2019.11.24

[Sprint Cup: Race 2] Overcoming the Reverse Grid, SYNTIUM LMcorsa RC F GT3 Wins Race 2

auto sport Web Sprint Cup : Race 2

Race 2 of the “auto sport Web Sprint Cup,” was held on Sunday Nov. 24th with its start at 11:30 in the morning. This race was won by the same No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa RC F GT3 (Hiroki Yoshimoto/Ritomo Miyata) that triumphed in Race 1 the day before.

 

 

 

   

 

 

As the result of a lottery draw on the victory podium by the winner of Race 1, Yoshimoto of the No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa RC F GT3 (Hiroki Yoshimoto/Ritomo Miyata), it was decided that the Race 2 starting grid would be a reverse of the top six grid sitters for Race 1. This gave pole position to the No. 37 BH AUCTION CORVETTE GT3 (Shinji Takei/Ukyo Sasahara). In second position on the grid was the No. 70 LM corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 (Shunsuke Kono/Togo Suganami). And the winner of Race 1, car was given 6th position on this day’s grid.

Following a drizzling rain in the early morning, the skies over Fuji Speedway began to clear rapidly. By the time of the race start at 11:35, the air temperature was 20℃ and the track temperature 22℃, making it unusually warm for this time of year. Some puddles of rainwater still remained on the track at the start, but the record line was mostly dry.

Getting the hole shot at the start was the No. 37 BH AUCTION CORVETTE GT3 (Ukyo Sasahara). On the first lap of the race, No. 37 pulled away to a large lead over the No. 70 LM corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 (Togo Suganami) in 2nd position and the No. 30 TOYOTA GR SPORTS PRIUS PHV apr GT (Hiroaki Nagai) in 3rd. But the early stages of the race would see fierce battles for position, in which the winner of Race 1, the No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa RC F GT3 (Hiroki Yoshimoto) world move up to 4th position on the first lap and then pass car No. 30 on the second lap. It then went on to pass car No. 70 to move into 2nd place. Also, bold passing moves by the No. 360 RUNUP RIVAUX GT-R (Takayuki Aoki) moved it up into 3rd position.

Behind these lead cars, the No. 25 HOPPY 86 MC (Kimiya Sato) managed to passed No. 30 and the No. 31 TOYOTA GR SPORTS PRIUS PHV apr GT (Yuki Nakayama). Satothen went on to pass No. 70 in the ADVAN (hairpin) Corner to move into 4th position. Also moving up was the No. 52 SAITAMA TOYOPETGB MARK X MC (Hiroki Yoshida), taking 5th position on the eighth lap of the race.

In the “auto sport Web Sprint Cup” race, all the cars had to make a mandatory pit stop at some point between 20 and 30 minutes from the start of the race, but unlike the previous day’s race where the track condition was changing, this time there were few cars returning to the pits after the pit lane opened.

 

 

 

The first to make its routine pit stop was the No. 25 HOPPY 86 MC. Returning to the pit after the 13th lap of the race, the driver change from Kimiya Sato to Takamitsu　Matsui was made. The team opted for a strategy of not changing its tires, however. On the next lap, the No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa RC F GT3 made its pit stop, changing drivers from Yoshimoto to Ritomo Miyata and also opting to make no tire change. This enabled No. 60 to return to the race in front of the No. 25 HOPPY 86 MC. However, it turned out that the No. 25 HOPPY 86 MC had failed to stay in the pit for the required time limit, and thus it was given a one-second penalty that dropped it back in the field.

Meanwhile, the leading No. 37 BH AUCTION CORVETTE GT3 made its pit stop on the 17th lap, changing drivers from Sasahara to Shinji Takei and returning to the race only to find car No. 60 rapidly approaching from behind. Catching up fast as it had in the previous day’s Race 1, the No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa RC F GT3 managed to take the lead on the 19th lap.

 

 

 

 

Then the No. 360 RUNUP RIVAUX GT-R made its pit stop and changed drivers from Aoki to Atsushi Tanaka, but when it returned to the race it found the No. 52 SAITAMA TOYOPETGB MARK X MC (Shigekazu Wakisaka) in hot pursuit. On the 20th lap, No. 52 succeeded in passing No. 360 to move into 3rd position. From there, No. 52 proceeded to pass No. 37 on the 23rd lap and begin chasing the leading car No. 60.

However, the No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa RC F GT3 (Hiroki Yoshimoto/Ritomo Miyata) was able to run on to victory in the “auto sport Web Sprint Cup” Race 2 in the end. Finishing 2nd was the No. 52 SAITAMA TOYOPETGB MARK X MC (Shigekazu Wakisaka/Hiroki Yoshida), while 3rd place went to the No. 37 BH AUCTION CORVETTE GT3 (Shinji Takei/Ukyo Sasahara).

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

No. 60 SYNTIUM LMcorsa RC F GT3

 

Speaking of special-event races like this, in the past we had sprint races like the JAF Grand Prix, but they were run without a driver change. This time, I found this short 50-minute race with its format that was different from SUPER GT, including the fairness of a required amount of time in the pit stop, to be very interesting. So, I would like to see this race continued in the future. I am grateful to the team, Dunlop Tire and Ritomo [Miyata] for all they did to help us win both of these special races. Looking to the second half of the race when the track would be completely dry, I knew it would be difficult for our car, so I started the race determined to make as big a gain as possible in position while there were still wet spots on the track in the early going. However, I lost some time when another car bumped me in the Coca Cola Corner, so it took me more time than I had hoped to move up in position. During that time, [Ukyo] Sasahara (in the leading car No. 37) was increasing his lead, so I wasn’t able to get as close as I hoped.

 

Unlike the usual SUPER GT race format, in this race with its pit time clearly defined depending on whether you made a tire change or not, we had limited choices in terms of race strategy. That made things like how we used the tires more difficult, which made the race development interesting in the damp track conditions, but having the track completely dry today made for a very enjoyable drive for me. Unlike yesterday (Race 1), we started with slick tires today and I thought that I couldn’t keep pushing hard (in my stint in the second half) without the risk of damaging the tires, so I concentrated on going as fast as I could without putting as much strain on the tires. I feel we were able to get this fantastic result thanks to the efforts of the team, Dunlop Tire and [Hiroki] Yoshimoto-san.

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