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Nakayama Dominates the Race from Start to Finish

With a time of 1:25.415 Yuichi Nakayama  (PETRONAS TEAM TOM’S) won back the pole for the second heat of the Okayama race weekend from his team mate Takamoto Katsuta. Front row of the grid is now a “reserved seat” for Nakayama, but this regular front row-sitter was not quite satisfied with the result that was slower than his time from the previous qualifying.  “Due to not good timing I was interrupted several times during my attacks, and above all I struggled with a lack of grip perhaps due to the rise in track temperature.” Katsuta secured 2nd, followed by Nobuharu Matsushita (HFDP RACING) and Tomoki Nojiri (TODA RACING).
The F3-N class was topped again by Mitsunori Takaboshi (NDDP RACING). Actually he has never been beaten so far since the season opener. Nanin Indra-Payoong  (TOMS’ SPIRIT) secured 2nd, followed by Ryo Ogawa (TOCHIGI LE BEAUSSET MOTORSPORTS), who had placed second in the previous qualifying.
All the drivers filled the starting grid to complete a total of 25 laps, 7 laps more than Rd 6 except Hiroshi Koizumi (NET MOVE HANASHIMA RACING) who missed the race due to sickness. Clouds in the sky and wind - with air temperature of 26 degrees C and road surface temperature of 33 degrees C the conditions were completely different from the previous day.
Due to an electric problem Ogawa had pulled off to the side of the course before the formation lap was even completed, which left only 11 cars on the grid.
Nakayama got away best from pole, while Katsuta also made a good start, but was not as quite good as in Rd 6. Being outdistanced out of every turn he was 1.3s behind Nakayama when the Tom’s duo went into the second lap.
Takaboshi also nailed the start into the first corner narrowly ahead of Indra-Payoong, and this close formation continued throughout the race. In fact it was really what he had planned – the team manager Masahiro Hasemi instructed the driver to save himself in the early stages to ensure the tyres would last long. Meanwhile it was a cycle of closing on to and being left behind for Indra-Payoong, who was never allowed to overtake the NDDP driver.
While being shaken off by the leader, Katsuta was also gradually opening up his lead over third-placed Matsushita. Behind them a close battle was fought over fourth place among Nojiri, Katsumasa Chiyo (B-MAX ENGINEERING) and Shota Kiyohara (HFDP RACING). Capitalizing a shifting error made by Nojiri on Attwood corner on lap 4 Chiyo challenged Nojiri into the hairpin turn, but the Toda driver coped with it in a calm manner, and extended his advantage in the closing stages. A failure forced Matsushita into retirement on lap 13, and each of the remaining drivers made one place.
Making his lead even wider in the closing stages Nakayama ran away with 6th consecutive win. He also set the fastest lap, scoring full 12 points for the first time since the 5th round. “I now feel regret that I failed to win the season opener. But I’ve been able to keep winning all the more because I slipped up in that start,” he showed his great confidence in the future races. Nojiri finished 3rd, and his back to back podium finishes at Okayama were certainly invaluable for Toda Racing based in Okayama Prefecture.
In the F3-N class Takaboshi achieved his 7th consecutive win, but this was won after an unusual close race. “It was very good to experience such a race development”. Behind 2nd-placed Indra-Payoong came Shohei Yuzawa (TEAM NOVA WITH NIPPON IMM). From the rear of the field he immediately overtook Dragon (B-MAX ENGINEERING) with a good start, and although ceding the spot to Dragon for some time he shot past Dragon, who had stopped on lap 13 due to a faulty timing belt and cruised to score his first podium finish.

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