The #3 Nissan Z was the automotive to beat all through Saturday’s operating, as Takaboshi paced each free observe and the primary section of qualifying, earlier than Chiyo took over for the Q2 pole shootout.
Chiyo posted a greatest lap of 1m35.931s to seize the highest spot on tyre provider Michelin’s farewell GT500 weekend, which was sufficient to beat the Actual Racing Honda NSX-GT of Nobuharu Matsushita by 0.392 seconds.
The bonus level for pole for Chiyo and Takaboshi closes the hole within the championship to TOM’S Toyota GR Supra pair Sho Tsuboi and Ritomo Miyata to 6 factors.
Tsuboi certified third, 0.675s off the tempo, placing himself and Miyata in a powerful place to safe the second place they should assure themselves the title even when Chiyo and Takaboshi win the race.
Two extra Nissan crews accomplished the highest 5, with Daiki Sasaki placing the Kondo Racing Z fourth forward of the second of the NISMO-run machines of Ronnie Quintarelli.
Iori Kimura, Naoki Yamamoto’s stand-in on the Kunimitsu Honda squad, was sixth-fastest forward of Takuya Izawa within the Nakajima NSX-GT and Kazuya Oshima within the Rookie Toyota.
There was drama on the finish of Q1 as a last-minute flyer from Kakunoshin Ota within the Nakajima Honda pushed the #16 ARTA NSX-GT of Hiroki Otsu all the way down to ninth place, dropping the marque’s solely title contender out in Q1.
Otsu and Nirei Fukuzumi, who path Tsuboi and Miyata by 16 factors, should win the race to provide Honda any likelihood of the title within the last race weekend for the NSX-GT.
Cerumo Toyota driver Hiroaki Ishiura might solely handle the Twelfth-fastest time in Q1, which means team-mate Yuji Tachikawa did not make an look in qualifying in his last race weekend earlier than retirement.
Photograph by: Masahide Kamio
Mitsunori Takaboshi, #3 Niterra MOTUL Z
GT300: Pole for Inging retains title hopes alive
Inging Toyota GR86 GT drivers Hibiki Taira and Yuui Tsutsumi saved their slim hopes of a comeback GT300 title alive by scoring the bonus level for pole place.
Taira and Tsustumi got here to Motegi 20 factors down within the standings and needing pole to cease their rivals within the Saitama Toyopet Toyota GR Supra, Hiroki Yoshida and Kohta Kawaai, being topped on Saturday.
However after Taira topped his Q1 group, Tsutsumi did likewise within the Q2 pole shootout, posting a greatest time of 1m45.633s to beat the JLOC Lamborghini Huracan of Takashi Kogure by 0.152s.
Third-fastest was the LEON Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Naoya Gamou, only a additional 0.002s again, adopted by the works Subaru BRZ of Hideki Yamauchi and Shun Koide within the UpGarage Honda NSX GT3.
Kawaai might solely qualify the Saitama Toyopet Toyota in seventh, however he and Yoshida solely want a single level from Sunday’s race to wrap up the championship.