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Syun Koide concludes SFL 2024 with lights-to-flag win
Syun Koide and DRAGONPole-sitter on the grid determined by finishing order of the first round, was the winner Syun Koide in HFDP WITH B-MAX RACING.
Another front-row sitter was Rikuto Kobayashi (Mobility Chukyo TOM’S 320 TGR-DC) – who had moved up to second in the standings after winning Rd 2.
The second row had been taken by Rin Arakawa (TEAM DRAGON 324) and Souta Arao (HFDP WITH TODA RACING).
The formation lap of 2024 season finale started three hours after the previous round at 1:25pm in almost the same conditions as the day before under clear skies.
Start of Round.3■Safety car deployment on lap 4
Both Koide and Kobayashi got good starts from the front row, but it was Yuga Furutani (Deloitte. HTP TOM’S 320) who made the best start of the field from seventh, going around the outside of Turn one to beat Arakawa for third spot.
After spending a frustrating weekend thus far Seita Nonaka (PONOS Racing TOM’S 320 TGR-DC) put in a stunning drive from the back of the field to quickly overtake seven cars, running three-wide with Kaylen Frederick (Pilot ONE Racing with B-MAX) and Souta Arao (HFDP WITH TODA RACING) at 90-degree Turn before holding firm in sixth.
Koide immediately set about extending his lead on lap two, followed by Kobayashi, Furutani, Arakawa, Nakamura and Nonaka.
Furutani took advantage of his good pace to get onto the tail of Kobayashi, waiting for any opportunity to overtake.
Just when it looked like the race was also going to be quiet with no position changes in the leaders, Frederick ran off the track at Victory on lap four and lost control of his car before hitting the barriers on the outside of the main straight.
This brought out the safety car for the first time during this Motegi event to clean the track, and all the gaps were wiped away.
Rikuto Kobayashi（Mobility Chukyo TOM'S 320 TGR-DC）
■Furutani completes the podium
As the race restarted at lap nine Koide nailed his start once again to open up a lead.
Rd 3 did not see major position changes or fierce scraps like running side-by-side, either, and Koide ended up 2.020 secs ahead of Kobayashi and concluded SFL 2024 with lights-to-flag win and eighth victory of the season.
Kobayashi held off the closest pursuer Furutani and secured second place in the championship.
Nonaka scored the last point in sixth to show his spirit as fourth and fifth went to Arakawa and Nakamura respectively.
In the meanwhile, DRAGON (TEAM DRAGON 324) made good use of fresh tires saved for the last race to snatch master-class lead from Yasuhiro Shimizu (GNSY 324) at the start, and though his lead was reduced by the SC he held on to finish just 0.222 secs clear of Shimizu at the flag taking his third consecutive win.
DRAGON（TEAM DRAGON 324）
