Yamashita Joins Uematsu McLaren for Japan Cup

Image: GT World Challenge Asia

SUPER GT champion and Toyota factory driver Kenta Yamashita will be part of an assault on this year’s SRO Japan Cup with a McLaren 720S GT3.

Yamashita will team up with three-time Am class champion Tadao Uematsu as the 58-year-old tackles the Pro-Am class for the first time with a car entered under his own ‘Team Uematsu’ banner, run by Osaka-based maintenance garage Auto Labo.

It will mark a first foray into GT3 competition for three-time GT500 champion Yamashita in more than a decade, with his last experience being his maiden SUPER GT campaign for the KTR Porsche GT300 squad back in 2015.

Since a brief spell in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2019-20, the 30-year-old has focused exclusively on SUPER GT, Super Taikyu and Super Formula.

Yamashita said that an approach from TOM’S SUPER GT team director Daisuke Ito, who will perform the same role for Team Uematsu, led to the opportunity to join the team.

“I think that Uematsu-san is one of the fastest gentleman drivers out there, so I believe if I can perform my role properly as a pro driver, we can be involved in this year’s championship battle,” Yamashita said. “I’ll do my best to achieve that.”

As well as Yamashita and Ito, Uematsu has also recruited renowned engineer Nagataka Tezuka to head up the technical side of the newly-formed project.

Yamashita becomes the fourth member of the Toyota GT500 stable to join this year’s Japan Cup field, following on from Ukyo Sasahara (Bingo Racing), Sena Sakaguchi and Nirei Fukuzumi (both K-tunes Racing).

The four-round Japan Cup season begins at Sportsland Sugo on May 16-17.

Source: Sports Car 365