Super GT: Day 1

20th June 2009

Round 4 of the Super GT is upon us again.. Fast car and hot girls is probably what comes to mind when we think about Super GT. Year after year, throngs of spectators and photographers made their way to Sepang for this once a year event. The last time i went, i was still using my Ricoh PnS. This will be the first time I'm going with proper gear..

If you're not working on a Saturday morning, logically you'll still be in bed at 6.30am. But fueled with the desire to to meet some Japanese girls, 3 Alpha kaki woke up much earlier than they would on a normal working day and race over to Sepang International Circuit. This was the scene that greeted us....


The first pit walk session started at 8am and there are no Race Queens in sight. All we see is cars and mechanics and of course fellow photographer probably thinking "Kena conned already!!"

But, have to make the most out of the day so started shooting..











Saw a lot of people surrounding the Epson garage so made my way over there..


The marshals were being briefed on the safety procedures and also the correct way to release the race driver from the seat..


The pit session was nearing it's end and we made our way towards the exit. This stopped me in my tracks..






The Nissan Skyline has a rich history in the Super GT and I think it's fitting to have the "Godzilla" heading the field as well..


1st practice session was due to start in a while and I made my way to the Tower. Stopped by at the main grandstand and watched as people were being shoooed out of the pit like cattle.


The sky was dark and rain cloud was moving across the race track. But right on cue, the action starts...


Less than 10mins after the session started, the rain came..












Too fast too furious...


After the session ended, the GT3 and Formula V6 event was coming up. But, decided to go shoot the other main attraction of Super GT.... the girls!!






As representative for their respective team and sponsors, their command of English is somewhat...lacking. Most of the time, I had absolutely no idea what on earth they are talking about. But hey, that's not really the main point, is it?










Crowd favorites... the ZENT girls.


Offical GT Queens for Round 4, Nana Shibata...


and Sana Yuuki. They can dance, they can sing and make cute poses..


While the girls were no doubt amazing, the environment was not. Hot blazing sun, sweaty bodies (not the girl"s unfortunately) pushing around, blocked views and ruined shots basically sums up everything..

After a quick KFC lunch, I made my way back to the stands for qualifying session. This time I chose the grandstand opposite Turn 9. I loved this spot as you can usually get some good shots of the cars approaching the tight left turn..


You get some action shots..


You also get some fire spitting actions..




After the session ended, I made my way back to the stage area to get more pics of the GT Queens..




After the stage activities finished, it's time to call it a day. On the way out...






End of Day 1.

Godzilla in Sepang

13th June

Went to Sepang after making arrangements to shoot superbike again, but it turned out to be a no show by the bikers. It looked like a lost day and wasted petrol when this fella came roaring down the track....


According to Wiki, The Nissan GT-R is powered by the VR38DETT engine, a 3,799 cc (3.8 L; 231.8 cu in) DOHC V6. Production vehicles produce a manufacturer-claimed engine output of 480 hp. Nissan claims the GT-R can reach a top speed of 309 km/h. It has been tested to achieve 0-60 mph as low as 3.2 seconds with "launch control"and 3.9 seconds without. This road rocket earned itself a rather fitting nickname of "Godzilla".

How much would those sort of performance cost you on the Malaysian road? Be prepared to cough up above RM600k, excluding road tax and insurance.

While the rest of us would be dreaming about what we would do if we ever had that amount of money; some fortunate souls have no such worries. Instead he is just worrying if he can stick the Godzilla on the black stuff and avoid going home on a tow truck.


Slow shutter attempt at 1/10sec exposure


While the Godzilla would be a tad to extreme for my taste, this fella here is a bit more down to Earth but no less exciting. The Subaru Imprezza WRX or "Scooby" as the fanboys call it, this car acheived cult status back when Collin McRae was winning everything in the WRC. Sensible pricing plus out of this world performance made this a petrol head's living wet dream.




Subaru are meant to be driven as aggressive as possible. Racing lines are boring, go sideways...


It may not be faster, but it's so damn cool..


Subaru drivers are a fun bunch. Here's another Scobby having an Evo X for afternoon tea..


While the others were having fun, along came this fella. Nothing like a slow leisure drive. Honestly, i think continental look much better parked in front of Zouk or some other hot club. Not on a race track and not driven like this.