The Driver on The Cold and Drivers on Hot - 2024 Okayama 400 Previews

Okayama, 17 February 2024 - As Round 3 of the 2024 Hololive GT3 Japan Series is set to commence, we write down our preview piece of Round 3 of Qualifiers:

The Track

Okayama International Circuit hosts Round 3 of the 2024 Hololive GT3 Japan Series Qualifiers, and is looking to be chilly; 11 degrees Celsius for the ambient temperatures, 5 degrees more for track temperatures.

Nissans have shown good pace throughout HoloGT3, but their season so far has been mediocre. Only 4 drivers in the Tsuyo for Team Nissan is not enough for some, and with their ace coming up, expect a Nissan to win this Okayama 400 and expect more Nissans to creep in to the Tsuyo.

The Driver on the Outside Looking In

Alticer Antanarau (Nekomata Okayu)

His season has been abysmal up to this point; and it's not just about lacking speed in the first two races, he was involved in accidents in both races. However, the Nissans' two best tracks are up next; Okayama and Fuji, and Antanarau surely has something up his sleeve to pull up with a heroic to place the #5 Nissan on the Tsuyo spots.

Outperforming Expectations

Jeff Rohan (Tokoyami Towa)

He may be inconsistent in car #10 for Towa, with a finish outside the Top 10 at Sportsland SUGO, but he has demonstrated pace, where he placed his #10 in the top spots in qualifying for the Autopolis 400, then later capitalizing on Poly's penalty and Goyena's mistakes at the end, giving Tokoyami Towa her first win in Hololive GT3 since August 2022. More to come soon?

The Championship Order

Raijin Kacyznski (Yuzuki Choco) is showing authority in the Qualifiers standings at 519 points, 16 points over Shazren Redza (Himemori Luna) in 2nd. At the cutline, with the #66 Yozora Mel Lexus' exclusion from the championship following her termination, Michael Turner (Shirogane Noel) now sits in the hot seat in the Tsuyo Series at 146 points in 20th. Daniel Barguer for Hoshimachi Suisei sits in the first Zako Series spot in 21st, and at 128 points, needs to ouscore Turner by 19 points to get ahead of him and be in the Tsuyo.

Concluding this preview piece, the Okayama 400 is one to savor, as the battle for the 20 spots in the Tsuyo Series is still hotly contested. The final list of drivers who will make the big dance is still a big mystery with all these variables involved. Whatever the case, this round will be enjoyable to watch.