Honda SuperGT squad ARTA is set to join forces with Mugen for the 2023 season, ending a 15-year relationship with current partner Servus Japan. Full story:
Multiple sources have indicated that the team led by ex-Formula 1 driver Aguri Suzuki is poised to end its relationship with the Servus Japan organisation that currently operates the #8 NSX-GT in favour of a tie-up with Mugen parent company M-TEC.
The looming change comes amid a dismal season for ARTA, which finished runner-up in the GT500 standings last year with Tomoki Nojiri and Nirei Fukuzumi but languishes in 12th in the points ahead of next month’s Motegi finale.Nojiri and Fukuzumi won this year’s shortened Fuji 450km in May but have finished outside of the points in the last three races, with operational issues having again reared their head in the most recent events at Sugo and Autopolis.
The obvious connection between ARTA and Mugen is lead driver Nojiri, who drives for the latter squad in Super Formula and is on the brink of securing a second title this year. Servus also helped run the Mugen Super Formula operation until the end of last season.Mugen’s own SUPER GT team is still searching for its first GT500 win since its return to the category in 2017.
ARTA has fielded a Honda NSX GT3 in the lower division since 2019, winning that year’s title with Shinichi Takagi and Nirei Fukuzumi,