The 1999 All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship was the seventh season of Japan Automobile Federation GT premiere racing. It was marked as well as the seventeenth season of a JAF-sanctioned sports car racing championship dating back to the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship. The GT500 class champion of that season was the Pennzoil Nismo GT-R driven by Érik Comas and Satoshi Motoyama and the GT300 class champion was the MOMOCORSE A'PEX MR2 driven by Morio Nitta and Shinichi Takagi. Both Comas and Nitta won their respective driver's title on their own since Motoyama and Takagi missed a round each; Motoyama skipped the second round at Fuji because he was participating in the pre-qualifying session of that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans while Takagi missed the first round at Suzuka because he was in the United States on a bid to find a seat in Indy Lights.[1]

The season was marred by the death of reigning GT300 Champion, Shingo Tachi, in a pre-season testing crash at TI Circuit Aida on March 11, 1999. Tachi was to drive the number 6 Esso Toyota Supra for Toyota Team LeMans.[2] Kunimitsu Takahashi retired from his racing career at the end of the season at aged 59.

Drivers and teams

GT500

Team Make Car Engine No. Drivers Tyre Rounds
Pennzoil Nismo GT-R Nissan Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) Nissan RB26DETT 2.7 L Twin Turbo I6 1 France Érik Comas B All
Japan Satoshi Motoyama 1, 3–7, NC
Sweden Anders Olofsson 2
ARTA Zexel Skyline/Nismo Nissan Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) Nissan RB26DETT 2.7 L Twin Turbo I6 2 Japan Aguri Suzuki All
Germany Michael Krumm 1, 3–7, NC
Germany Armin Hahne 2
Hasemi Motorsport Nissan Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33) Nissan RB26DETT 2.7 L Twin Turbo I6 3 Japan Masahiro Hasemi B All
Japan Tetsuya Tanaka All
Esso Toyota Team LeMans Toyota Toyota Supra Toyota 3S-GT 2.0 L Turbo I4 6 Australia Wayne Gardner B 2–7, NC
Japan Hideki Noda 2–7, NC
Endless Sports Nissan Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33) Nissan RB26DETT 2.7 L Twin Turbo I6 11 Japan Takao Wada B 1–3, 5
Japan Mitsuhiro Kinoshita 1–3, 5
Calsonic Team Impul Nissan Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) Nissan RB26DETT 2.7 L Twin Turbo I6 12 Japan Kazuyoshi Hoshino B All
Japan Masami Kageyama All
Castrol Mugen NSX/Mugen x Dome Project Honda Honda NSX Honda C32B 3.5 L V6 16 Japan Ryo Michigami B All
Japan Osamu Nakako All
Takata Dome NSX/Mugen x Dome Project Honda Honda NSX Honda C32B 3.5 L V6 18 Japan Katsutomo Kaneishi All
Japan Juichi Wakisaka All
Team Take One McLaren McLaren F1 GTR BMW S70/2 6.0 L V12 30 Japan Hideki Okada B All
Japan Yoji Yamada All
Toyota Team Cerumo Toyota Toyota Supra Toyota 3S-GT 2.0 L Turbo I4 32 Japan Masahiko Kondo B All
Japan Takayuki Kinoshita All
38 Japan Yuji Tachikawa All
Japan Hironori Takeuchi All
Toyota Team TOM'S Toyota Toyota Supra Toyota 3S-GT 2.0 L Turbo I4 35 Japan Shinichi Yamaji M All
France Pierre-Henri Raphanel All
36 Japan Masanori Sekiya All
Japan Takuya Kurosawa All
37 Japan Toshio Suzuki All
Japan Ukyo Katayama 1, 3–7, NC
United Kingdom Darren Manning 2
Denso Toyota Team SARD Toyota Toyota Supra Toyota 3S-GT 2.0 L Turbo I4 39 Japan Keiichi Tsuchiya Y All
Japan Masahiko Kageyama All
Team Taisan Advan Dodge Dodge Viper GTS-R Chrysler 356-T6 8.0 L V10 55 Japan Eiichi Tajima Y 1–2, 4, NC
Japan Hideshi Matsuda 1–2, 4
Germany Dominik Schwager 3
Japan Yasuyuki Honjo NC
Mobil 1 Nakajima Racing Honda Honda NSX Honda C32B 3.5 L V6 64 Netherlands Tom Coronel B All
Japan Koji Yamanishi 1–4
Japan Hidetoshi Mitsusada 5–7, NC
JLOC Lamborghini Lamborghini Diablo GT-1 Lamborghini L532 6.0 L V12 88 Japan Naohiro Furuya T All
Japan Hisashi Wada All
Raybrig Team Kunimitsu with Mooncraft Honda Honda NSX Honda C32B 3.5 L V6 100 Japan Kunimitsu Takahashi B All
Japan Akira Iida All

GT300

Team Make Car Engine No. Drivers Tyre Rounds
RE Amemiya Racing Mazda Mazda RX-7 Mazda RE20B 2.0 L 3-rotor 7 Japan Tetsuya Yamano Y All
Japan Haruhiko Matsumoto All
Team Daikokuya Porsche Porsche 993 RSR Porsche M64/80 3.8 L F6 9 Japan Teruyuki Tokada D 1, 3, 5
Japan Yukihiro Hane 1, 3, 5
99 Japan Akira Yoshitomi All
Japan Tsunefumi Hioki 1–2, 4–7
Japan Kiichi Takahashi 3
Ability Motorsport Porsche Porsche 993 GT2 Porsche M64/82 3.6 L Turbo F6 10 Japan Yasutaka Hinoi Y All
Japan Hidehiko Aso All
Alta Racing Team Nissan Nissan Silvia (S14) Nissan SR20DET 2.1 L Turbo I4 14 Japan Tetsuo Kozai Y 1–3, 5, 7
Japan Nobuo Komiya 1–3, 5, 7
Nismo Nissan Nissan Silvia (S15) Nissan SR20DET 2.1 L Turbo I4 15 Japan Takeshi Tsuchiya Y All
Japan Yuji Ide All
Racing Project Bandoh Toyota Toyota Celica Toyota 3S-GE 2.0 L I4 19 Japan Manabu Orido Y All
Japan Takahiro Hara All
TOM'S Spirit Toyota Toyota Celica Toyota 3S-GTE 2.0 L Turbo I4 20 Japan Masahiro Matsunaga Y 2, 4–7
Japan Yasuhisa Fujiwara 2, 4
Japan Kumi Sato 5–7
Hitotsuyama Racing BMW BMW M3 (E36) BMW S14 2.2 L Turbo I4 21 Japan Daisuke Itō T All
Japan Yasushi Hitotsuyama 1–3, 5
Japan Mikio Hitotsuyama 4, 6–7
Hirano Motorsport Nissan Nissan Skyline GTS-i (R32) Nissan RB20DETT 2.0 L Twin Turbo I6 24 Japan Toshiyuki Hirano Y 2, 5
Japan Teruhiko Someba 2, 5
Momo Corse Racing Team with Tsuchiya Toyota Toyota MR2 Toyota 3S-GTE 2.0 L Turbo I4 25 Japan Morio Nitta Y All
Japan Yasushi Kikuchi 1
Japan Shinichi Takagi 2–7, NC
Team Taisan Porsche Porsche 993 GT3-R (Rd. 1–4)
Porsche 996 GT3-R (Rd. 5–7) 		Porsche M96/77 3.6 L F6 26 Japan Hiroaki Suga Y 1–4
Sri Lanka Dilantha Malagamuwa 2–3
Germany Dominik Schwager 4–7, NC
Japan Hideshi Matsuda 5–7, NC
Japan Tomohiko Sunako 1
Porsche 993 GT3-R Porsche M64/75 3.6 L F6 55 Japan Hiroaki Suga 5–7
Japan Eiichi Tajima 5–7
Team Taeivon Ralliart Mitsubishi Mitsubishi FTO Mitsubishi 4G63 2.0 L Turbo I4 61 Republic of Ireland Ralph Firman T All
Japan Akihiko Nakaya 1, 3–7
Argentina Rubén Derfler 2
Team Gaikokuya Porsche Porsche 993 GT2 Porsche M64/82 3.6 L Turbo F6 70 Japan Yoshimi Ishibashi Y All
Belgium Patrick van Schoote 1, 5, 7
Japan Kaoru Hoshino 2, 6
Japan Hiroshi Sakai 3–4
SigmaTec Racing Team Porsche Porsche 993 GT2 Porsche M64/82 3.6 L Turbo F6 71 Japan Masaki Jyonai Y All
Japan Naohiro Kawano All
Okura Rotary Racing Mazda Mazda RX-7 Mazda RE20B 2.0 L 3-rotor 72 Japan Akira Ishikawa Y All
Japan Koh Hirano All
Cusco Racing Subaru Subaru Impreza WRX STI Subaru EJ20 2.0 L Turbo F4 77 Japan Katsuo Kobayashi Y All
Japan Tatsuya Tanigawa All
Team Daishin Nissan Nissan Silvia (S15) Nissan SR20DET 2.0 L Turbo I4 81 Japan Hideo Fukuyama Y All
Japan Nobuyuki Ohyagi All
I.A. Tec Racing Team Nissan Nissan Silvia (S14) Nissan SR20DET 2.0 L Turbo I4 84 Japan Seiichi Sodeyama Y 2, 5–7
Japan Yoshikuni Nakamura 2, 5–7
KRAFT Toyota Toyota Corolla Sprinter Trueno (AE86) Toyota 3S-GTE 2.0 L Turbo I4 86 Japan Minoru Tanaka T 2–7
Japan Eiki Amemiya 2–7
Team Gainer Ferrari Ferrari F355 GT Ferrari F129B 3.5 L V8 111 Japan Junichi Ikura Y 2, 5–7
Japan Yusei Maki 2, 5–7
Club: Yellow Magic Ferrari Ferrari F355 GT Ferrari F129B 3.6 L V8 355 Japan Taki Inoue Y 2–3, 5, 7
Japan Tsuyoshi Takahashi 2–3, 5, 7
910 Racing Porsche Porsche 993 RSR Porsche M64/80 3.8 L F6 910 Japan Atsushi Yogo Y 1–3, 5–7
Japan Hideyuki Tamamoto 1–3
Sri Lanka Dilantha Malagamuwa 5–6
Japan Tomohiko Sunako 7
911 Japan Masamitsu Ishihara 5
Japan Hiroyuki Noji 5

Schedule

Round Race Circuit Date
1 Suzuka GT 300 Japan Suzuka Circuit March 21
2 All Japan Fuji GT Race Japan Fuji Speedway May 2
3 SUGO GT Championship Japan Sportsland SUGO May 30
4 CP Mine GT Race Japan Mine Circuit July 11
5 JPN Special GT Cup Japan Fuji Speedway August 8
6 GT Championship in TI Japan TI Circuit September 26
7 Motegi GT Championship Race Japan Twin Ring Motegi October 24
NC Nicos Cup GT AllStar Japan Autopolis November 28

Season results

Round Circuit GT500 Winning Team GT300 Winning Team
GT500 Winning Drivers GT300 Winning Drivers
1 Suzuka Japan #18 Takata Honda NSX Japan #19 Racing Project Bandoh Toyota Celica
Japan Juichi Wakisaka
Japan Katsutomo Kaneishi 		Japan Takahiko Hara
Japan Manabu Orido
2 Mt. Fuji Japan #100 Raybrig Honda NSX Japan #25 MOMOCORSE A'PEX Toyota MR2
Japan Kunimitsu Takahashi
Japan Akira Iida 		Japan Shinichi Takagi
Japan Morio Nitta
3 Sportsland SUGO Japan #36 Castrol TOM'S Toyota Supra Japan #15 Xanavi ARTA Nissan Silvia
Japan Takuya Kurosawa
Japan Masanori Sekiya 		Japan Yuji Ide
Japan Takeshi Tsuchiya
4 Mine Circuit Japan #1 Pennzoil Nissan Skyline GT-R Japan #15 Xanavi ARTA Nissan Silvia
Japan Satoshi Motoyama
France Érik Comas 		Japan Yuji Ide
Japan Takeshi Tsuchiya
5 Mt. Fuji Japan #6 ESSO Team LeMans Toyota Supra Japan #26 STP Advan Taisan Porsche 911 GT3 R
Japan Hideki Noda
Australia Wayne Gardner 		Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Germany Dominik Schwager
6 TI Circuit Japan #64 Mobil 1 Honda NSX Japan #15 Xanavi ARTA Nissan Silvia
Japan Hidetoshi Mitsusada
Netherlands Tom Coronel 		Japan Yuji Ide
Japan Takeshi Tsuchiya
7 Twin Ring Motegi Japan #36 Castrol TOM'S Toyota Supra Japan #26 STP Advan Taisan Porsche 911 GT3 R
Japan Takuya Kurosawa
Japan Masanori Sekiya 		Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Germany Dominik Schwager
NC Autopolis Japan #64 Mobil 1 Honda NSX Japan #77 Cusco Subaru Impreza
Japan Hidetoshi Mitsusada
Netherlands Tom Coronel 		Japan Tatsuya Tanigawa
Japan Katsuo Kobayashi

Point Ranking

GT500

Drivers

Rank No. Driver SUZ FUJ SUG MIN FUJ TAI MOT AUT Points
1 1 Érik Comas 2 5 6 1 3 7 3 4 77
2 36 Takuya Kurosawa

Masanori Sekiya

4 9 1 10 4 4 1 6 73
3 1 Satoshi Motoyama 2 6 1 3 7 3 4 69
4 18 Juichi Wakisaka

Katsutomo Kaneishi

1 19Ret 18Ret 11 2 3 16Ret Ret 47
5 64 Tom Coronel 11 14 4 16Ret 8 1 5 1 41
6 2 Aguri Suzuki 5 11 9 12 12 2 2 3 40
6 2 Michael Krumm 5 9 12 12 2 2 3 40
8 12 Kazuyoshi Hoshino

Masami Kageyama

10 3 5 6 5 10 7 11 40
9 37 Toshio Suzuki 3 4 11 2 15 15 10 Ret 38
10 16 Osamu Nakako

Ryo Michigami

14 12 3 3 9 16 4 5 36
11 100 Kunimitsu Takahashi

Akira Iida

18Ret 1 13 15 7 5 9 2 34
12 6 Hideki Noda

Wayne Gardner

8 16 5 1 9 13 15 33
13 64 Hidetoshi Mitsusada 8 1 5 1 31
14 38 Hironori Takeuchi

Yuji Tachikawa

7 2 17Ret 8 6 8 12 7 31
15 37 Ukyo Katayama 3 11 2 15 15 10 Ret 28
16 35 Pierre-Henri Raphanel

Shinichi Yamaji

13 16Ret 2 14 13 6 6 27
17 3 Masahiro Hasemi

Tetsuya Tanaka

6 7 7 4 11 12 8 9 27
18 32 Takayuki Kinoshita

Masahiko Kondo

8 6 8 17Ret 18Ret 11 15 8 12
19 64 Koji Yamanishi 11 14 4 16Ret 10
19 37 Darren Manning 4 10
21 1 Anders Olofsson 5 8
22 39 Keiichi Tsuchiya

Masahiko Kageyama

16 15 19Ret 7 10 13 17Ret 13 5
23 30 Yoji Yamada

Hideki Okada

17 18Ret 12 9 14 14 11 14 2
23 55 Eiichi Tajima 9 13 15 13 10 2
23 55 Hideshi Matsuda 9 13 13 2
27 11 Takao Wada

Mitsuhiro Kinoshita

12 10 10 16 2
28 2 Armin Hahne 11 0
29 88 Hisashi Wada

Naohiro Furuya

15 17Ret 14 18Ret 17 17Ret 14 12 0
30 55 Dominik Schwager 15 0
31 55 Motoyuki Yasuyuki 10 0

Teams' standings

For teams that entered multiple cars, only the best result from each round counted towards the teams' championship.

Rank Team No. SUZ
Japan 		FUJ
Japan 		SUG
Japan 		MIN
Japan 		FUJ
Japan 		TAI
Japan 		MOT
Japan 		AUT
Japan 		PTS
1 Toyota Castrol Team TOM'S 36 4 9 1 10 4 4 1 6 97
37 3 4 11 2 15 15 10 Ret
2 Nismo 1 2 5 6 1 3 7 3 4 91
2 5 11 9 12 12 2 2 3
3 Mugen x Dome Project 16 14 12 3 3 9 16 4 5 81
18 1 Ret Ret 11 2 3 Ret Ret
4 Mobil 1 Nakajima Racing 64 11 14 4 Ret 8 1 5 1 41
5 Team Impul 12 10 3 5 6 5 10 7 11 40
6 Team Kunimitsu with Mooncraft 100 Ret 1 13 15 7 5 9 2 34
7 Esso Ultron Toyota Team LeMans 6 DNP 8 16 5 1 9 13 15 33
8 Toyota Team Cerumo 38 7 2 Ret 8 6 8 12 7 31
9 MatsumotoKiyoshi Team TOM'S 35 13 Ret 2 14 13 6 6 27
10 Hasemi Motorsports 3 6 7 7 4 11 12 8 9 27
11 cdma One Toyota Team Cerumo with Key's 32 8 6 8 Ret Ret 11 15 8 12
12 Toyota Team SARD 39 16 15 Ret 7 10 13 Ret 13 5
13 Team Taisan Advan 55 9 13 15 13 10 2
14 Team Take One 30 17 Ret 12 9 14 14 11 14 2
15 Endless Sports 11 12 10 10 16 2
- JLOC 88 15 Ret 14 Ret 17 Ret 14 12 0
Rank Team No. SUZ
Japan 		FUJ
Japan 		SUG
Japan 		MIN
Japan 		FUJ
Japan 		TAI
Japan 		MOT
Japan 		AUT
Japan 		PTS

GT300 Class (Top 5)

Drivers

Rank Drivers Number/Team Points Wins
1 Japan Morio Nitta #25 MOMOCORSE A'PEX Toyota MR2 73 1
2 Japan Yuji Ide
Japan Takeshi Tsuchiya 		#15 Xanavi ARTA Nissan Silvia 72 3
3 Japan Takahiko Hara
Japan Manabu Orido 		#19 Racing Project Bandoh Toyota Celica 70 1
4 Japan Shinichi Takagi #25 MOMOCORSE A'PEX Toyota MR2 70 1
5 Japan Tetsuya Yamano
Japan Haruhiko Matsumoto 		#7 RE Amemiya Mazda RX-7 58 0


References

  1. ^ "Super GT's Uncrowned Champions". Super GT World. 2018-02-19. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Remembering Shingo Tachi, 20 Years Later". dailysportscar.com. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2022.

External links

Japanese Sportscar Championship seasons
Categories