Super GT – The Revitalization of Road Racing
Forty years ago the world was enjoying the height of heavy weight sports car action with such famous series as the SCCA Can-Am Challenge, and the European counter-part to the Can-Am, the Interseries. Both of these road racing venues brought out the best in technological developments running in accord with FIA Group 7 rules, which initially stated that a car need only have four wheels, two seats, and full body work in order to compete.
Since 1974, when a number of issues conspired to end the golden era of the Can-Am, road racing enthusiasts have had to search long and hard the world over to find a series that offered anything similar to those wonderful days of the late 1960s and early 1970s. One series that offers such potential, and is currently being expanded, is the Super GT series based in Japan.
Super GT has been around for over a decade, initially known as the Japanese Grand Touring Championship or JGTC. The JGTC was an officially recognized GT Series by the FIA; however when the Japanese auto makers that dominate the series pushed for its expansion beyond Japan’s borders, the title was changed to Super GT.
The Super GT is a semi-endurance series with two drivers sharing a car and is divided into two categories, the GT500 class and the GT300 class. The “500” in “GT500” is used to indicate cars of up to 500 horsepower, the “300” indicating cars with up to 300 horsepower. The GT500 class is made up of cars that merely resemble the production cars that they are based on. More of a “silhouette” formula, the GT500 formula offers constructors more free reign in the design of their race car, where as the GT300 class is tied much more to production car origins. This article will focus on the GT500 class, as it is the class that has been gaining worldwide notoriety in recent years.
As mentioned above, the GT500 class is more of a silhouette-type of racing formula. Cars are expected to loosely resemble the production cars whose badges they bear. Ultimately; the GTA, or Grand Touring Association, governs the Super GT series and decides on all rules with regard to the series. Over the last decade or so, the rules set by the GTA for the Super GT series have attracted factory entries from all of Japan’s largest auto makers.
Engines are always an area of contention in any form of motor sport, and in Super GT, the rules state that a car built to compete in the series can run any engine that is in production with that car’s manufacturer. For example; the stunning, new Nissan GT-R street car is powered by a 3.7 liter bi-turbo V-6. The Nismo GT-R that was run in the 2009 Super GT Series sported a 4.5 liter naturally aspirated V-8 similar to the one found in some Infiniti models here in the States.
Once an engine is selected to run, the modifications are virtually limitless as the door is open to turbo and supercharging the drive trains, as well as just about anything else the team can conceive to bring the power plant up to the 500 horsepower maximum. Intake restrictors are used in some cases to achieve a level playing field, and fuel is market grade unleaded that is strictly monitored by the sanctioning body.
The chassis of a Super GT car is a heavily modified structure, bearing little in common to the car’s showroom sibling. Tube frame “clips” are allowed, and used by most teams, ahead of the cockpit and to the rear of the car, with tube structures offering a chance for constructors to save money and still retain a great amount of safety within the construction of the race car. Brake systems are for the most part open, though the use of Formula One-style carbon brakes is not allowed.
Super GT rules also do not allow any type of driver aids like traction control or yaw control. Aerodynamics is the only aid available to the driver, though no moving aerodynamic devices are allowed; fixed wings and fences are fully open to the constructor. Teams make great use of carbon fiber and the freedom the rules that Super GT provides them to experiment in this realm.
One other interesting aspect of the Super GT is a weight penalty program. When a team wins a Super GT, they are then required to add a certain amount of weight in kilograms to their car. This aspect of the rules is performed to keep the field robust and to assist the Series in maintaining a competitive field throughout the season.
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