1998 All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship
The 1998 All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship was the sixth season of Japan Automobile Federation GT premiere racing. It was marked as well as the sixteenth season of a JAF-sanctioned sports car racing championship dating back to the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship. The GT500 class champion was the #23 Pennzoil NISMO Nissan Skyline GT-R driven by Érik Comas and Masami Kageyama, and the GT300 class champion was the #25 Team Taisan Jr with Tsuchiya MR2 driven by Keiichi Suzuki and Shingo Tachi, who won a record five championship races, plus the post-season all-star race, giving them a total of six wins in 1998.
The season was marred by a horrific crash at the All Japan Fuji GT Race on May 3, 1998, when Ferrari Club of Japan driver Tetsuya Ota lost control of his Ferrari F355 in heavy rain and fog, and crashed into the stationary Porsche 911 of Tomohiko Sunako. Ota's car erupted into flames upon impact, and fellow racer Shinichi Yamaji rushed to extinguish the fire. Ota suffered severe burns and nerve damage that would force him to retire from full-time racing. Sunako suffered a broken leg, but would continue to race in the series later on.
1998 also saw the first GT500 class victory for Honda, at the Japan Special GT Cup at Fuji Speedway.
Drivers and teams
GT500
GT300
Team | Make | Car | Engine | No. | Drivers | Tyre | Rounds |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RE Amemiya Racing | Mazda | Mazda RX-7 | Mazda RE20B 2.0 L 3-rotor | 7 | ![]() |
D | All |
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All | ||||||
Team Daikokuya | Porsche | Porsche 993 RSR | Porsche M64/80 3.8 L F6 | 9 | ![]() |
D | 1–2 |
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1, 3 | ||||||
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3–5, 7 | ||||||
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4–5, 7 | ||||||
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2 | ||||||
99 | ![]() |
5–6 | |||||
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5 | ||||||
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6 | ||||||
Ability Motorsport | Porsche | Porsche 993 GT2 | Porsche M64/82 3.6 L Turbo F6 | 10 | ![]() |
D | All |
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All | ||||||
M Factory Racing Club | Nissan | Nissan Skyline GTS-R (HR31) | Nissan SR20DET 2.0 L Turbo I4 | 11 | ![]() |
B | 2, 4 |
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2, 4 | ||||||
Xanavi Racing with Nismo Jr. | Nissan | Nissan Silvia (S14) | Nissan SR20DET 2.0 L Turbo I4 | 15 | ![]() |
B | All |
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All | ||||||
Kageisen Racing Team | Mazda | Mazda Roadster (NA) | Mazda RE13B 1.3 L 2-rotor | 17 | ![]() |
D | 1–2, 4–5, 7 |
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1, 4 | ||||||
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2, 5, 7 | ||||||
Racing Project Bandoh | Toyota | Toyota Celica | Toyota 3S-GE 2.0 L I4 | 19 | ![]() |
Y | 4–7 |
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4–6 | ||||||
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7 | ||||||
Hitotsuyama Racing | BMW | BMW M3 (E36) | BMW S14 2.2 L Turbo I4 | 21 | ![]() |
D | 1, 3–7 |
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1–2, 4, 7 | ||||||
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3, 5–6 | ||||||
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2 | ||||||
Hirano Motorsport | Nissan | Nissan Skyline GTS-i (R32) | Nissan RB20DET 2.0 L Turbo I6 | 24 | ![]() |
Y | 2, 4 |
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2, 4 | ||||||
Team Taisan Jr. with Tsuchiya | Toyota | Toyota MR2 | Toyota 3S-GTE 2.0 L Turbo I4 | 25 | ![]() |
Y | All |
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All | ||||||
Team Ferrari Club of Japan | Ferrari | Ferrari F355 GT | Ferrari F129B 3.5 L V8 | 27 | ![]() |
Y | 1–2 |
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1 | ||||||
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2 | ||||||
28 | ![]() |
2–3 | |||||
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5 | ||||||
A'PEX | Toyota | Toyota MR2 | Toyota 3S-GTE 2.0 L Turbo I4 | 44 | ![]() |
D | All |
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1–3 | ||||||
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4–7 | ||||||
Cobra Racing Team | Porsche | Porsche 993 RSR | Porsche M64/80 3.8 L F6 | 51 | ![]() |
Y | All |
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1 | ||||||
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2–5, 7 | ||||||
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6 | ||||||
KRAFT | Toyota | Toyota Cavalier | Toyota 3S-GE 2.0 L I4 | 60 | ![]() |
D | All |
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1 | ||||||
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2 | ||||||
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3–7 | ||||||
Team Taeivon Ralliart | Mitsubishi | Mitsubishi FTO | Mitsubishi 4G63 2.0 L Turbo I4 | 61 | ![]() |
T | All |
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All | ||||||
Team Gaikokuya | Porsche | Porsche 993 GT2 | Porsche M64/81 3.6 L Turbo F6 | 70 | ![]() |
Y | All |
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All | ||||||
SigmaTec Racing Team | Porsche | Porsche 993 GT2 | Porsche M64/81 3.6 L Turbo F6 | 71 | ![]() |
D | All |
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All | ||||||
Okura Rotary Racing | Mazda | Mazda RX-7 | Mazda RE20B 2.0 L 3-rotor | 72 | ![]() |
Y | 3–7 |
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3–4 | ||||||
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5–7 | ||||||
Cusco Racing | Subaru | Subaru Impreza WRX STI | Subaru EJ20 2.0 L Turbo F4 | 77 | ![]() |
Y | All |
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All | ||||||
NAC West | Nissan | Nissan Silvia (S13) | Nissan FJ20DET 2.0 L Turbo I4 | 79 | ![]() |
Y | 2, 4 |
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2, 4 | ||||||
Team Daishin | Nissan | Nissan Silvia (S14) | Nissan SR20DET 2.0 L Turbo I4 | 81 | ![]() |
D | All |
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All | ||||||
First Racing Team | Toyota | Toyota MR2 | Toyota 3S-GTE 2.0 L Turbo I4 | 91 | ![]() |
Y | 1–3 |
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1–3 | ||||||
Toyota Celica | ![]() |
4–7 | |||||
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4–7 | ||||||
Alta Racing Team | Mazda | Mazda RX-7 | Mazda RE20B 2.0 L 3-rotor | 117 | ![]() |
Y | 2, 4–5, 7 |
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2, 4–5, 7 | ||||||
NSX Dream28 Competition | Honda | Honda NSX | Honda C32B 3.5 L V6 | 280 | ![]() |
Y | 4 |
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4 | ||||||
Yellow Magic | Ferrari | Ferrari F355 | Ferrari F129B 3.6 L V8 | 355 | ![]() |
Y | 4–5, 7 |
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4 | ||||||
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5 | ||||||
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7 | ||||||
910 Racing | Porsche | Porsche 993 RSR | Porsche M64/80 3.8 L F6 | 910 | ![]() |
D | All |
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1–2 | ||||||
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3–4 | ||||||
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5–7 | ||||||
911 | ![]() |
1–4, 7 | |||||
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1 | ||||||
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2–3, 7 | ||||||
![]() |
4 | ||||||
Schedule
Round | Race | Circuit | Date |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Suzuka GT 300 | ![]() |
March 22 |
2 | All Japan Fuji GT Race | ![]() |
May 3 |
3 | HiLand GT Championship | ![]() |
June 28 |
4 | Japan Special GT-Cup | ![]() |
August 9 |
5 | Motegi GT Championship Race | ![]() |
September 13 |
6 | CP Mine GT Race | ![]() |
October 11 |
7 | SUGO GT Championship | ![]() |
October 25 |
NC | Nicos Cup GT Allstar Race | ![]() |
November 15 |
Season results
Point Ranking
Drivers
Rank | No. | Driver | SUZ | FUJ | SEN | FUJ | MOT | MIN | SUG | TAI | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 23 | Masami Kageyama | 1 | C | 1 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 67 |
1 | 23 | Érik Comas | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 67 | |
2 | 64 | Koji Yamanishi | 2 | C | 1 | Ret | 2 | DNS | 1 | 50 | |
2 | 64 | Tom Coronel | 2 | C | Ret | 1 | Ret | 2 | DNS | 1 | 50 |
3 | 12 | Kazuyoshi Hoshino | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 49 | |
3 | 12 | Takuya Kurosawa | 11 | C | 5 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 49 |
4 | 16 | Osamu Nakako | Ret | C | Ret | 5 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 48 |
5 | 3 | Masahiro Hasemi | 5 | C | Ret | 2 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 37 |
6 | 39 | Keiichi Tsuchiya | 3 | C | 4 | 9 | Ret | 3 | Ret | 3 | 36 |
7 | 36 | Masanori Sekiya | 6 | C | 3 | 8 | 3 | 16 | Ret | Ret | 33 |
8 | 2 | Aguri Suzuki | Ret | 2 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 9 | Ret | 29 | |
8 | 2 | Masahiko Kageyama | Ret | C | 2 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 9 | Ret | 29 |
9 | 37 | Toshio Suzuki | 7 | C | 6 | 11 | Ret | 10 | 2 | 6 | 26 |
10 | 100 | Kunimitsu Takahashi | 10 | C | 12 | Ret | 7 | 1 | Ret | 2 | 25 |
11 | 38 | Hironori Takeuchi | 9 | C | Ret | Ret | 5 | 12 | 3 | Ret | 22 |
12 | 50 | Satoshi Motoyama | 13 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 8 | Ret | 17 | |
12 | 50 | Takeshi Tsuchiya | 13 | C | 11 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 8 | Ret | 17 |
13 | 5 | Marc Goossens | 4 | C | 7 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 14 | |
14 | 5 | Yasutaka Hinoi | 4 | C | 7 | 14 | |||||
15 | 18 | Katsutomo Kaneishi | Ret | C | Ret | 4 | Ret | 15 | DSQ | Ret | 10 |
16 | 18 | Katsumi Yamamoto | Ret | C | Ret | 4 | Ret | 10 | |||
17 | 8 | Wayne Gardner | 8 | C | 10 | 12 | Ret | 7 | 8 | ||
18 | 6 | Pierre-Henri Raphanel | Ret | Ret | 13 | Ret | 6 | DNQ | 6 | ||
18 | 6 | Shinichi Takagi | Ret | C | Ret | 13 | Ret | 6 | DNQ | 6 | |
19 | 30 | Yoji Yamada | 12 | C | 8 | 15 | 9 | 14 | Ret | 9 | 5 |
20 | 88 | Hisashi Wada | Ret | C | 9 | 18 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 3 | |
21 | 55 | Hideshi Matsuda | 14 | C | 14 | 10 | 8 | 1 | |||
22 | 55 | Anthony Reid | 10 | 1 | |||||||
55 | Eiichi Tajima | 14 | C | 0 | |||||||
5 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 0 | ||||||
55 | Fuminori Mizuno | 14 | 0 | ||||||||
13 | Mitsuhiro Kinoshita | C | Ret | 16 | 12 | 17 | Ret | 0 | |||
55 | 8 | 0 | |||||||||
13 | Mitsuo Fujimura | C | Ret | 16 | 12 | 17 | Ret | 0 | |||
777 | Takao Wada
Masayoshi Sugiyama |
15 | C | 17 | Ret | Ret | 0 | ||||
18 | Juichi Wakisaka | 15 | DSQ | Ret | 0 | ||||||
64 | Koji Sato | Ret | 0 | ||||||||
2 | Pedro de la Rosa | C | 0 | ||||||||
23 | Ralph Firman | C | 0 | ||||||||
50 | Hiroki Katoh | C | 0 | ||||||||
12 | Michael Krumm | C | 0 | ||||||||
6 | Anders Olofsson | C | 0 | ||||||||
89 | Kenji Kawagoe
Tonichi Kanamori |
C | 0 |
Drivers
Rank | Drivers | Number/Team | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() ![]() |
#25 Team Taisan Jr with Tsuchiya MR-2 | 106 | 5 |
2 | ![]() |
#19 Racing Project Bandoh Toyota Celica | 46 | 0 |
3 | ![]() |
#44 MOMOCORSE A'PEX MR-2 | 45 | 0 |
4 | ![]() |
#21 Hitotsuyama Racing BMW M3 | 44 | 0 |
5 | ![]() ![]() |
#61 Team Taeivon Ralliart Mitsubishi FTO | 37 | 0 |
References
- "JGTC Fog Bank Ends 2nd Round of GTC". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011.
External links
- Super GT/JGTC official race archive (in Japanese)
- 1998 season results