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Igor Omura Fraga claims maiden SFL victory as an unexpected trouble hits Hibiki Taira
Igor Omura Fraga (in FANATEC-GRAN TURISMO with B-MAX)
The 2023 Japanese Super Formula Lights’ 4-day second event at Sportsland Sugo has finally come into its last race on Sunday.
It was Hibiki Taira driving Mobility Chukyo TOM’S 320 TGR-DC who had claimed pole position on the Rd 6 grid determined by the finishing order of Rd 4.
Igor Omura Fraga (in FANATEC-GRAN TURISMO with B-MAX) had took another front row position, with the second row shared by Iori Kimura (HFDP WITH B-MAX RACING) and Shun Koide (HFDP WITH TODA RACING).
The temperature rose further in the morning, and the Rd 6 got underway in sweaty weather.
Hibiki Taira（Mobility Chukyo TOM’S 320 TGR-DC）
■Championship leader Kimura gets a slow start
Both Taira and Omura Fraga nailed the start from the front row, while Kimura got a slow start from third. The championship leader managed to fend off Koide running fourth, but saw another fast-starting Enzo Trulli (Mobility Chukyo TOM’S 320) pass around the outside of him.
Having started from sixth, Seita Nonaka (PONOS Racing TOM’S 320 TGR-DC) quickly approached Koide who was running in dirty air of the cars ahead, and shot past him.
At the end of the opening lap, came Taira, Omura Fraga, Trulli and Kimura in this order – who would soon be overtaken by Nonaka as the TOM’S aggressively dived inside of the first corner on lap two. Kimura was handed a drive-thru penalty on lap four for his jump start.
In the early stages Taira was closely followed by Omura Fraga, Trulli and Nonaka, and after eight laps Trulli and Nonaka started to close in on Omura Fraga, who was starting to fall behind the race leader.
Igor Omura Fraga (in FANATEC-GRAN TURISMO with B-MAX)
■Taira hit with a trouble when he looks on course for third consecutive win
Having led the majority of the race Taira looked on course for a comfortable third consecutive victory, but he suddenly dropped off the pace on lap 17 due to a gearbox trouble. ‘I was having difficulties shifting down the gear that had been stuck in fourth-speed,’ revealed the TOM’S driver.
On lap 18 Omura Fraga eased past Taira through Umanose, and Trulli and Nonaka followed suit.
Nonaka, however, spun at the first corner on the final lap when trying to make a charge on Trulli. He was able to return to the track, but was forced to hand the third spot to Koide.
Omura Fraga held on to clinch his maiden SFL victory. Trulli took his first podium finish in second. Koide placed third in a row.
Yuui Tsutsumi (Rn-sports F320) scored his first points in SFL by finishing fifth behind Nonaka. David Vidales (B-MAX RACING 320) was sixth.
Taking a fresh set of tyres saved for Rd 6 DRAGON (TEAM DRAGON B-MAX 320) took a master class win and ended Nobuhiro Imada (JMS RACING with B-MAX)’s winning streak at three.
Igor Omura Fraga (in FANATEC-GRAN TURISMO with B-MAX)
