The GT-Rs were eventually cast off into their own series and eventually the JGTC, which has become the pinnacle of circuit racing in Japan. At the end of the road Hoshino made sure the last thing the GT-R saw in front of it in competition was a checkered flag, winning at Suzuka, Nov. 16, 2003.
Michael Krumm and Satoshi Motoyama took the 2003 series title in the NISMO GT-R, ensuring the GT-R left the racing scene the same way it entered, a champion.
In 2004, Nissan stepped up and inserted the Fairlady 350Z as its JGTC warrior of choice and Hoshino became Team Director. The driving duo of Benoit Treluyer and Yuji Ide were inserted and Impul and Tomei got to work sorting out the Fairlady and its VQ30DETT V6 powerplant. The team finished a hard-fought 11th in 2004 but look for bigger things as the team gets in sync for the 2005 JGTC campaign.