Rd.1 GT CHAMPIONSHIP in TI (4/13 - 14)
Rd.2 ALL JAPAN FUJI GT RACE (5/3 - 4)
Rd.3 SUGO GT CHAMPIONSHIP (5/25 - 26)
Rd.4 JAPAN GT CHAMPIONSHIP MALAYSIA (6/22 - 23)
All-Japan GT Championship (JGTC) which started in 1993 is a category of endurance race series with 2 drivers to race for the distance of 250 - 500 km. It has grown to become the most popular race category in Japan. The engine power divides the cars into two classes of GT 500 and GT 300, and while GT 500 is considered to be a class for manufacture factory teams, GT 300 is a class for private teams. Engine powers are controlled to be equal condition with the diameter of the air restrictors and handicap weight is mounted on cars according to the result of the qualify and the race. This provides opportunity for many different cars to make the challenge.
As a principal, the car able to enter the JGTC is limited to cars with only 2 doors. However, the Impreza only have 4 or 5 door cars so special approval is given for the entry of 4-door car for 2002. The drivers this year are the team of Katsuo Kobayashi, a former Champion of All-Japan Dirt Trial Championship (time trial competition of slalom on the off-road courses) and Tatsuya Tanigawa, well experienced in open wheel categories.
In 1998, Cusco Racing Team brought Subaru Impreza for GT 300. STI handles the maintenance of the engines. STI has enforced the relationship this year by providing technical supports such as distributing the WRC engine as they changed the car from GC8 to GDB.
The 2002 season started in TI Circuit in Okayama prefecture. The new Impreza just constructed had finished in 7th place on its debut race. The Rd. 2 in Fuji was the longest event of the season, 500 km race. Impreza was pointed out that the layout of the exhaust pipe in the engine room was not according to the regulation. This was caused of different interpretation of the regarding regulation by the team and the marshals, however, the team immediately altered the layout for the race. The car was set out for the race as temporary specification, but had finished the in 6th place, gaining further points for the Championship.
In Rd. 3 Sugo, the car had finally become fully setup, successfully continue to battle for victory until the end and finishing on the first podium this year in 2nd place to prove the high potential of the car. Rd. 4 was held at Sepang Circuit in Malaysia as the first Championship event to be held outside of Japan. Under blazing heat the car started the race from 9th place and promoted its position to 5th at the beginning of the race when it was hit hard by a car behind and went off track. This accident led to losing several positions, but managed to finish the race in 16th to prove its high reliability.
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