2019 Super GT Series

GT500

• Toyota announced that the fifth-generation GR Supra would replace the Lexus LC 500 as the company's GT500 vehicle beginning in 2020. This was the final season for the Lexus marque in GT500, which had first appeared in 2006.

GT300

• apr Racing launched an all-new version of their Toyota Prius GT, based on the fourth-generation Prius PHV. This new Prius, with a front-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration, replaced their previous mid-engined Prius GT - which was ruled out of competition due to a regulation change stating that GT300 cars must have their engines located in the same position as their production counterparts.^[29]
• ARTA and Team UPGarage changed vehicles to the Honda NSX GT3, replacing their previous BMW M6 GT3 and Toyota MC86, respectively.^[10]
• The second-generation Aston Martin Vantage GT3 made its Super GT debut via D'station Racing AMR, who replaced their previous Porsche 911 GT3-R.^[19]
• The McLaren 720S GT3 made its Japanese racing debut via McLaren Customer Racing Japan.^[26]

GT500

• Honda: Honda announced their GT500 lineups on 11 January.^[10]
  • Modulo became the new title sponsor for Nakajima Racing, who formed an all-new driver lineup featuring ex-Super Formula driver Narain Karthikeyan, and Tadasuke Makino, who returned to Japan after racing in Europe for two seasons.
  • Bertrand Baguette transferred to Keihin Real Racing, where he partnered Koudai Tsukakoshi.
  • Former F1 and GT500 driver Shinji Nakano became the new team director of Team Mugen.
• Lexus: Toyota Gazoo Racing announced the Lexus GT500 lineups on 7 February.^[13]
  • Kenta Yamashita transferred to Lexus Team Wako's LeMans, replacing Felix Rosenqvist, who left Super GT to compete in the IndyCar Series.
  • Sho Tsuboi and Yuichi Nakayama moved up to GT500 on a full-time basis, with Tsuboi joining Lexus Team WedsSport Bandoh, and Nakayama joining Lexus Team SARD to take the place of Kamui Kobayashi, who left Super GT to focus on the WEC.^[35]
  • Yuji Tachikawa was named the team director of Lexus Team ZENT Cerumo, along with his duties as lead driver.^[36]
• Nissan: Nissan announced their GT500 lineups on 7 February.^[12]
  • NDDP Racing with B-Max formed an all-new driver lineup: Kohei Hirate transferred to Nissan and secured his return to GT500 after a seventeen-year association with Toyota, while former Honda GT500 driver Frédéric Makowiecki returned to the series for the first time since 2014. They replaced Satoshi Motoyama, who had retired from GT500 driving, and Katsumasa Chiyo, who accepted a new assignment in the SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge. Masahiro Hasemi also retired as team director of NDDP Racing with B-Max, and was replaced by Toshikazu Tanaka.
  • James Rossiter rejoined Super GT on a full-time basis and completed a transfer from Toyota to Nissan, joining Team Impul.^[37]
  • Jann Mardenborough transferred to Kondo Racing, where he replaced the departing João Paulo de Oliveira.

GT300

• Kondo Racing, in partnership with the Nissan Automobile Technical College, expanded to a multi-class effort with the addition of a GT300 team.^[31] Kazuki Hiramine, who drove for Kondo Racing in Super Taikyu, transferred from JLOC. Former Renault Sport Academy driver Sacha Fenestraz made his Super GT debut with the team.^[25]
• Virtual YouTuber Mirai Akari [ja] became the new primary sponsor for Pacific Racing with Good Speed, replacing Gulf Oil, which had sponsored Pacific since 2016.^[20][21] 2012 GT300 Champions Naoki Yokomizo and Kyosuke Mineo reunited at the wheel of their Porsche 911 GT3-R.^[22]
• Hong Kong-based team X Works made their series debut, fielding a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3.^[12][30] Two drivers from Hong Kong, Marchy Lee and Shaun Thong, were announced as the full-time driver lineup. The team featured a new sponsorship deal to promote the animated series Neon Genesis Evangelion.
• Team Taisan, EIcars Bentley, and CarGuy Racing all withdrew from Super GT at the end of the 2018 season. Team Taisan had participated in all but one JGTC/Super GT season since the inaugural 1994 season, but shifted focus towards EV racing. CarGuy Racing began new programmes for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Asian Le Mans Series.^{[38][39][40][41]}
• 2013 GT300 Champion Yuhki Nakayama joined apr Racing, driving the number 31 Prius PHV GT alongside Koki Saga.^[29] Two-time GT300 champion Manabu Orido, who joined the number 30 apr team halfway through the 2018 season, was named as a full-time driver for 2019 alongside Hiroaki Nagai.^[13]
• Former Honda GT500 driver Kosuke Matsuura joined Takashi Kobayashi at Team UPGarage.^[10]
• Honda young driver Nirei Fukuzumi joined Shinichi Takagi at ARTA; Fukuzumi raced in Formula 2 and Super Formula in 2018, and made a one-off appearance for ARTA in the 2015 Suzuka 1000 km.^[10]
• Team Goh, who won the 1996 GT500 Championship as Team Lark McLaren GTR, returned to Super GT for the first time in 23 years as McLaren Customer Racing Japan. Seiji Ara, who won the 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans with Team Goh, returned to the series after a one-year absence. Former All-Japan Formula Three and European Formula 3 driver Álex Palou made his Super GT debut.^[26]
• K-Tunes Racing ended their collaboration with LM Corsa after the 2018 season, and the team run independently with technical support from INGING Motorsport. Former Honda young driver Sena Sakaguchi transferred into the Toyota programme, joining Morio Nitta aboard the K-Tunes Lexus RC F GT3.^[13][34]
• Last year runners up Sean Walkinshaw moves to ato Team Thailand alongside Nattapong Horthongkum, while Nattavude Charoensukhawatana demoted to third driver.
• LM Corsa changed tyre suppliers from Yokohama to Dunlop.^[13]
• Keishi Ishikawa transferred to GAINER, driving their number 10 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 alongside two-time GT300 champion Kazuki Hoshino.^[25]
• D'station Racing AMR signed former Nissan GT500 driver João Paulo de Oliveira to partner Tomonobu Fujii in their new Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Aston Martin factory driver Darren Turner was announced as their third driver for the Fuji 500 Mile Race.^[19]
• Kimiya Sato transferred from JLOC to Tsuchiya Engineering, joining 2016 GT300 champion Takamitsu Matsui.
• Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave changed tyre suppliers from Yokohama to Bridgestone. Hiroki Yoshida transferred from GAINER to GreenBrave, partnering Shigekazu Wakisaka.^[22]
• JLOC announced brand new driver lineups for both cars. The flagship number 88 car featured 2010 GT500 champion Takashi Kogure, who had recently departed Honda after 15 seasons as a GT500 driver, and Yuya Motojima, who moved over from the number 87 car. Tsubasa Takahashi, who was a third driver in the number 87 car in 2018, became a full-time driver, partnering 2015 GT300 champion André Couto, who returned to the series for the first time since 2017.^[22]

GT500 Class

• Ritomo Miyata makes his GT500 debut with TOM'S as he replaces Kazuki Nakajima who prioritize his WEC Campaign.
• James Rossiter who originally compete for round 6 has to withdraw after he fell sick. Katsumasa Chiyo replaces him for that round.^[14]

GT300 Class

• McLaren Customer Racing Japan, Tomei Sport, NILZZ Racing, Team Mach, and R'Qs Motor Sports did not participate the 4th round in Buriram Thailand.
• Dominik Farnbacher makes one off appearance with LM Corsa, covering for Miyata who move to GT500 for round 2.
• Shiunya Michimi who was the third driver for X-Works, replaces Marchy Lee for the sixth round onwards.
• Togo Suganami replaces Haruki Kurosawa at K2 R&D LEON Racing for the last two rounds.
• R'Qs Motor Sports have to miss round 7 due to the car not able to repair in time after accident in round 6.

GT500

More information Rank, Driver ...

Driver Ranking GT500 2019 Series[42] Rank Driver Team OKA‡ FUJ SUZ BUR FUJ AUT SUG MOT NC1 NC2 Points 1 Kenta Yamashita No. 6 Lexus Team LeMans Wako's 13 8 3 1 1 6 6 2 4 85 Kazuya Oshima No. 6 Lexus Team LeMans Wako's 13 8 3 1 1 6 6 2 15 85 2 Nick Cassidy No. 37 Lexus Team KeePer TOM'S 12 7 2 2 4 3 4 1 1 83 Ryo Hirakawa No. 37 Lexus Team KeePer TOM'S 12 7 2 2 4 3 4 1 8 83 3 Tsugio Matsuda No. 23 NISMO 2 2 Ret 11 3 13 3 8 11 52.5 Ronnie Quintarelli No. 23 NISMO 2 2 Ret 11 3 13 3 8 12 52.5 4 Yuji Tachikawa No. 38 Lexus Team ZENT Cerumo 8 1 6 7 Ret 4 11 4 9 46.5 Hiroaki Ishiura No. 38 Lexus Team ZENT Cerumo 8 1 6 7 Ret 4 11 4 20 46.5 5 Heikki Kovalainen No. 39 Lexus Team SARD 11 4 5 5 Ret 1 7 11 14 44 Yuichi Nakayama No. 39 Lexus Team SARD 11 4 5 5 Ret 1 7 11 16 44 6 Koudai Tsukakoshi No. 17 Keihin REAL Racing 14 5 Ret 13 8 2 5 5 2 39 Bertrand Baguette No. 17 Keihin REAL Racing 14 5 Ret 13 8 2 5 5 21 39 7 Yuhi Sekiguchi No. 36 Lexus Team au TOM'S 9 Ret 1 9 Ret 10 10 3 7 38 7 Kazuki Nakajima No. 36 Lexus Team au TOM'S 9 1 9 Ret 10 10 3 19 38 8 Naoki Yamamoto No. 1 Team Kunimitsu 15 3 13 12 2 Ret 8 6 3 37 Jenson Button No. 1 Team Kunimitsu 15 3 13 12 2 Ret 8 6 4 37 9 Frederic Makowiecki No. 3 NDDP Racing with B-Max Racing 4 6 9 6 11 11 1 DNS 11 36 Kohei Hirate No. 3 NDDP Racing with B-Max Racing 4 6 9 6 11 11 1 DNS 18 36 10 Takuya Izawa No. 8 ARTA 1 9 4 Ret 7 5 12 13 15 31 Tomoki Nojiri No. 8 ARTA 1 9 4 Ret 7 5 12 13 22 31 11 Sho Tsuboi No. 19 Lexus Team WedsSport Bandoh 6 13 7 3 9 8 13 7 5 27.5 Yuji Kunimoto No. 19 Lexus Team WedsSport Bandoh 6 13 7 3 9 8 13 7 16 27.5 12 Narain Karthikeyan No. 64 Modulo Nakajima Racing 10 10 11 10 10 7 2 12 1 23.5 Tadasuke Makino No. 64 Modulo Nakajima Racing 10 10 11 10 10 7 2 12 Ret 23.5 13 Daiki Sasaki No. 12 Team Impul 3 12 10 8 5 12 14 Ret 19 17.5 13 James Rossiter No. 12 Team Impul 3 12 10 8 5 14 Ret 17 17.5 14 Mitsunori Takaboshi No. 24 Kondo Racing 5 14 8 4 Ret 9 15 10 12 17 Jann Mardenborough No. 24 Kondo Racing 5 14 8 4 Ret 9 15 10 17 17 15 Daisuke Nakajima No. 16 Team Mugen 7 11 12 Ret 6 14 9 9 6 12 Hideki Mutoh No. 16 Team Mugen 7 11 12 Ret 6 14 9 9 10 12 – Katsumasa Chiyo No. 12 Team Impul 12 0 – Ritomo Miyata No. 36 Lexus Team au TOM'S Ret – Non Championship Round-only drivers – Marco Wittmann No. 11 BMW Team RBM 18 2 – – Loïc Duval No. 28 Audi Sport Team Phoenix Ret 3 – – Kamui Kobayashi No. 00 BMW Team RBM 14 5 – – Benoît Tréluyer No. 21 Audi Sport Team WRT Hitotsuyama 6 10 – – Mike Rockenfeller No. 99 Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline 13 7 – – René Rast No. 33 Audi Sport Team Rosberg 8 9 – – Alex Zanardi No. 4 BMW Team RBM Ret 13 – Rank Driver Team OKA‡ FUJ SUZ BUR FUJ AUT SUG MOT NC1 NC2 Points

Colour Result Gold Winner Silver Second place Bronze Third place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Did not arrive (DNA) Excluded (EX)

Close

Notes:

‡ – The race at Okayama was red flagged after completing 30 laps. Due to less than 75% of the scheduled distance being completed, half points were awarded to the classified finishers.

GT300

More information Rank, Driver ...

Driver Ranking GT300 2019 Series^[43]

Rank	Driver	Team	OKA‡	FUJ	SUZ	BUR	FUJ	AUT	SUG	MOT		NC1	NC2	Points
1	Shinichi Takagi Nirei Fukuzumi	No. 55 ARTA	2	2	6	9	6	6	1	4				69.5
2	Morio Nitta Sena Sakaguchi	No. 96 K-tunes Racing	1	16	1	14	15	5	3	3				58
3	Katsuyuki Hiranaka Hironobu Yasuda	No. 11 GAINER	21	1	9	8	9	15	22	1				48
4	Nobuteru Taniguchi Tatsuya Kataoka	No. 4 Goodsmile Racing with Team UKYO	8	6	4	12	8	4	2	5				47.5
5	Naoya Gamou	No. 65 K2 R&D LEON Racing	6	5	14	3	Ret	7	4	2				46.5
6	Kazuki Hiramine Sacha Fenestraz	No. 56 Kondo Racing	5	4	18	2	7	8	5	6				46
7	Takashi Kogure Yūya Motojima	No. 88 JLOC	10	3	19	5	5	3	20	11				36.5
8	Tsubasa Takahashi André Couto	No. 87 JLOC	16	11	17	7	1	Ret	26	23				29
9	Hiroki Yoshida Shigekazu Wakisaka	No. 52 Saitama Toyopet Green Brave	3	13	27	23	2	24	8	13		3	2	27.5
10	Hiroki Yoshimoto	No. 60 LM Corsa	7	9	10	15	22	1	19	9		1	1	27
11	Togo Suganami	No. 65 K2 R&D LEON Racing						7	4	2				27
		No. 70 LM Corsa										5	4
12	Ritomo Miyata	No. 60 LM Corsa	7		10	15	22	1	19	9		1	1	25
13	Kiyoto Fujinami	No. 87 JLOC		11			1							25
14	Kazuki Hoshino Keishi Ishikawa	No. 10 GAINER	Ret	10	12	1	14	10	15	16				22
15	Seiji Ara Álex Palou	No. 720 McLaren Customer Racing Japan	19	14	13		Ret	2	12	7				20
16	Haruki Kurosawa	No. 62 K2 R&D LEON Racing	6	5	14	3	Ret							19.5
17	Ryo Michigami Hiroki Otsu	No. 34 Modulo Drago Corse	9	26	7	10	3	11	13	24				19
18	Takuto Iguchi Hideki Yamauchi	No. 61 R&D Sport	4	28	3	11	10	Ret	28	12				18
19	Takamitsu Matsui Kimiya Sato	No. 25 Tsuchiya Engineering	Ret	18	5	4	26	16	27	18		7	8	17
20	Shaun Thong	No. 33 X Works	Ret	7	28	6	16	19	6	8				17
21	Natsu Sakaguchi Yuya Hiraki	No. 5 Team Mach	Ret	Ret	2		17	17	18	14				15
22	Takashi Kobayashi Kosuke Matsuura	No. 18 Team UpGarage	11	12	15	24	4	9	10	19				13
23	Shinya Michimi	No. 33 X Works		7			16	19	6	8				12
24	Richard Lyons Ryuichiro Tomita	No. 21 Audi Team Hitotsuyama	13	8	8	13	13	13	7	27				10
25	Marchy Lee	No. 33 X Works	Ret	7	28	6	16							5
26	Dominik Farnbacher	No. 60 LM Corsa		9										2
27	Naoki Yokomizo Kyōsuke Mineo	No. 9 Pacific Racing with Good Speed	15	22	22	16	19	22	9	15				2
28	Takayuki Aoki	No. 360 Tomei Sports	Ret	15	20		27	25	11	10		9	7	1
29	Yusaku Shibata	No. 360 Tomei Sport		15	20		27		11	10				1
–	Shinnosuke Yamada	No. 18 Team UpGarage		12			4[c]							0
–	Koki Saga Yuhki Nakayama	No. 31 apr	12	19	11	18	18	14	23	20		8	6	0
–	Tomonobu Fujii João Paulo de Oliveira	No. 7 D'station Racing AMR	Ret	27	Ret	19	11	18	24	17				0
–	Darren Turner	No. 7 D'station Racing AMR					11							0
–	Kazuho Takahashi Hiroki Katoh	No. 2 Cars Tokai Dream28	14	23	23	21	12	23	17	29				0
–	Masaki Kano Ryōsei Yamashita	No. 50 Arnage Racing	22	17	24	20	21	12				16	28	0
–	Hiroshi Hamaguchi	No. 50 Arnage Racing					12							0
–	Alessio Picariello	No. 21 Audi Team Hitotsuyama		NC			13							0
–	Masaki Tanaka Taiyō Iida	No. 48 NILZZ Racing	20	25	25		24	21	14	25		2	9	0
–	Atsushi Tanaka	No. 360 Tomei Sport	Ret	15			27	25				9	7	0
–	Nattapong Horthongkum Sean Walkinshaw	No. 35 Panther arto Team Thailand	18	24	16	17	20	20	21	22				0
–	Hisashi Wada Masaki Jyonai	No. 22 R'Qs Motor Sports	17	20	26		23	Ret		26				0
–	Yūya Tezuka	No. 50 Arnage Racing		17			21							0
–	Ryōhei Sakaguchi	No. 5 Team Mach					17							0
–	Takeshi Tsuchiya	No. 25 Tsuchiya Engineering		18			26							0
		No. 244 Max Racing										11	10
–	Akihiro Tsuzuki	No. 9 Pacific Racing with Good Speed					19							0
–	Hiroaki Nagai Manabu Orido	No. 30 apr	Ret	21	21	22	25	Ret	25	21		4	5	0
–	Kazuto Kotaka	No. 30 apr		21			25							0
		No. 11 Hanashima Racing										12	Ret
–	Björn Wirdheim	No. 22 R'Qs Motor Sports					23							0
–	Teruhiko Hamano	No. 48 NILZZ Racing		25			24							0
–	Nattavude Charoensukhawatana	No. 35 Panther arto Team Thailand		24										0
–	Tetsuji Tamanaka	No. 5 Team Mach		Ret										0
Non Championship Round-only drivers
–	Shinji Takei Ukyo Sasahara	No. 37 BH Auction Bingo Racing									6	3	–
–	Shunsuke Kohno	No. 70 LM Corsa									5	4	–
–	"Go Max"	No. 244 Max Racing									11	10	–
–	"Joe Shindo" Keiichi Inoue	No. 9 MP Racing									10	11	–
–	Katsuaki Kubota	No. 11 Hanashima Racing									12	Ret	–
Rank	Driver	Team	OKA‡	FUJ	SUZ	BUR	FUJ	AUT	SUG	MOT	NC1	NC2	Points

Close

Notes: ‡ – The race at Okayama was red flagged after completing 30 laps. Due to less than 75% of the scheduled distance being completed, half points were awarded to the classified finishers.