> Suzuka 1000km entry also confirmed
Porsche Center Okazaki has added Super Formula and Super GT regular Kazuto Kotaka to its line up ahead of this year’s GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS campaign.
The 25-year-old, who also claimed 2022’s Super Formula Lites crown, joins team regular Hiroaki Nagai at Mandalika, Fuji and Okayama. Both drivers represented the same team – apr – in Super GT300 last season, albeit across separate entries.
Nagai will maintain his record of competing at least once in every GT World Challenge season. The first two appearances came at Suzuka and Fuji in 2017 before expanding his programme with ARN the following year. He has been a mainstay of the series since racing resumed post-covid in 2022.
Okazaki’s domestic commitments prevent its #18 911 GT3 R from contesting the other three GT World Challenge Asia events. However, last year’s Super GT300 runner-up, Takuro Shinohara, will join the team, Nagai and Kotaka at the Suzuka 1000km in September when Intercontinental GT Challenge returns to Japan for the first time since 2019.
The other side of Okazaki’s garage again features the turquoise NK Racing-supported Porsche of Kiyoshi Uchiyama and Tsubasa Kondo. #25’s regular pairing returns for a third season together at the majority of events, starting at Mandalika. Yuta Kamimura, who previously raced the #18 car with Nagai, will deputise for Kondo at Sepang’s season opener and Beijing finale.
NK is also evaluating a Suzuka 1000km entry, firmer details of which are expected at a later date.
This year’s GT World Challenge Asia campaign begins in Malaysia on April 11-13.
