Final updates to the 6 Hours of Fuji entry list

The final version of the provisional entry list for the 6 Hours of Fuji (12-14 October), round four of the WEC Super Season, has been released and it shows several changes since the list was first published including the addition of two new Japanese drivers, bringing the home talent total up to six.

For the seventh successive year Fuji Speedway will play host to the FIA World Endurance Championship and the many thousands of enthusiastic fans who make the annual pilgrimage to Fuji will see 34 cars on track, offering exciting and sometimes unpredictable action at the highest level.

More well-known faces and home heroes to cheer for

The withdrawal of the CEFC TRSM Racing entry from the Japanese round brings the total of LMP1 cars to eight, with the two Toyota Gazoo Racing TS050 HYBRIDS leading the charge for victory. Worldwide motorsport star and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Fernando Alonso will be a popular autograph for fans to seek, together with Toyota team mates and home heroes Kazuki Nakajima and Kamui Kobayashi.  

Chasing them hard will be the six non-hybrid LMP1s, in the hands of many Japanese fan favourites including SMP Racing’s Jenson Button – currently the Super GT Series points leader – and André Lotterer of Rebellion Racing who competed and lived in Japan for many years.  

At Fuji the WEC will welcome back to its paddocks two familiar faces – Tom Dillmann and James Rossiter – both of whom are also competing in national Japanese series this year.  Dillmann was absent at Silverstone, but has taken part in all other rounds for ByKolles this season, while Rossiter makes his first appearance in 2018; they will both be alongside Oliver Webb in the No.4 ByKolles Racing Team ENSO CLM P1/01-Nismo.

Since the entry list was first announced, American team DragonSpeed has also revised its driver line up with Australian James Allen coming in to partner Ben Hanley in the No.10 BR Engineering BR1-Gibson.  The young, Japanese-speaking Allen, currently competing in the European Le Mans Series will be making his debut in the WEC.

Ihara to return to WEC and Hoshino to make his debut

There are two further changes to the entry list and these are the welcome addition of Keiko Ihara to the No.50 Larbre Competition Ligier JSP217-Gibson to race with Erwin Creed and Romano Ricci. She last raced in the WEC in 2014 but her experience at Fuji Speedway will be invaluable to the two French rookies.

Making his debut with Dempsey-Proton Racing in the No.88 Porsche 911 RSR will be Japanese Porsche specialist Satoshi Hoshino.  The multiple championship winning driver, together with Clearwater Racing’s Keita Sawa and MR Racing’s Motoaki Ishikawa brings the total of Japanese drivers in the LMGTE Am category to three and to six throughout the entire field.

Practice and qualifying on the 4.56 km (2.83 mile), 16 turn track takes place on 12/13 October, with the 6-hour race itself getting underway on Sunday 14 October.  For the full timetable click HERE and for more ticketing information, click HERE.