GT: Reigning BES champion Chiyo injures spine

Reigning Blancpain Endurance Series champion Katsumasa Chiyo suffered a spinal injury in his crash in last week's Super GT round at Fuji, it has emerged.

The MOLA team's Nissan GT-R, which Chiyo shares with Japanese folk hero Satoshi Motoyama, had brake failure at 180mph on the approach to Turn 1. Although the 28-year-old tried to spin the car, he could not avoid slamming into the barriers.

Chiyo has been ruled out of this weekend's Motegi round of the Japanese Formula 3 Championship, in which he is contesting a parallel program as teammate in the B-Max team to series leader Jann Mardenborough. He is also in serious doubt for the following weekend's blue-riband GT race, the Suzuka 1000Km, although has not yet given up hope of making the field.

"After the crash I was quickly able to be discharged, and as a result of thorough examination mild damage was found in the spine, diagnosed with three to four weeks' healing," Chiyo wrote on his blog. "For the Super GT Suzuka 1000Km, there will be a precise inspection before the race where it will be determined whether it is possible to participate.

"As long as there is even one percent hope, I will absolutely not give up until the very end – I'm going to do the maximum I can."

Mitsunori Takaboshi, whose main program is with Nissan in Blancpain this season, will fill in for Chiyo in the F3 team and will take his seat in the Suzuka 1000Km alongside Motoyama should the injuries not heal sufficiently.

Originally on Autosport.com