News Roundup - Preseason and General

Introduce us to the team, and tell us - what are your goals for the 2021 season?

Daiki Urasawa: Good afternoon! My name is Daiki Urasawa, and I am the team principal for Coronet Powerworks' racing endeavors. I am joined today by our chief engineer, Tomoyuki Omura. Some of you may recognize us as longtime competitors from the Saikou no Taikyu endurance series, and we are pleased to be able to participate in the top level of competition of the J-Speed Association as a full-time competitor for the first time in our years of racing.

Tomoyuki Omura: Pleased to meet you. As my good friend Daiki has said, it has been a few years since our team has attempted to make appearances in the J-Speed GT Masters. Even so, everyone on our team is ready to make the jump to full-time competition, and I do believe we have the driver pairing to hold our own within the ranks of the AM class in addition to having a capable racing machine to bring us success in the upcoming season.

Daiki: Speaking of our drivers, I would like to introduce everyone to the people who will be behind the wheel for us this season. This is Kazuya Omori, and to his right is Ninian Henzler.

Kazuya Omori: ...Did someone say my name? Oh, um... my apologies. Hello everyone, I'm sure some of you remember me from the Saikou no Taikyu series, and... I'm glad to be making the next step up into a GT Endurance AM class car, I think.

Ninian Henzler: (waves) It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. This is a major change for me, but I am confident that the team here at Coronet Powerworks is a cohesive group of people that can make the transition from less powerful racing machines a smooth one for both myself and for Kazuya.

Daiki: Thank you both for your kind words.

Speaking of your drivers, how did you decide on having them team up as a Squad?

Daiki: In all honesty, we have been keeping an eye out for talent across the world, with a special focus on drivers who had demonstrated an ability to adapt to all different types of race cars. Adaptation is a skill that we value, given our relatively unique choice of GT Endurance machine. Kazuya has demonstrated his ability to master different car characteristics across different classes, notably in the Tourer-3 and GENKI classes of the Saikou no Taikyu series. Ninian has shown she can race both open-wheel and touring cars. It is not an easy task to be noticed by Nissan and be picked up as a development driver, and we believe we can help further her development.

Tomoyuki: When discussing drivers with Daiki, it almost always comes down to two factors for me; Can a driver get the most out of their equipment regardless of what they are driving, and can they finish a race with the car intact? When both of those criteria are met, experience has told me that drivers with these abilities and characteristics are the drivers who will give us the best feedback on how we can improve a race car, and therefore earn more consistent results and good finishes throughout a season.

Daiki: Drivers who are willing to take care of their equipment are also, in a sense, taking care of the rest of the team. This is not to say that our jobs are made any easier if a car is handed back to us intact; rather, it gives us something more to work with and focus development time on, which in turn makes our drivers' time behind the wheel easier and the interaction between driver and team is made more informative and rewarding.

Are there any particular race events you'd be looking forward to?

Daiki: The Kamitsue GT 300KM at Autopolis is the event we are looking forward to the most. The team has had past success at Autopolis in the Saikou no Taikyu, and we hope to be able to continue that success there even though a good result is never guaranteed. If you had asked me this question last year, I would have immediately mentioned what would have been the 300KM race at our home track of Okayama, but with the pit lane renovations not being completed at the time of this interview... it is regrettable but entirely understandable why the organizers of the J-Speed GT Master League gave that race date to Chang International Circuit in Thailand.

Tomoyuki: We have never had the opportunity to race at Chang, but the team is excited to get the chance to race there for the first time this season. Kazuya does have experience there, and that experience is something we can rely on when we get to that point in the calendar.

Is there anyone in the series you'd consider a rival at this time? If so, who?

Daiki: There are no true rivals for us, simply because a serious rivalry is not something we have ever tried to cultivate; that is not who we are as a team and as a member of the J-Speed Association. As teams, we are all fighting for the same goal on the track, and competition between teams is a necessity, but as for a pure 'rival' who we actively dislike... it is not in our nature to feel that way about one of our fellow competitors.

Tomoyuki: We do have a 'friendly' rivalry with some of the teams, primarily the ones that have come up from the Saikou no Taikyu series such as Kawashiro Youkaitech and Seven Hoshi Racing, but I would classify it as more of a 'shared respect' mutual feeling between all of us. We have been competing against each other for a very long time now, and have seen numerous faces come and go over the years of competition, but we are still chasing each other for the shiny trophies at the end, and that shared goal is something that forms respect and unwritten bonds between competing teams.

What's your feelings regarding the GT-R GTC customer-factory teams, like the RoninForce Duelist Academy and Tomoko Powered Garage? Do you feel Nissan has given you enough support to compete at this level, or have you had moments where you feel the Red Emblem racers had a helping hand that you feel robbed of?

Daiki: A part of this goes back to what Tomoyuki said before; there exists a 'friendly' rivalry between all of the Nissan-backed teams and drivers similar to what we have experienced with Kawashiro Youkaitech and Seven Hoshi Racing. We all have a shared goal, that being bringing success to the brand; how we each achieve that goal is something that will always remain different regardless of who has the most success and who posts poor results. Nissan has given us more than enough support to be a contender at this level of competition; what makes us unique is the decision to try something different, and we are grateful from the continued support from Nissan to continue trying something different.

Tomoyuki: The only issue for us regarding the other Nissan squads is sharing of data; our choice of car limits the amount of information we can share with our fellow Nissan teams, and vice versa. It has never been a problem for us, a problem for the other teams, or a problem for Nissan itself in terms of how much information we can actually share to help improve the cars. It is something we have come to accept as a consequence of continuing to use the 370Z chassis versus the GT-R chassis; that decision has helped us earn a reputation in the Saikou no Taikyu as a team willing to be different while also maintaining excellence and dignity on and off the racetrack.

Daiki: If it ever would come down to us not being able to use the 370Z chassis in the J-Speed GT Masters, whether it be by rules changes or homologation expiry, we would be more than willing to switch to the GT-R chassis. If Nissan would want us to switch to the GT-R, we have no problem doing so. The team would continue to methodically improve the GT-R in the same way we have methodically improved the 370Z to be the best we can make it, and we have never felt that the teams who choose to race with the GT-R instead of the 370Z have an unfair advantage over us. The fact that Nissan has seen fit to place one of their top development drivers into our car is proof enough that we are all treated equally and fairly as part of the Nissan brand's racing efforts. It does also help that we have forged friendships with the owners, team principals, and members of both RoninForce Duelist Academy and Tomoko Powered Garage; they respect us, and we respect them as equals, all under the banner of Nissan.

Anathema

Introduce yourselves to our newer fans, and tell us about your goals for the upcoming season.

Chihiro: Hi, I'm Chihiro Fujinami, team manager of the Fujinami Vertigo Racing Team, we estabilished this team in 1995 thanks to the support of the Nissan Motor Corporation, providing to us cars and components. Our goal for the 2021 season is to come on top and winning the J-Speed GT Masters.

Ryuko: "Do I really need to do this interview?". Ah well, I'm Ryuko Fujinami, team manager and owner of the Fujinami Roses. Even though my team is relatively new to the J-Speed GT Masters, we actually have a lot of experience racing in the Saikou no Taikyu. Our main objective for this season is more of supporting the main team to win the J-Speed GT Masters.

What was the selection process to picking your Driver Squads?

Chihiro: Our driver squads were selected after heavy scrutineering in the junior series and on the touges, in which we found racing prodigy Maiko Fujihara and Haruna Fujimoto, originally known as the Mt. Haruna Silver Ghost due to her scary speed and precision down the mountains, they have become two of the best drivers to ever race with our team and sort of mentors to my daughters. Speaking of my daughters, they were trained since childhood by some of the best trainers of Japan and racing since the age of 7, their selection was a combination of experience and family heritage.

Ryuko: Compared to the main team my drivers, or should I say driver, were selected personally by me. Hiori was selected due to her incredible experience racing European cars, Momoko is a special case since she is not a human, but a prototype racing android developed by our parent company, Kase Robotics.

Interesting... any events you all are looking forward to competing in?

Chihiro and Ryuko: We are most looking forward to the Fuji Moonlight 500KM, the Fuji Speedway is our home track, that's where we achieved most of our successes.

Is there anyone in the series you'd consider a rival at this time? Anyone you'd consider one to watch?

Chihiro and Ryuko: At the moment we don't consider any team a rival but we are keeping a close eye on Luna Corse and Empress Project VICTORIA.

Speaking of big-name race teams, it's rare that even superteams like Tsuchigami no Kyojin field two cars in a season, but here we see three entries combined across the main Fujinami Vertigo and Roses squads. Both rivals and fans alike are curious as to how you have the resources; so to clear the air, how is your team able to field three entries this year?

Chihiro and Ryuko: We are able to field three cars thanks to the large amount of money we have and also thanks to the support of Nissan and Jaguar, which, starting from this season, is gonna be one of the supporters of the team.

darkracer99

Long time, no see! Introduce us and our readers to your team, and tell us - what are your goals for the 2021 season?

Hi, I’m Cornelia Biaggi and I’m the team principal of Neptunia Corse, a passion project I started back in 1996. We’re usually remembered as the first team to ever field the MC12, which led us to an absolutely amazing 2004 season back over in Europe. That’s a memory we will always hold dear to our hearts.

After our recent resurgence we decided to travel overseas back to Japan to prove ourselves on the international stage. We know from experience that the GT Masters is one of the most competitive leagues in the world, and after our wonderful 2020 we want to see how far we can go.

Our goal is to place high in the team standings after all is said and done. A win will have us over the moon but we want to aim for consistency on all fronts.

Was there any particular selection process to picking your Driver Squad?

We’re lucky to have Hibiki Miura with us, experience is hard to come by these days but they’re well and away one of the most experienced drivers in the paddock. In fact we’re very familiar with their services as we jump-started their international career back in 2002. They’ll be vital to us in the coming months to train the new blood. I really am glad to have them back, it’s just like old times.

Marisa di Vallelunga was a hot commodity after her season in JSGP; we weren’t the first to approach her but a GTE PRO deal really got her to consider our team. We acted in time to land a driver that’s in such high demand and we think she slots in perfectly with our vision. The moment she went through our front doors Marisa said she felt right at home; that’s always an amazing sign. Her hair has such a nice shine to it too…

Is there an event on this year's calendar you're looking forward to, more than any other?

The Suzuka 1000km, after we won it in 2006. Even though we don’t have the absolute monster of a machine that the MC12 was, I feel like Ferrari has an amazing package that could help us a lot with these types of circuits.

Coming back to Japan after all those years ago, is there anyone you'd see as a rival now?

I think it’s pretty obvious at this point.

The FCA Group has been a faction of in-fighting factory racing programs with a long history of political manipulation behind the scenes, and your team was forced to turn against Maserati many years ago. Since then, Ferrari have been fighting a losing war in stopping Maserati from claiming every GT championship title and class record before they can; why continue fighting for what many have now considered a lost cause?

We never turned against Maserati in the first place; they were the ones that showed us the cold shoulder even with our great 2006 campaign. But I don’t hold anything against the brand.

What I do have an issue with is the absolute childish behavior Giovanna Bergamaschi retained throughout her career. Throwing money at everything and throwing a fit when things don’t go her way pretty much soured all the relations within the FCA Group and forced us to fight this silly little war once she defected from the brand and developed her ridiculous project. We’re simply just cleaning up after her mess like the small child she is. And that laugh just irritates me so much…!

I’m not sure why you think this is a lost cause and a war we’re losing – obviously Ferrari has made multiple strides since the last Evolution package and from testing we’re already seeing the result from years of research. If anything the tides are turning, she barely just got her car to not break down after a few measly kilometers!

maikoheart

Let's start off simple - Ai, what should newer fans in the GT Masters know about you?

I'm a multi-disciplinary talent - a proud and true Tuner Queen. As 2017 Drift GP and Time Attack Battle Series champion from 2017 to 2019, my credentials are far more than sufficient to deem myself one of the Kingdom's best and beloved in recent memory... all this as a hands-on owner-driver, working closely with our brilliant and brave people before leading them headfirst into battle.

Let's talk about your leadership goals, then. What do you aim to accomplish long-term for Tsuchigami no Kyojin?

My mother's legacy in the sport is that of a trailblazer. She and her legendary best friend, Elena Celeste, became the first-ever all-girls driver squad to claim the GT Masters trophy ever and started what many today have deemed the Girls' Revolution. I intend to do more than simply follow in her footsteps; after all, even champions can be forgotten eventually. If you're the first ever to accomplish a great achievement, however, everyone has to acknowledge you forever.

My goal for the team and I is simple. I want to claim the first-ever all-girls driver victory at Le Mans. It's true that there are many legendary ladies who have succeeded in their own ways at the event, yes, but none who brought the best of them together to make history in our storied sport.

So, where does Minami Tsukishima fit in this picture?

She's an excellent driver with the right mindset and personality for our team. Her championship victory in last year's Japan Super Grand Prix season is more than proof enough, and at her age, Minami-san can only grow exponentially with time. Her ability continues to surprise me, even after having known her for several years now.

Why didn't you go to Le Mans sooner? Your championship victories years ago were enough to earn that invitation, weren't they?

When my mother ran this team, she never viewed our team as purely conquerors of the sport, despite our numerous successes. She wanted to be a community ambassador first, and the on-track success was merely validation for why she maintained her views on the Kingdom.

While I am onboard with the J-Speed Association's continued mission to pursue greater identity diversity, manufacturer interest, and promotion of sustainability, all of this means little if we are unwilling to look towards new horizons and compete globally. In all of Le Mans' history, a Japanese team has never won*, not even in class. As I said before, we intend on making history as the first team to accomplish just that.

(*OOC: The 3.5L era of Group C, or Sportscar Aero-C as it is in-universe, never happened as it did in real-life, so Mazda's win at Le Mans didn't happen either.)
maikoheart

Introduce us to the team, and tell us - what are your goals for the 2021 season?

Bryce Shane: "Thank you for taking the time to come interview us, I'm the team principal Bryce Shane, vice president of the American arm of Mishima Zaibatsu and head of the racing division. Our drivers are Hiromu Ishimori and Minoru Takagi, our chief mechanic Kay Lee Priestly, and our strategist and tactical wizard Will Sabre Jr.

Our goals for the season are simple, crush it on the track and take home the trophies. The queens might reign, but the kings are gunning for their throne."

Was there any particular selection process to picking your Driver Squad and heads of staff?

Shane: "When it came for the formation of the Hornet's Nest, we scouted and picked the best of the best up and coming prospects. Ishimori has the consistency and cool headedness, Takagi has the speed and efficiency; Priestly has some of the fastest pit turnarounds of anyone, and Sabre has an eye for analyzing track data and planning the best lines and efficient use of resources. We couldn't ask for a better team."

We know this is your first year to the PRO class, but is there anyone in the series you'd consider a rival at this time? If so, who?

Shane: "As far as rivals, we consider the entire field as our opponents. The pedigree of Scuderia Pergusa speaks for itself, and both Raiden teams have potential, as does Aces High."

It's rather unusual to see wrestling and motorsport cross over; what drew you to the world of racing?

Minoru Takagi: "Wrestling and racing actually aren't as dissimilar as you'd think!" (Ishimori nods in agreement)

"Both are competitive and have solo and team aspects. On the track it's every driver for themselves for the most part, though you'll see unlikely alliances at times; like Hornet's Nest repping for TAKAGI-GUN, Firing Squad, and World Empire in Samurai Pro Wrestling. None of our factions may be friendly (on-screen), but we have each other's respect."

OOC Editors' Note: Alliances are definitely something you're more likely to see in stock car and touring car racing; the close-quarters racing style, mixed with the heated rivalries of the drivers can definitely draw pro wrestling parallels.
Also, thank you deceptivedin088 for letting me edit some of the question replies for readability. I did my best to preserve the original writing so it's still him speaking.

A familiar team in a whole new world. Introduce our newer fans to your team and tell us your goals for this year!

What’s up, everyone! Zachary Hunter here, but everybody calls me Zack. Many of you know me from my work in Hollywood as a stuntman, but other than that, I’ve always liked and been involved with any form of extreme and radical sports. I just can’t get enough of this, that’s what I live for, and REDLINE Engineering exists solely because of that. We’ve been in Lightning Car and Atlantic Super Grand Prix for many years, and when the right opportunity appeared, we decided to expand to the IMAS GT Championship.
Of course, we’d like to win races and even the championship, but there’s a long way to go. We’re here for the ride, that’s all about putting on a good show for the fans out there. If we can’t do that, then count us out! [laughs]

What was the selection process to picking your Driver Squad?

Jake has been with us for a long time. He comes from our Lightning Car program and brings all his experience and skills, which I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be useful in the long run. We’re also always looking for fearless rising stars, and Emile has a bright future ahead of her. She did great in her last season at the Aeternam championship, so we brought her in.

The IMAS calendar is home to some of the most prestigious races in the world. Any one you'd be looking forward to?

Every event is special. I hope we can just enjoy the ride and give the fans what they want to see - a lot of action and fierce battles on track. Let’s go crazy!

Anyone stand out to you as a rival?

I don’t see anyone as a rival, to be honest. No hard feelings, we’re here to do our best, learn and have fun along the way.

What motivations did you have to pick the M8 GTE-HY over its contemporaries?

The M8 is a very reliable and capable machine. We’ve seen successful campaigns from this car, and we got the great opportunity of inheriting Krieger’s assets. We couldn’t say no to that, it was a great offer. Also, I believe having good equipment is just as important as having good personnel onboard, so we’re looking forward to this season.

(Editor's Note, OOC: Thanks to RebelMist for the shot, and for the responses!)