ARTA NSX (Ito / Firman) Take Their Second Victory of the Season
Courtesy of Super GT
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The SUGO GT 300 km Race, Round 5 of the 2007 AUTOBACS SUPER GT, took place at SPORTS-LAND SUGO (one lap 3.704 km x 81 laps) in Miyagi Pref. on July 29 and the GT500 class victory went to the second-place qualifiers, Daisuke Ito and Ralph Firman of the ARTA NSX team.
Rain began falling and wet the track just before the start of the race and the race was started behind the lead of the Safety Car. Soon the rain stopped and the track began to dry gradually, making for difficult racing conditions.
The first driver for the ARTA NSX was the former F1 driver Ralph Firman. He raced well through these tough conditions and was able to pass the pole position starter, TAKATA DOME NSX. After losing the lead at their pit stop. The second driver, Daisuke Ito fought back and out-raced his rivals in some fierce battles that saw three cars lined up side-by-side at one point. This victory was the ARTA NSX team's second of the season.
In the GT300 class, the WedsSport Celica driven by Akira Iida and Yuhi Sekiguchi came out the winners. This victory gave the 19-year-old GT rookie Sekiguchi the new record for the youngest driver ever to win a Super GT race.
(Spectators: 29,000)
////// Winner Comments //////
=== No.8 ARTA NSX [GT500] ===
Daisuke Ito: "I am glad to have gotten this best possible result from such a rough race. We were expecting rain but not this much. But when I saw Firman pass the No. 18 machine I knew that our machine balance must be good. When I took over the wheel we went out on the track with slick (dry-use) tires, which made it difficult at first. In addition, I got stuck behind some slower machines and as a result I was passed. When I found myself running 鍍hree wide" (three cars lined up side-by-side ) I held my ground (laughs). The same kind of scene happened in the support race today and as Michigami and I watched it, we commented about how dangerous it was. From now on I am going to remain focused and battle hard in the remaining races of the season."
Ralph Firman: "We chose our tires expecting there to be only a little rain, so it was difficult just after the start. But after a while the car condition was very good. I believe the Ito had a very difficult time out there. Anyway, I am very glad to see this great 1-2-3 finish for Honda."
=== No. 19 WedsSport Celica [GT300] ===
Akira Iida: "To tell you the truth, I am very relieved. For this car and this team, we believed that SUGO offered us the best chance for a win. So, we strengthened our team effort with a focus on this race. It was very difficult driving until the track dried off, and it was all I could do just to keep the car on the track. But the track conditions and my estimations came together well and we were able to make our pit stop at a very good time. I know Sekiguchi is fast, but when he gets out on the track he can be young and wild, so I stayed on the radio giving him advice. I have big expectations for him from now on and I want to continue giving him all the help I can."
Yuhi Sekiguchi: "Then I got the wheel and got out on the track it was still slippery and it had me really scared. I am rather proud of myself for being able to keep the car on the track. Along the way I was getting worked up when I couldn't get past some of the back-lappers, but Akira got me to cool down by talking to me on the radio. When I saw the lead car in front of me I really wanted to role (laughs), but once I got the lead I suddenly felt the pressure of having to defend my lead (uncomfortable laugh). I still have a lot to learn about eliminating mistakes and getting into the lead more quickly."
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Spotsland SUGO | 3.704256kmラ81=300.044km
Weather: Fine | Course: Dry
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RACE RESULT TOP3
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Po.No.Machine Driver LAPS Time/Diff
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1 8 ARTA NSX D.Ito/R.Firman 81 2:01'17.063
2 18 TAKATA DOME NSX R.Michigami/T.Kogure 81 0'00.282
3 32 EPSON NSX L.DUVAL/F.CARBONE 81 0'23.302
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1 19 WedsSport Celica A.Iida/Y.Sekiguchi 75 2:01'43.362
2 47 houzan DUNLOP Z S.Wakisaka/S.Mitsuyama 75 0'07.278
3 33 HANKOOK NSC PORSCHE M.Kinoshita/Y.Sakamoto 75 0'29.543
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