The Latest Breaking News from Nirei Fukuzumi

Fukuzumi delighted with first pole for two years

A total of 40 cars, 15 in GT500 and 25 in GT300, are entered for Sunday's 77-lap race, slated to begin slightly later than usual at 2.45pm local time (GMT +9).

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…

The #16 ARTA car that had qualified third and ran second in the early stages in the hands of Nirei Fukuzumi was penalised for a second race in a row for an infraction at its first pitstop, with a drive-through demoting Fukuzumi and Hiroki Otsu to 10th place.

The occupants of the #36 Toyota GR Supra came through from sixth on the grid to beat the pole-sitting Team Kunimitsu Honda NSX-GT of Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino by 28 seconds in the 450km race, which ran completely caution-free.

The occupants of the #36 au-liveried Toyota GR Supra came through from sixth on the grid to beat the pole-sitting Team Kunimitsu Honda NSX-GT of Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino by 28 seconds in the 100-lap, 450km race, which ran completely caution-free.

A total of 41 cars, 15 in GT500 and 26 in GT300, are entered for the annual Golden Week classic, the first of five 450km races on this year's schedule.

At the start of the race, polesitter Nojiri immediately moved to the right to cover off a fast-charging Toshiki Oyu, who had made a blistering start from third on the grid to pass Ritomo Miyata for second.

Two-time champion Nojiri posted a 1m21.196s at the end of the seven-minute Q2 pole shootout to take his 15th career pole by a margin of nearly four tenths of a second ahead of Ritomo Miyata.