The first two rounds of the 2023 season could not have been any more different: after a hectic weather-affected Okayama opener halted by red flags no fewer than three times, the traditional Golden Week race at Fuji was a comparatively sedate affair, with sunny skies and nary a caution period.
After a disappointing start to the season, it was TOM'S Toyota pair Sho Tsuboi and Ritomo Miyata that stamped their authority on the GT500 field at Fuji, and in the GT300 class it was the Kondo Nissan of de Oliveira and his new team-mate Teppei Natori that won out in a thrilling duel.
