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In Super GT, success ballast serves as a performance equalizer that imposes weight penalties on cars based on Drivers' Championship points scored across the season. While the nominal handicap can reach up to 100 kilograms, series regulations cap physical ballast placed onboard the vehicle at 50 kilograms, applying any penalty beyond that limit through mandatory refuelling restrictors during pit stops.
Points Scaling and Handicap Caps
The GT Association (GTA) calculates success ballast directly from championship points. In the GT300 class, the baseline allocation awards 2 kilograms of nominal ballast per Drivers' Championship point scored, up to a maximum ceiling of 100 kilograms. Although the series briefly increased this rate to 3 kilograms per point during the 2020 season to deliver a steeper initial penalty for early race winners, the nominal scale was subsequently restored to the 2-kilogram standard.
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End-of-Season Reductions and Final Reset
Super GT reduces the success ballast across the closing rounds of the season. For the penultimate championship round, the ballast is reduced to 1.5 kilograms per championship point scored. In the final race of the season, the ballast is reset to zero for all cars that took part in all eight rounds.
Safety Concerns and the 50kg Physical Ballast Cap
Safety considerations led organisers to separate nominal ballast totals from the physical weight carried inside the cars. In an effort to control speeds, GT300 cars received additional Special BoP Weight, with success ballast initially reduced from 100 kilograms to 80 kilograms as a compromise. After several teams raised valid safety concerns about the added weight, the GTA reduced the maximum physical onboard ballast to 50 kilograms, mirroring the standard used in GT500.
Pit Lane Penalties via Refuelling Restrictors
When a car's nominal success ballast exceeds the 50-kilogram physical limit, the remaining balance is converted into a pit lane time deficit using a Success refuelling restrictor. Installed directly beneath the automatic shut-off valve on the refuelling apparatus, the narrower restrictor lengthens fuel delivery times during mandatory pit stops. The exact restrictor diameter is calibrated against each car's Balance of Performance fuel flow restrictor and confirmed in official pre-event technical bulletins.
Sources: Super GT Confirms FCY Rules, Success Ballast Changes For 2020; SUPER GT Revises GT300 Success Ballast | dailysportscar.com.
