入". as-web.jp. January 11, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
- ^ "KTR、来季は13年仕様のポルシェGT3Rで参戦へ". as-web.jp. December 30, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
- ^ "JAF Grand Prix SUPER GT & SUPER FORMULA FUJI SPRINT CUP 2013". Super GT. November 8, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ "アストン来季も継続か。アルナージュが参戦の意向". as-web.jp. December 25, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
- ^ "BRZがミシュラン装着へ。山野／佐々木組継続". as-web.jp. January 11, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
- ^ a b "GSR、今季は谷口＆片岡組の1台体制で参戦". as-web.jp. February 10, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "Bonds Racing、第2戦に向け折目に代え井出を起用". as-web.jp. April 15, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ "LEON RACING、次戦以降黒澤翼を第2ドライバーに". as-web.jp. May 13, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
- ^ a b "apr、R8からGT-Rにスイッチ。OGT!と新たな挑戦". as-web.jp. July 12, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
- ^ "『HSVラストイヤー』に童夢がミシュラン装着へ". as-web.jp. February 8, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
- ^ "レクサス勢激変!? 新エアロ車＆BS装着#39が走行". as-web.jp. December 12, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
- ^ "セパンでGT500の5台がテスト開始。#230がMI装着". as-web.jp. December 25, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
- ^ "TeamSGC、2013年のスーパーGT活動を休止". as-web.jp. February 6, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
- ^ "LMP MOTORSPORT、今季GT300参戦を休止". as-web.jp. February 10, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
- ^ "A speed、今季シーズン限りのチーム解散を宣言". as-web.jp. October 28, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
- ^ "ARTA Project、CR-Zを使用。ゼッケン55に変更". as-web.jp. February 8, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
- ^ "スーパーGT チームマッハ車両変更につき・・・・". as-web.jp. June 25, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
External links
- Super GT official website (in English)