Bingo Sports Corvette Joins Suzuka 1000km Field

Photo: GT World Challenge Asia

Bingo Sports has become the latest team to commit to the Suzuka 1000km, entering its fan favorite Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R in the Intercontinental GT Challenge fixture.

The previous-generation Corvette will be shared by Toyota SUPER GT racer Ukyo Sasahara, gentleman racer Shinji Takei and Reimei Ito, who races in SUPER GT’s lower GT300 class for the LM Corsa team that is supporting the team.

Sasahara and Takei will also tackle a full season of the SRO Japan Cup, which includes a pair of races on the support bill of the Suzuka 1000km, in a Ferrari 296 GT3.

It follows Sasahara making a single guest appearance in the Bingo Corvette alongside Takei in last year’s season opener at Sportsland Sugo, with clashes with his Super Formula program ruling him out of further appearances.

“Japan Cup has a really good field this year, a lot of good pros and gentleman drivers,” Sasahara told Sportscar365. “A lot of other teams are running the 296 as well.

“I’m also really looking forward to the Suzuka 1000km, because finally it’s a chance to race against an international field.

“I am not sure how competitive the Corvette will be at Suzuka as it’s quite old now, so fighting the newer cars might be difficult, but the car is Bingo Racing’s ‘signature’ and I have good memories with it, so I am really excited.”

Sasahara becomes the latest high-profile name to commit to the Japan Cup, joining his fellow Toyota SUPER GT racer Nirei Fukuzumi, who will campaign a K’tunes Racing-run Lexus RC F GT3 together with Kazunori Suenaga.

“I drove the RC F for the first time in last week’s test at Fuji, and it was my first time in a GT3 car since I drove for ARTA in 2019,” Fukuzumi told Sportscar365. “I learned a lot about the car, also the tires, because I don’t have experience on Pirellis.

“But I knew about the Japan Cup from last year, and I thought the races were exciting, so when K’tunes called me to ask me if I am interested, I said of course.

“I want more experience, and I thought this would be a good opportunity, so that’s why I decided to do this race. I am looking forward to it.”

K’tunes will also campaign a Ferrari 296 GT3 this year for defending Japan Cup champions Shinichi Takagi and Daisuke Yamawaki.