SUPER GT has moved this weekend's race at Suzuka to December as a result of the approaching typhoon in Japan.
The fifth round was originally scheduled to happen from August 31 to September 1, however the Suzuka 350km race might be the season finale and can happen on December 7-8, organiser GTA announced on Wednesday.
The schedule change is available in response to a robust storm — dubbed Typhoon 10 — that is anticipated to hit the southern island of Kyushu on Thursday, potentially causing disruptions in lots of parts of the country until at the very least Saturday.
“With the SUPER GT round scheduled for Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1, we have decided to postpone the event to Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8, taking into account the safety of guests and related parties due to the effects of Typhoon No. 10, as well as the expected impact on public transportation,” the statement read.
“We ask for the understanding of all the fans who were looking forward to watching the match, as well as everyone involved.”
According to local reports, a Level 5 emergency warning – the very best of its kind – was issued in a single village in Kagoshima Prefecture, while a Level 4 evacuation order was also issued in Shizuoka Prefecture.
As a results of heavy rainfall, there’s a risk of landslides in three cities in Shizuoka, positioned on the larger island of Honshu, north of Kyushu.
The typhoon could also disrupt rail traffic across Japan, including the shinkansen (bullet train) line connecting Suzuka to the Japanese capital Tokyo via Nagoya.
Following the postponement of the Suzuka race to December, the following SUPER GT race might be held in Sugo on September 21-22.
