Summer Fuji Round Could Become Double Sprint Race

Photo: SUPER GT

SUPER GT is weighing up the possibility of introducing a double sprint race format for the fourth round of the season at Fuji Speedway in August.

GTA chairman Masaaki Bandoh floated the idea of turning the summer Fuji round scheduled for August 3-4 into a double-header with races taking place on Saturday and Sunday last month during a talk show at the Osaka Auto Messe.

Sources have suggested that the idea is now being seriously worked on by the GTA and could be implemented, potentially with one driver handling each of the two races.

A sprint race format was last used for a points-paying round back in 2003, when the outbreak of SARS led that year’s Sepang race to be cancelled and replaced by a double-header at Fuji, with each sprint race being contested by a single driver.

The results of each heat were then combined to create a final classification for the weekend, with points being awarded to both drivers of each car accordingly.

In more recent years, a sprint format has been used in non-championship events such as the Fuji Sprint Cup, last held in 2013, and the ‘Dream Race’ that was held as a joint event with the DTM in 2019 at the same venue.

Contacted for comment, a GTA spokesperson confirmed that Saturday and Sunday races are being considered, adding: “Rather than simply holding sprint races, we are considering how to proceed while maintaining the interestingness of SUPER GT.”

Sportscar365 understands that race formats for the remaining races of the season have been communicated to competitors, with the exception of Round 4.

The Golden Week Fuji round is set to remain as a three-hour timed race following last year’s successful introduction, while the penultimate round of the season at Autopolis is also poised to follow the same format.

Meanwhile, the Sepang, Suzuka, Sugo and Motegi rounds will all be run to 300 km, while 350 km format that was used for last year’s summer Fuji round looks set to be axed.