Super GT squad RUNUP SPORTS will make its GT World Challenge Asia debut this season with Nissan.
The manufacturer’s GT-R NISMO GT3 last contested the championship with KCMG in 2018 but is returning to enter the four Fanatec Japan Cup rounds at Fuji, Suzuka, Motegi and Okayama with the Tomei Sports-run team.
Am Cup pairing Masaaki Nishikawa and Atsushi Tanaka will drive the car. The latter is RUNUP SPORTS president and has been a Super GT regular in the same Nissan since 2013, while Nishikawa fulfils the dual roles of driver and Tomei Sports team director.
“Fanatec Japan Cup provides the perfect sprint racing environment for our amateur drivers,” said the entrant’s representative Fuminori Kobayashi.
“We watched the debut season with interest last year and liked what we saw, so it makes sense to tackle the championship in 2023 with the same Nissan that Tanaka-san has driven for many seasons. We are humble but also aiming high and would like to win the Am Cup title. That will not be easy given the quality of Am crews we are expecting to compete against this year.”
Although a rarity in Europe and America these days, the GT-R remains a formidable GT3 car in Japan where Kondo Racing’s example won the Super GT300 title last season.
The regular Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS campaign begins at Chang International Circuit in Thailand on May 12-14 before spending the summer in Japan. The sixth and final regular season event takes place at Sepang in September.
2023 CALENDAR
May 13/14 // Chang International Circuit // 2x 1hr races
June 17/18 // Fuji International Speedway // 2x 1hr races (Fanatec Japan Cup)
July 15/16 // Suzuka International Circuit // 2x 1hr races (Fanatec Japan Cup)
July 22/23 // Motegi // 2x 1hr races (Fanatec Japan Cup)
August 19/20 // Okayama International Circuit // 2x 1hr races (Fanatec Japan Cup)
September 23/24 // Sepang International Circuit // 2x 1hr races