A rekindling of old flames and the heat of burning rubber under the merciless Malaysian sun. Sepang International Circuit hadn’t seen the fury of SUPER GT machines in over a decade, and when it returned, it did so in thunderous style.
Under leaden skies and searing track temperatures hovering around 33°C, over 76,000 fans packed the grandstands across two days, seeking shade, adrenaline, and history. They got all three – and then some.
The black-and-green bullet that was the #37 Deloitte TOM’S Toyota GR Supra, piloted by Ukyo Sasahara and Giuliano Alesi, executed a flawless ballet of strategy, speed, and sheer nerve to take victory. Starting fourth on the grid, their triumph marked Toyota’s seventh consecutive GT500 victory, eclipsing a 26-year-old record held by Honda. A streak that began at Sugo in 2024 had now carved its legacy into Sepang’s tarmac.
Opening Moves and Costly Mishaps
On the formation lap, the #24 Realize Corporation Advan Nissan Z suffered a catastrophic driveshaft failure, robbing the grid of a serious contender and Tsugio Matsuda of what might’ve been a nostalgic charge.
At the front, it was Yuji Kunimoto in the #19 WedsSport Advan GR Supra who got the holeshot, trailed by Nobuharu Matsushita’s #8 ARTA Civic and Riki Okusa’s Modulo Civic.
Yuhi Sekiguchi tapped his former teammate Sho Tsuboi into a pirouette at Turn 2, sending the defending champion straight to the back and earning himself a drive-through for his trouble.
Kunimoto’s lead evaporated like dew under Sepang’s heat as GT300 traffic bogged him down. Matsushita smelled blood. On Lap 9, with the precision of a surgeon, he lunged into Turn 9 and snatched the lead. Behind, Sasahara had worked past Okusa and was lying in wait.
Pit strategies began unravelling just shy of the halfway mark. While early stoppers tried to seize undercuts, the TOM’S crew rolled the dice. Sasahara stayed out, pushing with the desperation of a man trying to outrun fate.
On Lap 32, he boxed. The team performed what looked like a two-tyre stop but secretly swapped all four. Alesi emerged with cold tyres and the race lead, but the heat was on. Tomoki Nojiri in the ARTA Civic had warm tyres and blood in his eyes. He pounced through Turns 13 and 14, but Alesi slammed the door shut. That was that.
As the laps wore on, the Toyota danced ahead. By the chequered flag, the lead had ballooned to nearly 20 seconds. Victory was sealed. Sasahara, reflecting on his stint, said, “I pushed like my life depended on it. I didn’t think I could hold on, but the tyres warmed up quicker than expected.”
The #8 ARTA Civic claimed second, a bittersweet result after dominating early on. Third looked like it would go to the #100 Stanley Civic, but a clash with the #38 KeePer Supra drew a ten-second post-race penalty, dropping the Civic to sixth and handing the final podium spot to the #12 TRS Impul Nissan Z – Nissan’s first taste of champagne this SUPER GT season.
GT300: From Pitlane Mishaps to Podium Miracles
The #18 Team UPGarage Mercedes-AMG GT3 took victory thanks to razor-sharp pitwork and a first-stint grind from 19-year-old Yuto Nomura.
A botched wheel nut on the leading #52 Green Brave GR Supra handed Takashi Kobayashi the lead, one he refused to surrender, despite a hard-charging Hiroki Yoshida clawing back seconds in the dying laps.
Kobayashi’s win (his ninth in GT300) put him among the all-time greats in SUPER GT. And for Nomura? His first victory, in just his third start.
Yet the feel-good story of the day might belong to the #4 Goodsmile Racing AMG of Shunji Okumoto. A late call-up, a rookie, and a former radio control racer of all things, Okumoto tore through the field and pulled off a majestic pass on the #0 Venteny Lamborghini for third. He also clocked the fastest lap of the race.
A Roaring Return for SUPER GT
Sepang staged a renaissance. A record crowd witnessed new heroes rise, veterans reinforce their legacies, and teams reimagine what’s possible. The heat was brutal. The racing, even more so.
And for Toyota? They conquered – seven in a row, from seven different circuits. If there was ever any doubt about the might of the GR Supra and the genius of the TOM’S outfit, consider it laid to rest on a blistering Saturday in Sepang.
As for the rest of the field? Fuji looms. And the chase is on.
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