TOPICS
Shun Koide goes lights-to-flag to clinch second win
Syun Koide（HFDP WITH B-MAX RACING）
After two-day three practice sessions Japanese Super Formula Lights’ Sugo event entered its third day on Saturday when qualifying for Rd 7 was launched at 11am with the temperatures rapidly rising, ahead of qualifying for Rd 8 and Rd 7 race.
Each car worked on set-up in anticipation that the track conditions would be affected by a Super Formula’s free practice that took place just before the qualifying.
Shun Koide in HFDP WITH B-MAX RACING did strong attacks and secured his second pole position of the season with 1m13.260.
Qualifying second just 0.072 secs behind was Kaylen Frederick (Pilot ONE Racing with B-MAX), closely followed by Rin Arakawa (B-MAX RACING 324), a second sweeping top-three result of the weekend for B-Max following the first free practice.
Fourth and fifth went to Jin Nakamura (Mobility Chukyo TOM’S TGR-DC) and Yuga Furutani (Deloitte. HTP TOM’S 320) respectively.
Start of Round.7■Jin Nakamura moves up to third at the start
After the Super Formula’s qualifying Rd 7 race kicked off at 3:35pm in temperatures as high as 31C for the longest 26 laps of the event.
At the start Koide got a holeshot to retain the lead heading into the first corner ahead of Frederick, while Nakamura immediately dived down the inside of Arakawa – who struggled to get up to speed – to move up to third, breaking the strongholds of B-MAX dominant top three.
Having made a good start Seita Nonaka (PONOS Racing TOM’S 320 TGR-DC) passed Furutani through Turn one for fifth on lap two.
Early stages saw no huge gaps opening up throughout the field.
Once setting the fastest lap of the race on lap two, Koide proceeded to pull out a lead, closely followed by Frederick and Nakamura, with a pack with Arakawa heading Nonaka, Furutani, Souta Arao (HFDP WITH TODA RACING) and Rikuto Kobayashi (Mobility Chukyo TOM’S 320 TGR-DC) further behind.
Home favourite Kobayashi attacked down the inside of Arao at Turn one on lap eight, only to run off the track. Arakawa and Nonaka found themselves battling over fourth spot as they did in FIA-FA in 2021.
Jin Nakamura (Mobility Chukyo TOM’S TGR-DC)
■A trouble drops Frederick down the order
A change occurred on lap 13 when Frederick suddenly dropped off the pace due to a tire trouble, bunching up the six cars behind. His pace slowed further a lap later.
Nakamura was the first to pull away from the pack as he passed the waning Frederick at Turn one on lap 15 to move up to second. The B-Max was further overtaken by Arakawa and Nonaka in a row on lap 15 before finally limping back to the pits on lap 20.
The closing stages saw no major moves in the midfield apart from a fight over fourth spot headed by Nonaka.
While his pace slightly slowed down after the Frederick’s tire trouble Koide comfortably held on for his lead to cross the line with a 4.094 secs margin and clinch his second win of the season.
Nakamura secured his second podium finish of the season as he placed second. Arakawa claimed third for the second time of the season.
The close fight over fourth fought by a pack with Nonaka heading Furutani, Arao and Kobayashi ended with no position changes, giving Nonaka, Furutani and Arao points.
In the master class Nobuhiro Imada (JMS RACING TEAM) maintained his lead throughout the race to extend his winning streak to four. However, he had to give over a point for fastest lap to DRAGON (TEAM DRAGON 324) who finished second in the class.
Podium of Round.7
Syun Koide（HFDP WITH B-MAX RACING）
Rin Arakawa（B-MAX RACING 324）
Seita Nonaka（PONOS Racing TOM'S 320 TGR-DC）
