Tsugio Matsuda and Sebastien Philippe in a Nissan GT-R have taken round 6 of the 2008 AUTOBACS SUPER GT, at Suzuka.

In contrast to the intense summer heat of year’s past, this year’s 1000 km was under cloudy skies with rather cool temperatures. But that didn’t prevent a series of upsets from the start with several machines being plagued with trouble. 

The CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R had only managed a 5th in the Saturday qualifying and had suffered from machine trouble in the early stages of the race as well, but the team’s ace driver, Tsugio Matsuda, battled back valiantly. By the half-way point his team was in second position.

After a quick final pit stop on the 138th lap, they finally passed the leading NSX of Y.Ide/S.Hosokawa and K.Matsuurato take over at the front. Teammate Sebastien Philippe widened the gap on the chasing NSX and ran the final laps of the 1000 km unchallenged to the flag in the fading light. The Lexus SC430 of J.Wakisaka/A.Lotterer/C.Van Dam was third.

"Lightning McQueen" second in GT300

It was a good weekend for Nissan with a win in the GT300 class to the MOLA LEOPALACE 350Z driven by Kazuki Hoshino and Hironobu Yasuda. Hoshino is the eldest son of the manager of the winning GT500 team, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, making this a two-class family victory.

K.Oshima/K.Kunimoto/Y.Sakamoto in the popular “Lightning McQueen” MR-S was second with the ORC AMEMIYA SGC-7 of H.Iiri/R.Orime/H.Matsumura third. 

:with Super GT Media