After qualifying for last week’s Golden Week classic, there would have been short odds on a Honda victory, with NSX-GT crews starting first and third. Without a power steering issue for the #8 ARTA car, it might have been three Bridgestone Honda squads starting ahead of the #36 TOM’S Toyota GR Supra, which was sixth-fastest in Miyata’s hands.
TOM’S team director Jun Yamada seemed resigned to the fact Toyota didn’t have the pace at its home venue, with Ukyo Sasahara failing to clear Q1 in the sister #37 GR Supra. A lack of straight line performance compared to Nissan seemed to underline that Toyota was stuck in limbo with neither the downforce levels nor the sheer grunt to compete.
