2020 Super GT Series

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The 2020 Autobacs Super GT Series was motor racing championship based in Japan for grand touring cars. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and run by the GT Association (GTA). It was the twenty-eighth season of the Japan Automobile Federation Super GT Championship which includes the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) era and the sixteenth season the series to compete under the Super GT name. It was the thirty-eighth overall season of a JAF national sportscar championship dating back to the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship.

Contents

Team Kunimitsu and drivers Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino won the Drivers' and Teams' Championships in GT500 for Honda and their new NSX-GT with a front-engine layout. They clinched the championship in the final lap of the final race of the season, after championship rivals TGR Team KeePer TOM's and driver Ryo Hirakawa ran out of fuel at the final corner. Nissan customer racing team Kondo Racing and drivers Kiyoto Fujinami and João Paulo Lima de Oliveira won the GT300 class championships in the second-generation GT-R NISMO GT3.

Schedule

Initial 2020 schedule

On July 26, 2019, the GTA announced the provisional calendar for the 2020 Super GT series, with the number of rounds remaining at 8, but with an increase in the number of overseas races, with the return of Chang International Circuit in Thailand, and for the first time since 2013 Super GT Series, a return to Sepang International Circuit, in Malaysia. Despite its absence in the calendar, Sepang had remained a popular choice for manufacturers when reviewing locations for testing, particularly during the winter months. At the time, dates for neither of the overseas rounds were revealed, although the races were expected to take place between June and August. The Fuji 500 mile  [ ja ] round, introduced to replace the 1000 km of Suzuka, was dropped to avoid a clash with the 2020 Summer Olympics, which would be held in Tokyo. [1] A finalised calendar with the dates for both overseas rounds was revealed during the 2019 Motegi GT 250 km weekend. [2] [3]

Impact of coronavirus pandemic

On March 18, 2020, the original opening round at Okayama International Circuit was postponed to an undetermined date due to the coronavirus pandemic. [4] On March 30, 2020, the second and third rounds at Fuji Speedway and Suzuka Circuit were each postponed. [5] On April 5, 2020, the series released it's first revised calendar, which was scheduled to begin on July 12 at Okayama. With the 2020 Summer Olympics postponed, the Fuji Speedway round, traditionally scheduled for the Golden Week holiday of May 4, was moved to August 9.

On June 4, 2020, a second revision to the calendar was announced. [6] The season was now scheduled to begin on July 19 at Fuji Speedway, the first of three confirmed races that were announced to be held at Fuji, with a fourth added later. Two rounds were scheduled to take place at Suzuka Circuit, with one scheduled for August 23, the date that was originally set for the cancelled 2020 Suzuka 10 Hours. Two rounds were scheduled to take place at Twin Ring Motegi. The rounds at Okayama International Circuit, Autopolis, and Sportsland Sugo in Japan, as well as the round at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, were all cancelled for 2020. [7] On June 8, 2020, it was confirmed that the eighth and final round would take place at Fuji Speedway on November 29, after the round at Chang International Circuit in Thailand, which was provisionally scheduled to take place on December 27, was cancelled. [8] The first event format was announced on June 29, with the first race at Fuji being held at a 300 kilometre distance. [9]

This season saw a number of corporate sponsors purchasing naming rights for individual rounds. Oono Associates purchased naming rights for all four rounds held at Fuji Speedway, under their Takanokono Hotel property based in Matsuyama, Japan. Steel manufacturer Fujimaki Group purchased naming rights for the two rounds held at Suzuka Circuit and Twin Ring Motegi.

RoundRaceCircuitDate
1Takanokono Hotel Fuji GT 300 km Race [9] Flag of Japan.svg Fuji Speedway July 18–19
2August 8–9
3Fujimaki Group Suzuka GT 300 km Race Flag of Japan.svg Suzuka Circuit August 22–23
4Fujimaki Group Motegi GT 300 km Race Flag of Japan.svg Twin Ring Motegi September 12–13
5Takanokono Hotel Fuji GT 300 km Race Flag of Japan.svg Fuji SpeedwayOctober 3–4
6Fujimaki Group Suzuka GT 300 km Race Flag of Japan.svg Suzuka CircuitOctober 24–25
7Fujimaki Group Motegi GT 300 km Race Flag of Japan.svg Twin Ring MotegiNovember 7–8
8Takanokono Hotel Fuji GT 300 km Race Flag of Japan.svg Fuji SpeedwayNovember 28–29

Teams and drivers

A total of 45 teams registered to take part in the 2020 Super GT season, 15 teams from the GT500 class, and 30 teams from the GT300 class.

GT500

TeamMakeCarEngineNo.DriversTyreRounds
Flag of Japan.svg NDDP Racing with B-Max [10] Nissan Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 [10] Nissan NR20B 2.0 L Turbo I4 3 Flag of Japan.svg Kohei Hirate [10] M All
Flag of Japan.svg Katsumasa Chiyo [10]
Flag of Japan.svg ARTA [11] Honda Honda NSX-GT [11] Honda HR-420E 2.0 L Turbo I4 8 Flag of Japan.svg Tomoki Nojiri [11] B All
Flag of Japan.svg Nirei Fukuzumi [11]
Flag of Japan.svg Team Impul [10] Nissan Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 [10] Nissan NR20B 2.0 L Turbo I4 12 Flag of Japan.svg Daiki Sasaki [10] B All
Flag of Japan.svg Kazuki Hiramine [10]
Flag of Japan.svg TGR Team Wako's ROOKIE [12] [13] Toyota GR Toyota GR Supra GT500 [12] Toyota RI4AG 2.0 L Turbo I4 14 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima [13] B All
Flag of Japan.svg Sho Tsuboi [13]
Flag of Japan.svg TGR Team ZENT Cerumo [12] 38 Flag of Japan.svg Yuji Tachikawa [13] B All
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroaki Ishiura [13]
Flag of Japan.svg Team Red Bull Mugen [11] Honda Honda NSX-GT [11] Honda HR-420E 2.0 L Turbo I4 16 Flag of Japan.svg Hideki Mutoh [11] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Ukyo Sasahara [11]
Flag of Japan.svg Keihin REAL Racing [11] Honda Honda NSX-GT [11] Honda HR-420E 2.0 L Turbo I4 17 Flag of Japan.svg Koudai Tsukakoshi [11] B All
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Bertrand Baguette [11]
Flag of Japan.svg TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh [13] Toyota GR Toyota GR Supra GT500 [13] Toyota RI4AG 2.0 L Turbo I4 19 Flag of Japan.svg Yuji Kunimoto [13] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Ritomo Miyata [13]
Flag of Japan.svg NISMO [10] Nissan Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 [10] Nissan NR20B 2.0 L Turbo I4 23 Flag of Japan.svg Tsugio Matsuda [10] M All
Flag of Italy.svg Ronnie Quintarelli [10]
Flag of Japan.svg Kondo Racing [10] Nissan Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 [10] Nissan NR20B 2.0 L Turbo I4 24 Flag of Japan.svg Mitsunori Takaboshi [10] Y All
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jann Mardenborough [10]
Flag of Japan.svg TGR Team au TOM'S [13] Toyota GR Toyota GR Supra GT500 [13] Toyota RI4AG 2.0 L Turbo I4 36 Flag of Japan.svg Yuhi Sekiguchi [13] B All
Flag of France.svg Sacha Fenestraz [13]
Flag of Japan.svg TGR Team KeePer TOM'S [13] 37 Flag of Japan.svg Ryō Hirakawa [13] B All
Flag of New Zealand.svg Nick Cassidy [13] 1–6
Flag of Japan.svg Kenta Yamashita [13] 7–8
Flag of Japan.svg TGR Team SARD [13] Toyota GR Toyota GR Supra GT500 [13] Toyota RI4AG 2.0 L Turbo I4 39 B 1
Flag of Japan.svg Yuichi Nakayama [13] All
Flag of Japan.svg Sena Sakaguchi [14] 2
Flag of Finland.svg Heikki Kovalainen [13] [15] 3–8
Flag of Japan.svg Modulo Nakajima Racing [11] Honda Honda NSX-GT [11] Honda HR-420E 2.0 L Turbo I4 64 Flag of Japan.svg Takuya Izawa [11] D All
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Otsu [11]
Flag of Japan.svg Team Kunimitsu [11] Honda Honda NSX-GT [11] Honda HR-420E 2.0 L Turbo I4 100 Flag of Japan.svg Naoki Yamamoto [11] B All
Flag of Japan.svg Tadasuke Makino [11]

GT300

TeamMakeCarEngineNo.DriversTyreRounds
Flag of Japan.svg Cars Tokai Dream28 Lotus Lotus Evora MC GT300 GTA V8 4.5 L V8 2 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Katoh [16] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Masataka Yanagida [16]
Flag of Japan.svg Goodsmile Racing & Team UKYO [17] Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo [17] Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8 4 Flag of Japan.svg Nobuteru Taniguchi [17] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Tatsuya Kataoka [17]
Flag of Japan.svg Team Mach [18] Toyota Toyota 86 MC GT300 [18] GTA V8 4.5 L V8 5 Flag of Japan.svg Natsu Sakaguchi [18] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Yuya Hiraki [18]
Flag of Japan.svg Advics muta Racing INGING [18] Toyota Toyota 86 MC GT300 [18] GTA V8 4.5 L V8 6 Flag of Japan.svg Ryohei Sakaguchi [18] B All
Flag of Japan.svg Kazuto Kotaka [18] 1–6, 8
Flag of Japan.svg Yuui Tsutsumi [19] 7
Flag of Japan.svg BMW Team Studie × CSL [18] [a]

Flag of Japan.svg Team UpGarage [11] [a]

Flag of Japan.svg ARTA [11] [a]
BMW BMW M6 GT3 [18] BMW S63B44 4.4 L Twin Turbo V8 7 Flag of Japan.svg Seiji Ara [18] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Tomohide Yamaguchi [18]
Honda Honda NSX GT3 Evo [11] Honda JNC1 3.5 L Twin Turbo V6 18 Flag of Japan.svg Takashi Kobayashi [11] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Kosuke Matsuura [11]
55 Flag of Japan.svg Toshiki Oyu [11] B All
Flag of Japan.svg Shinichi Takagi [11] 1–6
Flag of Japan.svg Nobuharu Matsushita 7–8
Flag of Japan.svg Pacific - D'station Racing AMR [20] Aston Martin Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 [20] Aston Martin M177 4.0 L Twin Turbo V8 9 Flag of Japan.svg Tomonobu Fujii [20] M All
Flag of Japan.svg Kei Cozzolino 1–4, 6–7
Flag of Japan.svg Takuro Shinohara 5, 8
Flag of Japan.svg GAINER Nissan Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 [18] Nissan VR38DETT 3.8 L Twin Turbo V6 10 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuki Hoshino [18] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Keishi Ishikawa [18]
11 Flag of Japan.svg Katsuyuki Hiranaka [18] D All
Flag of Japan.svg Hironobu Yasuda [18]
Flag of Japan.svg Audi Team Hitotsuyama [18] Audi Audi R8 LMS Evo [18] Audi DAR 5.2 L V10 21 Flag of Japan.svg Shintaro Kawabata [18] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Tsubasa Kondo [18]
Flag of Japan.svg R'Qs Motor Sports [18] Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG GT3 [18] Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8 22 Flag of Japan.svg Hisashi Wada [18] Y 1–4, 6–8
Flag of Japan.svg Masaki Jyonai [18]
Flag of Japan.svg Arnage Racing [18] 50 Flag of Japan.svg Masaki Kano [18] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Ryosei Yamashita [18] 1–4
Flag of Japan.svg Kizuku Hirota5, 7
Flag of Japan.svg Hideto Yasuoka6, 8
Flag of Japan.svg Hoppy Team Tsuchiya [21] [b]

Flag of Japan.svg Max Racing [13] [b]
Porsche Porsche 911 GT3 R [21] Porsche M98/80 4.2 L F6 25 Flag of Japan.svg Takamitsu Matsui [21] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Kimiya Sato [21]
Lexus Lexus RC F GT3 [13] Lexus 2UR-GSE 5.4 L V8 244 Flag of Japan.svg Rintaro Kubo [13] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Atsushi Miyake [13]
Flag of Japan.svg apr [13] Toyota Toyota GR Sport Prius PHV apr GT [13] Toyota 2UR-GSE 5.4 L V8 30 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroaki Nagai [13] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Manabu Orido [13]
Toyota 2UR-GSE 5.4 L Hybrid V8 31 Flag of Japan.svg Koki Saga [13] B All
Flag of Japan.svg Yuhki Nakayama [13]
Flag of Hong Kong.svg X Works [18] Audi Audi R8 LMS Evo [18] Audi DAR 5.2 L V10 33 Flag of Hong Kong.svg Shaun Thong [18] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Takuro Shinohara [18] 1
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroyuki Matsumura [19] 2
Flag of Japan.svg Takeshi Kimura [15] 3–4
Flag of Japan.svg Kota Sasaki 5–8
Flag of Japan.svg Modulo Drago Corse [11] Honda Honda NSX GT3 Evo [11] Honda JNC1 3.5 L Twin Turbo V6 34 Flag of Japan.svg Ryo Michigami [11] Y All
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jake Parsons [11]
Flag of Thailand.svg arto Ping An Team Thailand [13] Lexus Lexus RC F GT3 [13] Lexus 2UR-GSE 5.4 L V8 35 Flag of Japan.svg Masahiro Sasaki [19] Y 2–5
Flag of Japan.svg Yuui Tsutsumi [19]
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Sean Walkinshaw 6–8
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Mathias Beche
Flag of Japan.svg NILZZ Racing [18] Nissan Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 [18] Nissan VR38DETT 3.8 L Twin Turbo V6 48 Flag of Japan.svg Taiyou Iida [18] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Yuki Tanaka [18] 1–5, 8
Flag of Japan.svg Yusaku Shibata6
Flag of Japan.svg Ryuichiro Tomita 7
Flag of Japan.svg Saitama Toyopet Green Brave [22] Toyota GR Toyota GR Supra GT300 [22] Toyota 2UR-GSE 5.4 L V8 52 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Yoshida [22] B All
Flag of Japan.svg Kohta Kawaai [22]
Flag of Japan.svg Kondo Racing [18] Nissan Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 [18] Nissan VR38DETT 3.8 L Twin Turbo V6 56 Flag of Japan.svg Kiyoto Fujinami [18] Y All
Flag of Brazil.svg João Paulo de Oliveira [18]
Flag of Japan.svg LM Corsa [13] Lexus Lexus RC F GT3 [13] Lexus 2UR-GSE 5.4 L V8 60 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Yoshimoto [13] M All
Flag of Japan.svg Shunsuke Kohno [13]
Flag of Japan.svg R&D Sport [18] Subaru Subaru BRZ R&D Sport [18] Subaru EJ20 2.0 L Turbo F4 61 Flag of Japan.svg Takuto Iguchi [18] D All
Flag of Japan.svg Hideki Yamauchi [18]
Flag of Japan.svg K2 R&D LEON Racing [18] Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo [18] Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8 65 Flag of Japan.svg Naoya Gamou [18] B All
Flag of Japan.svg Togo Suganami [18]
Flag of Japan.svg JLOC [23] Lamborghini Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo [23] Lamborghini DGF 5.2 L V10 87 Flag of Japan.svg Tsubasa Takahashi [23] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Shinnosuke Yamada [23]
88 Flag of Japan.svg Takashi Kogure [23] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Yuya Motojima [23]
Flag of Japan.svg K-tunes Racing [13] Lexus Lexus RC F GT3 [13] Lexus 2UR-GSE 5.4 L V8 96 Flag of Japan.svg Morio Nitta [13] D All
Flag of Japan.svg Sena Sakaguchi [13] 1,3–8
Flag of Japan.svg Shigekazu Wakisaka [14] 2
Flag of Japan.svg Tomei Sports [18] Nissan Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 [18] Nissan VR38DETT 3.8 L Twin Turbo V6 360 Flag of Japan.svg Takayuki Aoki [18] Y All
Flag of Japan.svg Atsushi Tanaka [18] 1, 5, 8
Flag of Japan.svg Yusaku Shibata [19] 2–4
Flag of Japan.svg Takuya Otaki6–7

Vehicle changes

GT500 Class

  • All GT500 vehicles will be prepared to the unified Class One technical regulations created by the GTA and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters' sanctioning body, the ITR. The cars will feature a standard engine control unit (ECU) manufactured by Bosch, who joined Super GT as a sponsor of the series from 2020.
  • After being represented by the Lexus brand from 2006 to 2019, Toyota will field the fifth-generation GR Supra in the GT500 Class, beginning in 2020. The GR Supra will be powered by the same Toyota RI4A powerplant used in its predecessors, the Lexus RC F, and the Lexus LC 500. To reflect the change, all six of Toyota's GT500 entries will carry the "TGR Team" prefix in their team names.
  • After a change in the GT500 technical regulations that state that the engine must be mounted in front of the cockpit, Honda announced that they will field a front-engined version of the traditionally mid-engined NSX-GT in 2020. It will be the first Honda GT500 car with a front-engine layout since the HSV-010 GT raced from 2010 to 2013.
  • Nissan will field an updated version of the GT-R NISMO GT500 in 2020.

GT300 Class

  • Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave will field the fifth-generation Toyota GR Supra in the GT300 Class from 2020. Built to JAF-GT GT300 regulations, the GT300 GR Supra will be powered by Toyota's 5.4 litre 2UR-GSE V8 engine.
  • On December 6, 2019, Tsuchiya Engineering announced a customer racing partnership with Porsche to field the latest 911 GT3-R in the 2020 season. [21]
  • X Works Racing will change from the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 to the Audi R8 LMS GT3 in 2020.

Entrant changes

GT500 Class

  • Honda: On January 10, 2020, Honda announced their Super GT Program. [11]
    • On October 29, 2019, 2018 GT500 Drivers' Champion Jenson Button announced that he would not return to race in Super GT in 2020. Tadasuke Makino, who drove for Nakajima Racing, transferred to Team Kunimitsu in 2020, in place of Button.
    • Team Mugen driver Daisuke Nakajima announced that he retire from racing after 2019 season. Reigning Formula 3 Asian Championship and Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Champion, Ukyo Sasahara, joined Team Mugen to replace Nakajima. Red Bull have become the title sponsor of Team Mugen, beginning in 2020.
    • Narain Karthikeyan who raced with Nakajima Racing, confirmed in January that he would not return to the series. Takuya Izawa moved to Nakajima Racing in an all-new driver lineup alongside fellow GT300 graduate, Hiroki Otsu.
    • Reigning GT300 Drivers' Champion, Nirei Fukuzumi, was promoted by Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (ARTA) to their GT500 car, replacing veteran
  • Nissan: [10]
    • On December 7, 2019, Porsche factory driver Frédéric Makowiecki returned to the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship full-time in 2020, ruling him out for a full-time return to Super GT. His departure from Nissan was confirmed on January 10, 2020, along with that of James Rossiter, who has ended his career in Japan after seven seasons to focus on his role with the DS Techeetah Formula E Team.
    • Katsumasa Chiyo, who raced full-time in the Intercontinental GT Challenge for Nissan in 2019, returns to GT500 on a full-time basis at NDDP Racing with B-Max, replacing Makowiecki.
    • At Team Impul, Kazuki Hiramine steps up from the GT300 class after six seasons, to replace Rossiter.
  • Toyota: Toyota Gazoo Racing announced their 2020 motorsport activities on February 7, 2020. [13]
    • 2019 GT500 Championship winners Team LeMans parted ways with Toyota Gazoo Racing at the end of the season. To replace their entry, a new team, "TGR Team Wako's Rookie," was announced for 2020. The new team is owned by KTR Co. Ltd, with vehicle maintenance being handled by TGR Team Cerumo. Wako Chemical, the title sponsor of Team Le Mans from 2016 to 2019, will be the title sponsor of the new team, and 2005 GT500 Drivers' Champion, Toranosuke Takagi, will be the Team Director. TGR Team Wako's Rookie will carry the number 14, and for the first time since 1998, the number one plate, reserved for the GT500 Champion team, will not be in use. The new TGR Team Wako's Rookie entry will feature 2019 GT500 Champion Kazuya Oshima and 2018 All-Japan Formula Three Champion Sho Tsuboi as its drivers. Kenta Yamashita will not return to the series in 2020, as they will focus solely on their roles in the FIA World Endurance Championship and Japanese Super Formula Championship.
    • Tsuboi's place at TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh will be taken by GT300 graduate and 2019 All-Japan F3 vice-champion Ritomo Miyata, the first person on the autism spectrum to race full-time in the premier class of Super GT. [24]
    • 2019 All-Japan F3 Champion, Sacha Fenestraz, also steps up to the GT500 class, driving for TGR Team au TOM's. Two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Kazuki Nakajima. Masanori Sekiya resigned as executive director of TGR Team TOM's, effective 31 March. [25]
    • Three-time GT500 Drivers' Champion Juichi Wakisaka, who was the Team Director at Team Le Mans from 2016 to 2019, now takes over the same position at TGR Team SARD.

GT300 Class

  • On January 29, 2020, Tsuchiya Engineering announced an expanded partnership with title sponsor Hoppy Beverage Company, with Hoppy CEO Mina Ishiwatari purchasing a share of the team, and changed their name to "Hoppy Team Tsuchiya."
  • Aston Martin Racing customer squad D'station Racing will partner with Pacific Racing under the new name "Pacific-D'station Racing" in 2020, and changed their number from 7 to 9. They will also be the first full-time GT300 entry to run on Michelin tyres since 2014. [20] 2014 Le Mans class winner and Aston Martin factory driver Nicki Thiim was scheduled to join Pacific-D'station Racing for 2020, alongside Tomonobu Fujii.
  • Max Racing, who had competed in the Pirelli Super Taikyu Series' ST-X (FIA GT3) category from 2018 to 2019, announced that they will move up to the GT300 class of Super GT beginning in 2020. [13] Former Super GT driver Tetsuya Tanaka was appointed team director, and the aforementioned Tsuchiya Engineering will be in charge of vehicle maintenance. They will field a Lexus RC F GT3, running on Yokohama tyres. They appointed GT300 veteran Rintaro Kubo and FIA F4 Japanese Championship graduate Atsushi Miyake as their drivers.
  • INGING Motorsport will return to the GT300 class as a stand-alone entry in 2020, fielding a Toyota 86 MC previously used by Panther arto Team Thailand. They will carry the number 6, the number which they had previously used in the 1998 All-Japan GT Championship and had since been used by Team Le Mans until their split from Toyota. Their 86 MC will run on Bridgestone Potenza tyres. The team appointed Toyota Gazoo Racing young driver Kazuto Kotaka and veteran Ryohei Sakaguchi as their full-time driver lineup, joined by third driver Yuui Tsutsumi, who replaced Kotaka for Round 7 at Twin Ring Motegi when Kotaka contracted a high fever.
  • Togo Suganami who drove for K2 R&D LEON Racing for last 2 rounds, will race with the team as the full time driver. The 2018 driver champion Haruki Kurosawa will step back, and work with the team as the team director.
  • Team LeMans announced that they will take over vehicle maintenance and operation for Audi Team Hitotsuyama beginning in 2020. Two-time Nürburgring 24 Hours winner Christopher Mies and former Team Taisan driver Shintaro Kawabata were announced at Audi Team Hitotsuyama, to replace 2004 GT500 Champion Richard Lyons, and Ryuchiro Tomita, who would join Audi Sport Team WRT in the SRO GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup.
  • Lamborghini Squadra Corse driver Dennis Lind was scheduled to join Team JLOC in their number 87 entry alongside Yuya Motojima. 2010 GT500 Champion Takashi Kogure and 2015 GT300 Champion André Couto were announced in the number 88 car.
  • With Kazuki Hiramine and Sacha Fenestraz's respective promotions to GT500, Kondo Racing announced a new lineup for their GT300 team, featuring 2010 Japanese Top Formula Champion João Paulo de Oliveira and two-time Fuji 24 Hours winner Kiyoto Fujinami.
  • BMW Team Studie will enter the GT300 class for the first time since 2017 under the name "BMW Team Studie x CSL", using the current BMW M6 GT3. Kazumichi Goh, the owner of Team Goh Motorsports (who entered Super GT in 2019 as McLaren Customer Racing Japan), was appointed as the Representative Director of the team. BMW Team Studie x CSL welcomes 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Seiji Ara back to the team, alongside rookie gentleman driver Tomohide Yamaguchi. BMW Works driver Augusto Farfus was announced as a third driver, but did not appear due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
  • Two-time GT500 Champion Masataka Yanagida returned to Super GT full-time at Cars Tokai Dream28, replacing gentleman driver Kazuho Takahashi, who retired from racing in the series and will now focus on his role as team executive.
  • All-Japan F3 and Euroformula Open race winner Toshiki Oyu replaced Nirei Fukuzumi at Autobacs Racing Team Aguri in their championship-winning Honda NSX GT3.
  • Australian Jake Parsons returned to Super GT after a two-year absence, driving for Modulo Drago Corse alongside owner/driver Ryo Michigami.
  • Lexus Customer Racing teams K-Tunes Racing and LM Corsa will change tyre suppliers for the 2020 season: K-Tunes Racing will switch from Bridgestone to Dunlop, and LM Corsa will switch from Dunlop to Michelin. [13] All-Japan F3 graduate Shunsuke Kohno replaced Ritomo Miyata at LM Corsa.
  • Kohta Kawaai graduated from the FIA F4 Japanese Championship to drive for Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave.
  • All-Japan F3 National Class race winner Kizuku Hirota joined Arnage Racing as a third driver.
  • Panther arto Team Thailand was renamed arto Ping An Team Thailand, reflecting an increased sponsorship agreement from the Chinese insurance company.

Mid-season changes

Due to travel restrictions put into place as a result of the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic, several driver changes were necessitated, starting from the opening round at Fuji Speedway.

  • Heikki Kovalainen was replaced at TGR Team SARD for Round 1 by 2019 GT500 Champion Kenta Yamashita. For Round 2, Kovalainen was replaced by Sena Sakaguchi, before Kovalainen returned to the team at Suzuka Circuit for Round 3. [26]
  • On 2 November, TGR Team KeePer TOM's announced that Kenta Yamashita will replace Nick Cassidy for the final two races of the season, as Cassidy began preparations for his debut in the 2021 FIA Formula E World Championship.
  • arto Ping An Team Thailand missed Round 1 due to several personnel being unable to enter Japan. Upon their return to the series at Round 2, arto Ping An Team Thailand appointed Masahiro Sasaki and Yuui Tsutsumi to drive for the next four rounds. Sean Walkinshaw and Mathias Beche replaced Sasaki and Tsutsumi from Round 6, after both drivers were cleared to cleared to enter Japan.
  • Nicki Thiim was unable to race with Pacific-D'station Racing in 2020. He was replaced for the first four rounds by Kei Cozzolino. Cozzolino then split the last four races with TCR Japan Series driver Takuro Shinohara, who entered Rounds 5 and 8 at Fuji.
  • Porsche Carrera Cup Japan champion Tsubasa Kondo replaced Christopher Mies at Audi Team Hitotsuyama for the full season.
  • With André Couto and Dennis Lind unable to race with JLOC in 2020, JLOC moved Yuya Motojima to the number 88 car to partner Takashi Kogure. Tsubasa Takahashi and Shinnosuke Yamada were appointed as the new drivers of the number 87 car.
  • X Works Racing hired multiple replacement drivers to partner Shaun Thong. Takuro Shinohara drove in Round 1. Ex-Formula Renault Eurocup driver Hiroyuki Matsumura was entered for Round 2, but failed to pass his rookie certification test during practice. Takeshi Kimura of CarGuy Racing then entered Rounds 3 & 4. Kota Sasaki, the 2005 GT300 Champion, was appointed for the remaining four rounds.
  • After Sena Sakaguchi was called up to TGR Team SARD for Round 2, K-Tunes Racing appointed Shigekazu Wakisaka to replace him in the same event.
  • After the fourth round of the season, Arnage Racing driver Ryosei Yamashita announced that he would be taking a hiatus from racing to focus on his family's business activities. Kizuku Hirota and Hideto Yasuoka split the remaining four races in place of Yamashita.
  • FIA F4 Japanese Championship race winner Takuya Otaki joined Tomei Sports for Rounds 6 and 7.
  • NILZZ Racing appointed Yusaku Shibata to drive in Round 6 at Suzuka Circuit. For Round 7, they appointed Ryuichiro Tomita, who had just completed his first GT World Challenge campaign in Europe.
  • Defending GT300 Champion Shinichi Takagi was injured in a Pirelli Super Taikyu Series crash at Okayama International Speedway on 1 November. [27] FIA Formula 2 race winner Nobuharu Matsushita was announced as Takagi's replacement at Autobacs Racing Team Aguri for the final two rounds of the season. [28]

Results

Drivers credited with winning Pole Position for their respective teams are indicated in bold text.

RoundCircuitDateClassPole PositionRace Winner
1 Flag of Japan.svg Fuji Speedway 19 JulyGT500No. 37 TGR Team KeePer TOM'S No. 37 TGR Team KeePer TOM'S
Flag of New Zealand.svg Nick Cassidy
Flag of Japan.svg Ryō Hirakawa
Flag of New Zealand.svg Nick Cassidy
Flag of Japan.svg Ryō Hirakawa
GT300No. 65 K2 R&D LEON Racing No. 52 Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave
Flag of Japan.svg Naoya Gamou
Flag of Japan.svg Togo Suganami
Flag of Japan.svg Kohta Kawaai
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Yoshida
29 AugustGT500No. 8 ARTA No. 17 Keihin REAL Racing
Flag of Japan.svg Nirei Fukuzumi
Flag of Japan.svg Tomoki Nojiri
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Bertrand Baguette
Flag of Japan.svg Koudai Tsukakoshi
GT300No. 6 Advics muta Racing INGING No. 2 Cars Tokai Dream28
Flag of Japan.svg Kazuto Kotaka
Flag of Japan.svg Ryohei Sakaguchi
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Katoh
Flag of Japan.svg Masataka Yanagida
3 Flag of Japan.svg Suzuka Circuit 23 AugustGT500No. 64 Modulo Nakajima Racing No. 23 NISMO
Flag of Japan.svg Takuya Izawa
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Otsu
Flag of Japan.svg Tsugio Matsuda
Flag of Italy.svg Ronnie Quintarelli
GT300No. 31 aprNo. 11 GAINER
Flag of Japan.svg Yuhki Nakayama
Flag of Japan.svg Koki Saga
Flag of Japan.svg Katsuyuki Hiranaka
Flag of Japan.svg Hironobu Yasuda
4 Flag of Japan.svg Twin Ring Motegi 13 SeptemberGT500No. 38 TGR Team ZENT Cerumo No. 17 Keihin REAL Racing
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroaki Ishiura
Flag of Japan.svg Yuji Tachikawa
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Bertrand Baguette
Flag of Japan.svg Koudai Tsukakoshi
GT300No. 360 Tomei SportsNo. 65 K2 R&D LEON Racing
Flag of Japan.svg Takayuki Aoki
Flag of Japan.svg Yusaku Shibata
Flag of Japan.svg Naoya Gamou
Flag of Japan.svg Togo Suganami
5 Flag of Japan.svg Fuji Speedway 4 OctoberGT500No. 8 ARTA No. 39 TGR Team SARD
Flag of Japan.svg Nirei Fukuzumi
Flag of Japan.svg Tomoki Nojiri
Flag of Japan.svg Yuichi Nakayama
Flag of Finland.svg Heikki Kovalainen
GT300No. 6 Advics muta Racing INGING No. 56 Kondo Racing
Flag of Japan.svg Kazuto Kotaka
Flag of Japan.svg Ryohei Sakaguchi
Flag of Japan.svg Kiyoto Fujinami
Flag of Brazil.svg João Paulo de Oliveira
6 Flag of Japan.svg Suzuka Circuit 25 OctoberGT500No. 8 ARTA No. 23 NISMO
Flag of Japan.svg Nirei Fukuzumi
Flag of Japan.svg Tomoki Nojiri
Flag of Japan.svg Tsugio Matsuda
Flag of Italy.svg Ronnie Quintarelli
GT300No. 96 K-Tunes RacingNo. 21 Audi Team Hitotsuyama
Flag of Japan.svg Morio Nitta
Flag of Japan.svg Sena Sakaguchi
Flag of Japan.svg Shintaro Kawabata
Flag of Japan.svg Tsubasa Kondo
7 Flag of Japan.svg Twin Ring Motegi 8 NovemberGT500No. 64 Modulo Nakajima Racing No. 8 ARTA
Flag of Japan.svg Takuya Izawa
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Otsu
Flag of Japan.svg Nirei Fukuzumi
Flag of Japan.svg Tomoki Nojiri
GT300No. 61 R&D Sport No. 56 Kondo Racing
Flag of Japan.svg Takuto Iguchi
Flag of Japan.svg Hideki Yamauchi
Flag of Japan.svg Kiyoto Fujinami
Flag of Brazil.svg João Paulo de Oliveira
8 Flag of Japan.svg Fuji Speedway 29 NovemberGT500No. 37 TGR Team KeePer TOM'S No. 100 Team Kunimitsu
Flag of Japan.svg Ryō Hirakawa
Flag of Japan.svg Kenta Yamashita
Flag of Japan.svg Tadasuke Makino
Flag of Japan.svg Naoki Yamamoto
GT300No. 52 Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave No. 52 Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave
Flag of Japan.svg Kohta Kawaai
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Yoshida
Flag of Japan.svg Kohta Kawaai
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Yoshida

Championship standings

Drivers' championships

Scoring system
Position1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10thPole
Points20151186543211

GT500

Driver Ranking GT500 2020 Series [29]
RankDriverTeamFUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
SUZ
Flag of Japan.svg
MOT
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
SUZ
Flag of Japan.svg
MOT
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
Points
1 Flag of Japan.svg Naoki Yamamoto
Flag of Japan.svg Tadasuke Makino
Flag of Japan.svg No. 100 Team Kunimitsu 65255Ret3169
2 Flag of Japan.svg Ryō Hirakawa Flag of Japan.svg No. 37 TGR Team KeePer TOM'S 14764Ret6267
3 Flag of Japan.svg Koudai Tsukakoshi
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Bertrand Baguette
Flag of Japan.svg No. 17 Keihin REAL Racing Ret18110105459
4 Flag of Japan.svg Yuhi Sekiguchi
Flag of France.svg Sacha Fenestraz
Flag of Japan.svg No. 39 TGR Team au TOM'S 2231112713356
5 Flag of Japan.svg Tomoki Nojiri
Flag of Japan.svg Nirei Fukuzumi
Flag of Japan.svg No.8 ARTA 81413Ret331554
6 Flag of Japan.svg Tsugio Matsuda
Flag of Italy.svg Ronnie Quintarelli
Flag of Japan.svg No. 23 NISMO 119181117951
7 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima
Flag of Japan.svg Sho Tsuboi
Flag of Japan.svg No. 14 TGR Team Wako's Rookie 339421212Ret47
8 Flag of New Zealand.svg Nick Cassidy Flag of Japan.svg No. 37 TGR Team KeePer TOM'S 14764Ret46
9 Flag of Japan.svg Yuichi Nakayama Flag of Japan.svg No. 39 TGR Team SARD 565911181442
10 Flag of Japan.svg Yuji Tachikawa
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroaki Ishiura
Flag of Japan.svg No. 38 TGR Team ZENT Cerumo 47Ret29510840
11 Flag of Finland.svg Heikki Kovalainen Flag of Japan.svg No. 39 TGR Team SARD 5911181431
12 Flag of Japan.svg Takuya Izawa
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Otsu
Flag of Japan.svg No. 64 Modulo Nakajima Racing 131341013621131
13 Flag of Japan.svg Kohei Hirate
Flag of Japan.svg Katsumasa Chiyo
Flag of Japan.svg No. 3 NDDP Racing with B-Max 7867Ret415629
14 Flag of Japan.svg Hideki Mutoh
Flag of Japan.svg Ukyo Sasahara
Flag of Japan.svg No. 16 Team Red Bull Mugen 1210Ret361341225
15 Flag of Japan.svg Daiki Sasaki
Flag of Japan.svg Kazuki Hiramine
Flag of Japan.svg No. 12 Team Impul Ret111212829724
16 Flag of Japan.svg Kenta Yamashita Flag of Japan.svg No. 39 TGR Team SARD 5 [c] 21 [c]
Flag of Japan.svg No. 37 TGR Team KeePer TOM'S 62
17 Flag of Japan.svg Yuji Kunimoto
Flag of Japan.svg Ritomo Miyata
Flag of Japan.svg No. 19 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh 91510Ret79111010
18 Flag of Japan.svg Sena Sakaguchi Flag of Japan.svg No. 39 TGR Team SARD 65
19 Flag of Japan.svg Mitsunori Takaboshi
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jann Mardenborough
Flag of Japan.svg No. 24 Kondo Racing 1012111314814134
RankDriverTeamFUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
SUZ
Flag of Japan.svg
MOT
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
SUZ
Flag of Japan.svg
MOT
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
Points
ColourResult
GoldWinner
SilverSecond place
BronzeThird place
GreenPoints finish
BlueNon-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
PurpleRetired (Ret)
RedDid not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
BlackDisqualified (DSQ)
WhiteDid not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
BlankDid not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

GT300

Driver Ranking GT300 2020 Series [30]
RankDriverTeamFUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
SUZ
Flag of Japan.svg
MOT
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
SUZ
Flag of Japan.svg
MOT
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
Points
1 Flag of Japan.svg Kiyoto Fujinami
Flag of Brazil.svg João Paulo de Oliveira
Flag of Japan.svg No. 56 Kondo Racing 459201161271
2 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Yoshida
Flag of Japan.svg Kohta Kawaai
Flag of Japan.svg No. 52 Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave 1612254Ret4162
3 Flag of Japan.svg Naoya Gamou
Flag of Japan.svg Togo Suganami
Flag of Japan.svg No. 65 K2 R&D LEON Racing 646131019459
4 Flag of Japan.svg Toshiki Oyu Flag of Japan.svg No. 55 ARTA 73267278745
5 Flag of Japan.svg Takuto Iguchi
Flag of Japan.svg Hideki Yamauchi
Flag of Japan.svg No. 61 R&D Sport Ret24316125844
6 Flag of Japan.svg Katsuyuki Hiranaka
Flag of Japan.svg Hironobu Yasuda
Flag of Japan.svg No. 11 GAINER 22116101591843
7 Flag of Japan.svg Shinichi Takagi Flag of Japan.svg No. 55 ARTA 732672738
8 Flag of Japan.svg Nobuteru Taniguchi
Flag of Japan.svg Tatsuya Kataoka
Flag of Japan.svg No. 4 Goodsmile Racing with Team UKYO 927898321536
9 Flag of Japan.svg Ryohei Sakaguchi Flag of Japan.svg No. 6 Advics muta Racing INGING 14913167222334
9 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuto Kotaka Flag of Japan.svg No. 6 Advics muta Racing INGING 149131672334
10 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Katoh
Flag of Japan.svg Masataka Yanagida
Flag of Japan.svg No. 2 Cars Tokai Dream281213132711242331
11 Flag of Japan.svg Shintaro Kawabata
Flag of Japan.svg Tsubasa Kondo
Flag of Japan.svg No. 21 Audi Team Hitotsuyama178255141131229
12 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuki Hoshino
Flag of Japan.svg Keishi Ishikawa
Flag of Japan.svg No. 10 GAINER 51051112217622
13 Flag of Japan.svg Takashi Kogure
Flag of Japan.svg Yuya Motojima
Flag of Japan.svg No. 88 JLOC 2515272613RetRet20
14 Flag of Japan.svg Natsu Sakaguchi
Flag of Japan.svg Yuya Hiraki
Flag of Japan.svg No. 5 Team Mach3112923154RetRet19
15 Flag of Japan.svg Takashi Kobayashi
Flag of Japan.svg Kosuke Matsuura
Flag of Japan.svg No. 18 Team UpGarage 221821418Ret162515
16 Flag of Japan.svg Morio Nitta Flag of Japan.svg No. 96 K-tunes Racing 1123284265172215
16 Flag of Japan.svg Sena Sakaguchi Flag of Japan.svg No. 96 K-tunes Racing 11284265172215
17 Flag of Japan.svg Takayuki Aoki Flag of Japan.svg No. 360 Tomei SportsRet121127251732112
18 Flag of Japan.svg Koki Saga
Flag of Japan.svg Yuhki Nakayama
Flag of Japan.svg No. 31 apr2714715518271012
19 Flag of Japan.svg Takuya Otaki Flag of Japan.svg No. 360 Tomei Sports17311
20 Flag of Japan.svg Takamitsu Matsui
Flag of Japan.svg Kimiya Sato
Flag of Japan.svg No. 25 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya 192014811961410
21 Flag of Japan.svg Tomonobu Fujii Flag of Japan.svg No. Pacific - D'station Racing AMR 1019101824242558
22 Flag of Japan.svg Ryo Michigami
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jake Parsons
Flag of Japan.svg No. 34 Modulo Drago Corse 871910132714178
23 Flag of Japan.svg Nobuharu Matsushita Flag of Japan.svg No. 55 ARTA 877
24 Flag of Japan.svg Takuro Shinohara Flag of Hong Kong.svg No. 33 X Works186
Flag of Japan.svg No. 9 Pacific - D'station Racing AMR 245
25 Flag of Japan.svg Tsubasa Takahashi
Flag of Japan.svg Shinnosuke Yamada
Flag of Japan.svg No. 87 JLOC 262516Ret17626Ret5
26 Flag of Japan.svg Seiji Ara
Flag of Japan.svg Tomohide Yamaguchi
Flag of Japan.svg No. 7 BMW Team Studie × CSL 152221Ret9818195
27 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroki Yoshimoto
Flag of Japan.svg Shunsuke Kohno
Flag of Japan.svg No. 60 LM Corsa 1316171222141292
28 Flag of Italy.svg Kei Cozzolino Flag of Japan.svg No. 9 Pacific - D'station Racing AMR 101910182424252
29 Flag of Japan.svg Hiroaki Nagai
Flag of Japan.svg Manabu Orido
Flag of Japan.svg No. 30 apr2117Ret24202010131
30 Flag of Japan.svg Yusaku Shibata Flag of Japan.svg No. 360 Tomei Sports121127251
Flag of Japan.svg No. 48 NILZZ Racing25
Flag of Japan.svg Yuki Tanaka Flag of Japan.svg No. 48 NILZZ Racing23262221282511200
Flag of Japan.svg Ryuichiro Tomita Flag of Japan.svg No. 48 NILZZ Racing110
Flag of Japan.svg Rintaro Kubo
Flag of Japan.svg Atsushi Miyake
Flag of Japan.svg No. 244 Max Racing 1613202619WD15240
Flag of Japan.svg Masahiro Sasaki
Flag of Japan.svg Yuui Tsutsumi
Flag of Thailand.svg No. 35 arto Ping An Team ThailandRet1519210
Flag of Hong Kong.svg Shaun Thong Flag of Hong Kong.svg No. 33 X Works18Ret2417292220160
Flag of Japan.svg Masaki Kano Flag of Japan.svg No. 50 Arnage Racing20241822232321110
Flag of Japan.svg Ryosei Yamashita Flag of Japan.svg No. 50 Arnage Racing202418220
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Sean Walkinshaw
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Mathias Beche
Flag of Thailand.svg No. 35 arto Ping An Team Thailand1923260
Flag of Japan.svg Taiyou Iida Flag of Japan.svg No. 48 NILZZ Racing2326222128200
Flag of Japan.svg Shigekazu Wakisaka Flag of Japan.svg No. 96 K-tunes Racing 230
Flag of Japan.svg Hisashi Wada
Flag of Japan.svg Masaki Jyonai
Flag of Japan.svg No. 22 R'Qs Motor Sports242823Ret2628270
Flag of Japan.svg Atsushi Tanaka Flag of Japan.svg No. 360 Tomei SportsRet250
Flag of Japan.svg Hiroyuki Matsumura Flag of Hong Kong.svg No. 33 X WorksRet0
RankDriverTeamFUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
SUZ
Flag of Japan.svg
MOT
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
SUZ
Flag of Japan.svg
MOT
Flag of Japan.svg
FUJ
Flag of Japan.svg
Points

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Car No. 7 entered as BMW Team Studie × CSL, car No. 18 entered as Team UpGarage, and car No. 55 entered as ARTA
  2. 1 2 Car No. 25 entered as Team Tsuchiya, and car No. 244 entered as Max Racing
  3. 1 2 Only points scored for TGR Team KeePer TOM'S were counted towards Yamashita's final championship standings. Per Article 7.6 of the SUPER GT Sporting Regulations: "When a driver races different cars (per car number) during the season, the Series points for this driver will be counted separately (per car raced) and the higher number or points will be selected when calculating the Championship drivers’ ranking."

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