The FUJI GT 300km RACE, Round 5 of the 2020 Super GT series, was held at the Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture.
In the GT500class, the No. 39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra (Heikki Kovalainen/Yuichi Nakayama) came from 5th place on the starting grid to run away in the final stages and take its first win of the season.
In the GT300 class, the No.56 Realize Nissan Automobile Technical College GT-R (Kiyoto Fujinami/Joao Paulo de Oliveira) gave team manager Masahiko Kondo’ team its first class victory.
As a countermeasure to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first four rounds of the season were held without spectators. However, this 5th round was held with spectators, giving the teams their first fan support of the season to inspire great racing.
The weather on race day was good with cloudy skies and an air temperature of 21-degrees C. In these conditions the race started on schedule at 1:30 in the afternoon.
Just after the start of the race there was a collision between two GT500 class cars, which immediately brought out the Safety Car. Before the collision, the No. 24 Realize corporation ADVAN GT-R (Mitsunori Takaboshi) had taken the lead in the GT500 class followed by the pole-starting No. 8 ARTA NSX-GT (Nirei Fukuzumi), the No.23 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R (Ronnie Quintarelli) and the No. 12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R (Daiki Sasaki).
However, starting front the 5th grid position, the No. 39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra (Heikki Kovalainen) had closed in and on the 25th lap rose to 2nd-place behind the leading car No. 8.
It was from around this time that the teams began making their routine pit stops, and thanks to some quick pit work, the No. 39 TGR TEAM SARD was able to get their second-stint driver Yuichi Nakayama back on the track in position where he succeeded to car No. 8 (Tomoki Nojiri) and effectively take the lead in the race.
By the time all of the GT500 class teams had finished their routine pit stops, car No. 39 was rapidly pulling away in the lead from the No. 37 KeePer TOM'S GR Supra (Ryo Hirakawa), car No. 8 and the No.14 WAKO'S 4CR GR Supra (Sho Tsuboi) involved in a fierce battle for 2nd place.
In the end, the No. 39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra (Heikki Kovalainen/ Yuichi Nakayama) took its first win of the season by a big margin of 10 seconds. Finishing 2nd after working its way out of a tight battle was the No. 14 WAKO'S 4CR GR Supra (Kazuya Oshima/Sho Tsuboi), thus giving the TOYOTA GR Supra GT500 a 1-2 finish at their home track of Fuji Speedway.
Finishing 3rd was the No.8 ARTA NSX-GT (Tomoki Nojiri/Nirei Fukuzumi). The top finisher among the NISSAN GT-R NISMO GT500 teams was the No. 12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R (Daiki Sasaki/Kazuki Hiramine) in 8th place.
In the GT300 class race, the final stages came down to a race between the No. 52 SAITAMA TOYOPET GB GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshida/Kohta Kawaai) that had taken the lead with a no-tire-change strategy and the pursuing Oliveira in the No. 56 Realize Nissan Automobile Technical College GT-R (Kiyoto Fujinami/Joao Paulo de Oliveira).
In the end, with its greater speed from having changed all four tires, car No. 56 was able to catch and pass No. 52 to take the win. For manager Masahiko Kondo of team KONDO RACING, it was a joyous first victory in their second year in the GT300 class. Finishing 2nd was the No. 55 ARTA NSX GT3 (Shinichi Takagi/ Toshiki Oyu).
And finishing 3rd was the winner of the previous round, the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Naoya Gamou/Togo Suganami).
