Asia’s Intercontinental GT Challenge round – the BH Auction SMBC Suzuka 10 Hours – has been cancelled amid the uncertainty surrounding when racing in Japan will resume again, coupled by the harshening of international travel restrictions.
Circuit owners, Mobilityland Corporation, have said that an already packed autumn schedule provides no opportunity to reschedule the 49th rendition of the storied race in the back half of the year.
“We have decided to cancel the BH Auction SMBC Suzuka 10 Hours Endurance Race in light of the nature of this race event with many participant teams coming from Europe and other countries around the world,” said President Representative Director of Mobilityland Corporation, Kaoru Tanaka.
“The parade of the cars participating in the Suzuka 10 Hours on the public roads, which was held by the City of Suzuka for the first time last year as a historic first step, will also be cancelled.
“We want to express our regrets to all the fans who were looking forward to attending the Suzuka 10 Hours and all of the other stakeholders involved in this race event and ask for a kind understanding regarding this unavoidable cancellation.”
To date, only the Australasian leg of the five-round championship has been complete with the Bathurst 12 Hour staged earlier in the year.
The inaugural Indianapolis 8 Hour is now scheduled to host round two of this season’s Intercontinental GT Challenge on October 2-4 in a spectacular weekend which will also play host to a revised round of the NTT IndyCar series.
2020 INTERCONTINENTAL GT CHALLENGE CALENDAR
- Complete – Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour – Australasia
- October 2-4 – Indianapolis 8 Hour – North America
- October 22-25 – Total 24 Hours of Spa – Europe
- November 19-21 – Kyalami 9 Hour – Africa
- TBC – TBC – Asia