> Sunrise BLVD set for series debut
> 2023 title rivals YZ and TGR Indonesia amongst latest GT4 entries
> First GTC car also confirmed
Three more GT4 teams – Sunrise BLVD, YZ Racing and Toyota Gazoo Racing Indonesia – have confirmed their Japan Cup participation this year, while the first GTC entry has also been received.
Eight one-hour races will take place at Sugo, Fuji, Suzuka and Okayama throughout the summer after championship organiser SRO Motorsports Group opted to split Japan Cup from Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS.
Three of the four events run alongside Fanatec GT Asia on what will become known as SRO GT PowerTour weekends. Sugo stages the season opener – and first-ever standalone Japan Cup event – on June 7-9.
Japan Cup is now SRO Asia’s sole destination for GT4 cars – something that has prompted local and international teams to commit to a multi-class series in which GT3, GTC and GT2 cars are also eligible.
One of them, YZ Racing, is no stranger to Japan Cup. Indeed, its returning driver Masaki Kano was crowned Fanatec GT Asia and Japan Cup GT4 champion last season.
Kano’s co-driver will be confirmed at a later date.
Meanwhile, Sunrise BLVD, which has previously contested Porsche Sprint Challenge Japan and Super Taikyu, makes its SRO debut with at least one and possibly two Porsche Cayman GT4s.
Its first driver crew pairs Yoshitomo Makino with former Japanese F4 racer Daiki Fujiwara. Potential drivers are currently being evaluated for the second Porsche.
Makino and Fujiwara will be battling for overall GT4 victory but also Silver-Am honours against TGR Indonesia’s returning Supra, which features the unchanged combination of last year’s Fanatec GT Asia runners-up Haridarma Manoppo and Seita Nonaka.
Unlike 2023, all Asian drivers can now also compete in Japan Cup, hence Manoppo’s inclusion.
YZ, Sunrise and TGR Indonesia join D’station’s Aston Martin and Checkshop Caymania’s Porsche on the list of currently confirmed GT4 entries. More will be announced in the coming weeks.
Elsewhere, GAMA 83 Racing has become the first team to confirm a Japan Cup GTC entry.
GTC covers models designed for one-make categories like Ferrari Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo and Porsche Carrera Cup. And it’s the latter’s 911 that GAMA 83 – run by Super GT outfit Hitotsuyama Racing – has opted for in 2024.
The Porsche will be driven by GT racing newcomer Makoto Haga.
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