Legacy finishes 13th in GT300

Mar 21, 2010 - Round 1 "SUZUKA GT 300km RACE"

The opening round of the 2010 SUPER GT took place at Suzuka Circuit on March 21st, with the R&D Sport-entered GT300 class "R&D SPORT LEGACY" (#62 - Tetsuya Yamano/Kouta Sasaki) starting 19th on the grid, and finishing in 13th position after running the full race distance.

In the previous day's qualifying, both drivers in the #62 machine cleared the standard time in the first qualifying session, moving on to the knockout session, S1. Yamano attacking created a record of 17th but the car subsequently nullified after the vehicle size regulation violation. After making the necessary corrections, the car was allowed to start though it started from the tail end of the grid in 19th position.

The race got underway while large drops of rain began to fall and each car started on slick tyres. The #62 LEGACY driven by a starting driver Yamano avoided the early confusion and multiple crashes in the wet conditions where the top drivers suffered and experienced strongly laps to as high as 11th position temporarily. However the trouble with the exhaust system later on made the car delay as much as three laps for repairing. In the second half of the race, Sasaki set encouraging lap times resulted in the record of 13th-place finish.

R&D SPORT team director Shinji Motojima's comment
"we are very disappointed that the recorded time in qualifying had been cancelled due to the team failure. We believed that we would have the chance to run steadily in an uncertain weather and track conditions. Taking these points into consideration, I'd say we did well today. Our goal from the outset was to finish within the top ten, and I believe the drivers met our expectations though the exhaust trouble we've encountered eliminated the chance. We have only a limited amount of time before the next race, but we'll prepare as much as possible before heading to Okayama. We appreciate your continued support."

Legacy Takes 12th in GT300

Apr 4, 2010 - Round 2 "OKAYAMA GT 300km RACE"

On a bright, warm day of April 4th, the second round of the SUPER GT series was held at Okayama International Circuit. The R&D SPORT LEGACY (#62 Tetsuya Yamano/Kouta Sasaki) entered into the GT300 class started the race from 18th spot among the 20-car grid and finished in 12th-place.

The previous day's qualifying adopted the same knockout system in the opening round of the season. Sasaki who took charge in S1 scored the personal best time with maximum attack, but unfortunately unable to go to the following session according to the settlement of 18th place.

The race began under the clear blue sky with each car started smoothly. Starting driver Tetsuya Yamano of #62 Legacy moved up to 15th in the opening lap and run well avoiding the incidents and spins around him while accumulating valuable mileage on the car. The persistence continued with Sasaki who stayed out of trouble in the second half of the race and the car briefly rose to 11th place due to other car's dropout. After being passed by another car in the final stage, the result was 12th place.

R&D SPORT team director Shinji Motojima's comment
"Fans must be frustrating because we still haven't include our strategies for making our car quick. Though we may not have everything sorted by the next round at Fuji, we are confident to include it on the car by Sepang. This time also we made effort to get within 10th place though it is still some way to go. However, the drivers both did an excellent job. To repay their supreme effort, the team determined to make the car fast as possible. Please pay close attention to the perseverance of our drivers at Fuji."

The Legacy GT 300 Retires

May 2, 2010 - Round 3 "FUJI GT 400km RACE"

The final race of Round 3 took place during Japan's Golden Week on Sunday, May 2 at Fuji Speedway, in front of a holiday crowd of around 53,000 racing fans. After finishing 20th in the qualifying session, the "R&D SPORT SUBARU LEGACY B4" (GT 300 Class, car number 62) started its final race with drivers, Tetsuya Yamano and Kouta Sasaki managing to climb to 16th position before a problem with the drive line forced them to stop on the gravel at the exit of a hairpin in the 28th lap, and subsequently out of the race.

Due to adjustments in performance, restriction on the air-intake of the engine has been eased this time, which has allowed the Legacy GT300 to dramatically improve lap times in official qualifying. Aiming for further improvements, the car's suspension setting was changed, which unfortunately caused the car to lose balance. However, despite this setback, the team has found their direction in how to boost performance, creating an upbeat atmosphere among them. Looking back at the lap times during the race, it is also clear that big gaps with the rivals have started to narrow. And so, while there is still a lot more work to be done, it's evident that the Legacy GT300's racing performance has been steady improving.

<R&D SPORT team director Shinji Motojima's comment>
"He engine has performed well this time and drivers have made favourable comments on the power. This is a testament to STI's effort. Thanks to this, we've been able to improve our times, and I feel that the right direction has become a little clearer for us. It is also true, however, that the chassis settings have yet to meet our expectations. We will be trying a specification with an extensively modified front section in a test in Suzuka, (Japan) before heading off to Malaysia. These modifications will be rather major, so much so that it will be almost like a full-model change. And we very much look forward to showing off our improved performance after the changes."

The Legacy GT300 shows speed to finish 13th

Jul 25, 2010 - Round 5 "SUGO GT 300km RACE"

On July 25th in Miyagi Prefecture, amidst a heat wave gripping the whole of Japan, Round 5 of SUPER GT was held at Sportsland Sugo, with the R&D SPORT LEGACY (#62 Tetsuya Yamano/Kouta Sasaki) starting the final race from 11th position on the grid. Sasaki started out strong, immediately moving up to eighth place on the first lap. And after that, he kept pushing hard passing the front-runners, and managed to get third place. Some 27,000 spectators in the stands kept a watchful eye on a totally reformed Legacy which started to reveal its potential. Sasaki made a pit stop on the 35th lap and switched with Yamano, who continued the good run of the Legacy in sixth place before making contact with a GT500 car on the 47th lap. The car spun out of control and then went off the course at the second corner, causing clutch problems. It took Yamano some time before he could get back in the race albeit in 17th place. However, he didn't give up until the end. Pushing for a higher finishing position, he passed the four more cars to finish the race in 13th.

R&D SPORT's Team Director Shinji Motojima said: "The result was disappointing, but we gained a lot as the car has dramatically improved its performance since having major modifications done to it. Although we weren't able to find a setup that suited this course for the qualifying sessions, we were able to do so quickly before the final race. I think our performance lived up to fans' expectations, and I hope they will support us again in the next round at Suzuka."

Yamano added : "The setup made the car faster particularly at the final corner of each lap, making overtaking easy at the first corner after that. I feel a little relieved that I was able to pass our rivals in full view of our fans in the final race, but there still are many things to do. At Suzuka, I would like to show our fans that I can do even better".

Legacy GT300 claims its first victory in the 700km endurance race

Aug 22, 2010 - Round 6 "Suzuka Circuit"

Round 6 of SUPER GT- the Suzuka 700km Race was held at Japan's Suzuka Circuit in Mie prefecture on Sunday, August 22. And in temperatures exceeding a blistering 30 degrees, the R&D SPORT LEGACY GT300 driven by Tetsuya Yamano and Kouta Sasaki pulled off its first win.

Unable to find the best setting during the previous day's qualifying round, the Legacy started the final race from 11th on the grid. But a continued pursuit of the ideal setup from the night session after the qualifying and free-practice session on the final morning all helped the Legacy start the final race in tip-top shape. Starting driver Yamano closed in on the lead cars on the 1st lap, moving up to 9th place on the 2nd lap and then 6th on the 8th. And in high temperatures, as rivals struggled to increase pace on the warm surface at the beginning of the race, Yamano pushed on, taking the number two spot on the 19th lap. On the laps that followed, the drivers Sasaki and Yamano managed to hold their position. Then three hours after the start, as drivers turned their headlights on for the night session, Sasaki, who took back the wheel at the last pit stop, made a blistering charge and marked the fastest lap time. Bursting into the lead on the 88th lap, Sasaki pulled away from the rest of the pack to claim Legacy's first win with a big gap of 17 seconds.

Yamano later said "last year, as it had just made its debut, the Legacy wasn't able to do so well in the Suzuka 700km Race. But since then, it has become a very fast car. And not making any compromises until the last minute definitely paid off in our search for the best setup and gave us a win. I would like to thank everybody for their support". Sasaki added "the team worked very hard to make it a very good car in a very short time. I was looking to win before the end of this year, so I am very happy to do it on my home ground at Suzuka".

Round 7 "Fuji Speedway"

Sep 12, 2010

Legacy GT300 Completes Race in 10th Place

Oct 24, 2010 - Round 8 "Twin Ring Motegi"

Sunday, 24 October: Round 8 of SUPER GT was held at Twin Ring Motegi in Tochigi prefecture. Tetsuya Yamano started from 20th position in the R&D SPORT SUBARU LEGACY and midway through handed over to Kouta Sasaki who went on to finish in 10th. They chased the front-runners right to the end, and received generous applause from the race fans enjoying the final race of the season. Though it was cloudy and chilly, attendance was announced as 32,000 people, including the 600 SUBARU fans packed into the SUBARU fan seats.

R&D SPORT team director Shinji Motojima said, "Motegi is a classic stop-and-go style circuit, and it's a pretty difficult track for the Legacy which specializes in high-speed and big corners. Also, this is the first time running the Legacy at this circuit, so we conducted qualifying without having found an effective strategy. As a result we ended up starting the race from 20th, but thanks to set-up changes after qualifying we were able to improve a bit on Sunday. Also, thanks to the efforts of the drivers we were able to move up 10 spots into 10th, which I think is our big takeaway from this. We didn't have any mechanical problems, and we can certainly use the data we've gathered for future set-ups. This was the last round of the season, but next month we have the Sprint Cup at Fuji. We're doing something we've never tried before in SUPER GT, where the drivers will do one standing-start style sprint race each, so I'm excited. We're hoping we can show something good to all the fans who have supported us this year."

Legacy GT300, the icing on the cake of the JAF GP

Nov 14, 2010 - Special Round "Fuji Speedway"

For the first time in 20 years, the JAF Grand Prix was held from November 12-14 at Fuji Speedway, with the crowning event being the SUPER GT/Formula NIPPON special race, the "JAF Grand Prix FUJI SPRINT CUP". Qualifying was held on Friday the 12th, with two rounds each of the GT300, GT500, and Formula NIPPON cars on Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th, with each driver competing in one round. Refuelling and tyre changes were not allowed, and weight handicaps and tyre restrictions were not in place. The starting method was the classic sprint race standing start.

Tetsuya Yamano drove the Legacy in the first GT300 race on the Saturday. Due to limited set-up time he was unable to improve from qualifying and started 19th on the grid, however after overtaking two cars in the opening stage of the race he was able to reach 17th position. He was unable to improve on this, and after 22 laps of the sprint race he finished in 17th position.

In race two on the Sunday, Kouta Sasaki arrived at the starting grid gripping the wheel and ready to race. He started as the light turned green, but was delayed by engine controller trouble and ended up at the back of the pack. He chased resolutely, to finish in 15th position.

Team Director Shinji Motojima said, "I apologise that we weren't able to show our strength in these races. We need to meet the expectations of the SUBARU fans who have come to watch the Legacy, and in order to do that we will be working hard over the winter on the competitive power of the car".