Motorsports News: Nissan GT-RS Finish 1-2 At Sepang

The Super GT teams spent the seven weeks since the previous race at Fuji Speedway preparing for the series' only event outside of Japan this year at Sepang. The 54-lap race got underway with the temperature reading 88 degrees, and the track surface at 109 degrees, conditions just like the middle of summer in Japan. Despite the dry conditions at the start, there was some concern that rain would fall at the halfway-point of the 2-hour race, but the rain never materialized.

In Saturday’s Super Lap qualifying session, the #12 GT-R put up a strong fight to come out on top with driver Tsugio Matsuda behind the wheel, the same man who would start the race. At the start of the race all the cars got away cleanly with the #12 GT-R and the 2nd-placed machine quickly pulling away from the chasing pack. After 10 laps, a minor incident with another competitor wasn't enough to slow Matsuda's progress and on the 24th tour, he came in from the lead to hand the car over to Ronnie Quintarelli.

The car challenging the #12 GT-R for the top spot was the #100 HSV-010. Over the course of about 6 laps, the rival machine came up on the rear of the #12 GT-R, and at the second corner of the 37th lap, jumped the curb, hit the rear of the #12 GT-R and forced Quintarelli into a spin. This careless mistake allowed the #23 GT-R, also approaching from behind, to get past, and in an instant the #12 GT-R was third. After the spin the now leading #100 machine and the #23 GT-R were both handed drive-through penalties for the incident, and by lap 44 the #12 GT-R was back in the lead of the race. From this point, controlling the race and protecting its position was without incident and after 54 laps, the car duly crossed the finish line in first position. Since 2008, NISSAN GT-R entries have taken a trio of successive victories at Sepang. NISSAN also won in 2007 with a Z Car making this the fourth successive win at Sepang for NISSAN.

Starting the race from 3rd place, Satoshi Motoyama in the #23 GT-R, carefully managed his tires, and as a result, briefly fell to 6th place. From this position, he made his pit stop on lap 22, and handed the car over to teammate Benoit Treluyer. With a fresh set of rubber on the car, Treluyer set a vigorous pace as he chased the cars ahead, and on lap 30, had moved up to third.

With the incident between the #100 HSV-010 and the #12 GT-R taking place on lap 37, the #23 GT-R was promoted to 2nd. Later, while waiting for the chance to get by the #100 HSV-010, Treluyer made contact with the rival machine. The coming-together resulted in a drive-through penalty. However, the car returned to the track in 5th position and Treluyer put on a spectacularly spirited drive to move back up the order. By lap 47 he was fourth, and on lap 52 had risen to 2nd, making for a well-deserved 1-2 finish for the NISSAN GT-R.

The HIS ADVAN KONDO GT-R (#24 Joao Paolo de Oliveira/Hironobu Yasuda) started the race in eighth, protecting its position in the early stages. However, on lap 12 the car went off track, losing time. The machine was unable to fully recover from this delay and eventually finished in 9th place.

Credits: wilswong