ALL JAPAN FUJI GT RACE
5.1 sat / 2 sun
 No.38 FK/Massimo CERUMO SUPRA
Round 2 All Japan FUJI GT Race 
The Saturday qualifying sessions for the 2nd round of the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (GTC) were held under a fine blue sky, with the majestic beauty of Mt.Fuji setting the background for the day's event. Drivers fought hard through the morning and afternoon sessions in a high-speed contest to claim the pole. The combined enthusiasm of the competitors on the track and exceptional fan turnout culminated in an excellent day at the circuit.
The Toyota SUPRAs gave clear warning of their force, offering a high-performance act that dominated the session. Hideki Noda claimed the fastest lap in the No.6 SUPRA, clocking in at a swift 1'25.428, a new course record in the GT category. But it was certain that the development of GT cars has progressed rapidly, as a total of 13 machines surpassed the previous record in the morning session. Hironori Takeuchi drove the No.38 SUPRA to the second fastest lap, placing just ahead of the fastest Honda NSX, the No.100 car driven by Akia Iida. By the end of the morning session, Toyota SUPRAs held four of the top six positions in the grid.
In the GT 300 class, Morio Nitta lapped a quick 1"32.107 in the No.25 Toyota MR2 to come out in the lead over Hideo Fukuyama in the No.81 Nissan SILVIA, followed by Haruhiko Matsumoto in the No.7 Mazda RX7. No.15 Xanavi ARTA SILVIA
With fantastic weather throughout the entire day, the afternoon session became a hotbed of contenders looking for that one special pole-stealing lap. Iida moved into first on the tower soon after the green was given for the session. The time only held for a short ten minutes as Tom Coronel took the lead, putting in a lap under the 1'26 second barrier. But that was only the beginning...
Pierre-Henri Raphanel steered the No.35 SUPRA through a superb lap to clock in at 1'25.996, only to be outdone by Hironori Takeuchi in the No.38 SUPRA moments later. Takeuchi seemed to be just warming up as he then gave an amazing try and set a best lap time of 1'25.370 just 17 minutes into the session. Then the No.39 car driven by Masahiko Kageyama slipped smoothly around the track for a time of 1'25.414 and second place on the grid.
Akira Iida reminded the Toyota teams that the Honda NSX is still high in contention, driving to a fine lap at 1'25.424 and bumping Hideki Noda in the No.6 SUPRA to a fourth place grid start.
It was Haruhiko Matsumoto in the No.7 Mazda RX7, Ralf Firman in the No.61 Mitsubishi FTO and Takeshi Tsuchiya in the No.15 SILVIA that created the excitement for the fastest lap in the GT 300 class. At the end of the day, it was Tsuchiya winning the honor of the pole with a time of 1'31.920. From Left Y.Ide / T.Tsuchiya (No.15 Xanavi ARTA SILVIA) H.Takeuchi / Y.Tachikawa (No.38 FK/Massimo CERUMO SUPRA) |
