Tokyo, Sept 4: Honda took first and second positions in the premium GT 500 class in Rd 5 of the eight round Super GT series held at the Twin-Ring Motegi circuit.

First was Team Raybrig NSX with French drivers Sebastien Philippe and Jeremie Dufour and second was Team Takata Dome NSX with Japanese drivers Ryo Michigami and Takashi Kogure driving a Honda works NSX.

In third position was a Nissan Z driven by another French driver Benoit Treluyer and Japanese co-driver Yuji Ide from Team Calsonic Impul Z .

Philippe, a former Japan F3 champion said: “We had a good tyre strategy where we only change our rear tyres. With our new powerful engines we hope to win the next round or two”.

It was the first podium finish for Team Raybrig NSX who took over the lead midway in the 63 lap of the 300km race on the 4,801km Honda-owned circuit after another Honda NSX of Team Arta developed mechanical problems and headed for the pit.

It could have been an all Honda 1 to 3 positions finish if another NSX from Team Epsom Honda had not run out of fuel on the final lap.

For Team Takata Dome it was also a first-time second podium finish and for Team Calsonic Impul a first-time third podium finish.

A win for Honda in this second half of the eight-round series would bring them closer to the overall title for the top GT500 class where they are currently in third position after leaders, the Toyota and Nissan teams. The final round of the series, Japan’s most popular motor sport event will be held in Japan in November at the F1 Suzuka circuit near Tokyo.

In the GT300 class Team Dream Cube Advan Z with Japanese drivers Kazuki Hoshimo and Takayuki Aoki in a Nissan Z was first, second was Team Wedsport Celica with drivers Hiroki Kato and Nobuteru Kageyama in a Toyota Celica and third Team Arta Garaiya with drivers Morio Nitta and Shinichi Takagi in a local specially developed ASL Garaiya car took third position.

RESULTS GT 500 (first four positions with non-Japanese drivers mentioned) ---
Sebastien Philippe (France)-Jeremie Dufour (France)- Raybrig NSX (Honda NSX) – 1: 56: 31.713 secs, 2. Ryo Michigami-Takashi Kogure-Takata Dome NSX (Honda NSX) – 1: 56. 36.102secs, 3.Benoit Treluyer (France)-Yuije Ide – Calsonic Impul Z (Nissan Z) – 1:56. 58.890 secs, 4. Michael Krumm (Germany)-Masataka Mitsusada – Motul Pitwork Z – (Nissan Z) 1: 57. 09.546 secs.

RESULTS GT 300 (first three positions with non-Japanese drivers mentioned) ---
Kazuki Hoshino-Takayuki Aoki-Dream Cube Advan Z- (Nissan Z) – 1:57.36.917 secs, 2. Hiroki Kato-Nobuteru Taniguchi-Wedsports Celica – (Toyota Celica) – 1:58.05.53 3secs, 3. Morio Nitta-Shinichi Takagi – Arta Garaiya – (Garaiya) – 1:58.13.029 secs.

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