Drago Corse switches to Nissan for 2022 SUPER GT season

Drago Corse has run a Honda NSX GT3 in SUPER GT's lower GT300 class since the 2018 season, with Michigami sharing driving duties with a variety of teammates.

However, the 2000 JGTC champion, who has been associated with Honda for almost all of his career, is taking a step back from driving duties as his team switches to the Nissan GT300 camp.

Sharing the team's Dunlop-shod Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 instead will be two-time GT500 champion Masataka Yanagida and ex-Formula 1 driver Yuji Ide.

Yanagida makes the switch from the Arnage Racing squad, while Ide is set for his first SUPER GT campaign since the 2018 season, when he drove a Bentley Continental GT3 for the Elcars team. The pair also shared a Nissan Silvia driving for the Hasemi Motorsport team way back in 2001.

Heading up the car crew will be veteran engineer Hitoshi Iyoki, who oversees the Drago Corse Super Formula effort and also took Naoki Yamamoto and Team Kunimitsu to GT500 title honours in 2018 and '20.

"Racing the GT-R will be a new challenge for Drago Corse," said Michigami. "I am very excited to see what the season will bring with two great drivers. I'm looking forward to working with the team to make sure that motorsport continues to grow and develop."

Busou, which develops parts exclusively for Nissan, announced an intention to enter SUPER GT last month during the Tokyo Auto Salon, where it was also revealed it would enter a Nissan 370Z in Super Taikyu's ST-3 class.

BUSOU Fairlady Z

Photo by: Motorsport.com / Japan

The announcement appears to mark the end of Drago Corse's one-year tie-up with sofa and cushion company Yogibo and its representative Misato Haga.

Last year, the team's drivers Michigami and Shogo Mitsuyama endured a difficult season in the Yogibo-liveried NSX, managing just a single points finish all year with a sixth-place finish at Sugo.

Yogibo's options to remain on the grid appear limited, with only a handful of teams in the GT300 class left to declare their plans for the upcoming season.

These include Nissan customer teams NILZZ and Tomei Sports, who could bring the total number of GT-Rs on the grid to six if they continue their activities.