Start date 2009 | ||
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Similar 2008 Super GT Series, 2007 Super GT Series, 2006 Super GT Series, 2005 Super GT Series, 2014 Super GT Series | ||
The 2009 Autobacs Super GT Series was the 16th season of the Japan Automobile Federation Super GT Championship. The season opener on March 22, was moved to Okayama, due to the continued renovation of Suzuka in preparation for the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix. The season finale on November 8 also was moved to Motegi, instead of Fuji. Due to the worldwide economic crisis, race weekends were two days instead of three.
Contents
André Lotterer and Juichi Wakisaka claimed the GT500 title in their Petronas TOM'S Lexus SC430. The team also won their respective teams title. In GT300, Racing Project Bandoh's Manabu Orido and Tatsuya Kataoka won the title by three points from Nobuteru Taniguchi and Ryo Orime.
GT500 Class
Originally the three makers agreed to unify engine specification into a 3.4 L V8 (the same configuration of Formula Nippon). However, due to the aforementioned economic crisis, Nissan found difficulties to develop a suitable engine for their GT-R, and chose to bear performance ballast while using the same engine last year. Honda continued to use their midshiped-NSX, and bear performance ballast as the regulation originally outlaws midship cars, this is also their last Super GT year with NSX, which they announced they will use a new vehicle (HSV-010) in 2010 season.
Aston Martin joined the series with a Le-mans spec. Aston Martin DBR9, it is the first Aston Martin car participated the series history (including JGTC), also the first European and non-Honda/Nissan/Toyota car in GT500 since the 2006 season (Maserati MC12 did participate the pre-season test in 2006 season but withdraw from the series later). The DBR9 will only be run at the first round, and the two rounds at Fuji.
GT300 Class
The apr team, which has used the Toyota MR-S for a long time have discontinued to use MR-S in this season, replacing them with midshipped Toyota Corolla Axio instead.
The Cusco, the only team using an AWD car (Subaru Impreza), exits the series as they want to concentrate on off-road events. However, Subaru cars do not take absence from the series as R&D Sport uses a Legacy B4 since Race 6.
Thunder Asia Racing, a team from Singapore, spot races the Sepang race with a Mosler MT900R. Their full participation in 2010 season was confirmed after the 2009 season ends.
Schedule
As a measure of cost reduction, the two longest race, as well as the final race in the series' distance in the series was shortened in this season. This included the trimming of the traditional 1000km race in Suzuka to 700 km. However, to avoid 1-pit strategy that caused unfairness to some teams, teams were required to pit twice in the Fuji 400 km race.