CASSIDY BACK IN GT500

Nick Cassidy, who is perhaps one of the hardest working Kiwis in motorsport right now, will return to the Super GT grid for his second season with Lexus Team TOM’S. Cassidy and teammate Ryo Hirakawa will pilot the new 2017-spec Lexus LC 500, which features a reduction in downforce from last year’s cars in a bid to create less cornering speed. The cars are powered by the same two-litre turbo as last year, making around the 447kW mark.

The big news for the team is the addition of Red Bull to the programme. This is the first Super GT car to be sponsored by the global drinks company as it moves to expand its presence in Japan. The team has carried out extensive testing in the new car ahead of next month’s opener, and Cassidy is optimistic. “So far, the car looks very promising,” he said. “We won’t know where we stand until the opening round at Okayama in April. Our rivals will all have new cars, too.”

Alongside his Super GT commitments, Cassidy is also the first Kiwi to contest Japan’s top-tier single-seater class, known as ‘Super Formula’, following on from his Formula 3 championship campaign in 2016.