# 9 Callaway Corvette wins SRO GT World Challenge Asia race at Fuji

It was an exceptional Corvette victory to be savored at Fuji Raceway in Japan on June 17, 2023. 

 This Callaway C7 GT3-R was the lone Corvette in a 40-car field of Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, McLaren, Lexus, Nismo and Honda.  Not to mention that dazzling touchy-feely wrap.

Shinji Takei, the driving energy behind the Bingo Racing Team has worked closely with Ernst Woehr of Callaway Competition that built these cars in Liengarten Germany.

Starting from pole, Takei traded the lead with others before the mandatory pit stop to change drivers in this one-hour race.

Akira Iida then held on to edge the Porsche # 911 Porsche 911 GT3 R of Vuttikhorn Inthraphuvasak and Alessio Picariello, completing 27 laps on the 2.83- mile Fuji circuit.

In Sunday’s race, Akira Iida got shoved hard into the guardrail on lap 8 while battling Hiroshi Hamaguchi in the # 19 Lambo.  The car will be shipped to Callaway Competition for repairs and will miss the next race at Suzuka.

The Bingo Racing C7 GT3-R chassis 005 has appeared in several guises since it was acquired in 2017. Only 7 have been built.

The # 9 Callaway C7 GT3-R is the first Corvette to prevail in SRO competition since a win by a Callaway C6 ZO6-R in the comparable FIA GT3 series that happened in 2010 in Portugal. (a likeness is shown above at Silverstone).

 Photo credits Corvette Motorsport, Tyler Thurn