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Eternal glory - Skyline GT-R’s 50 wins
So successful was the GT-R that people said "Skyline’s only rival is Skyline." This vehicle’s momentous record of 50 victories over in a period of 2 years and 10 months will never be forgotten in the history of Japanese racing.
The first win came on May 3, 1969, at the TS-b race of the 1969 JAF Grand Prix at Fuji Speedway. That was the 4-door model. From the 1969 Japan Grand Prix in October of the same year, at which the GT-R chalked up its 7th victory, a fuel injection system was adopted. Pushing maximum output to 230PS/8,400rpm, this gave the Skyline an even greater edge on the circuit.
It was two years later, at the All Japan Suzuka Automobile Race (March 1971) that the hardtop GT-R was added to the formation. Attracting nationwide attention, the GT-R’s string of consecutive wins stopped at 49 (with 29 consecutive wins for the works team). But the 50th victory was achieved at the very next race.
The historic 50th victory came on March 20, 1972, in the first round of the Fuji GC Series - the Fuji 300km Speed Race. Because of strong winds and rain, the race had been shortened from 20 laps to 12. Raising clouds of spray, car No. 15, a GT-R driven by K. Takahashi, took the checkered flag and simultaneously made history.
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K. Takahashi was at the wheel for the 50th GT-R victory. |