7/14/2013 Round 9 Fuji Speedway

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Nakayama and Takaboshi Are Intoxicated with Regained Wins
Podium Finish from the Tail of the Field for Matsushita

In contrast to the cloudy sky for the qualifying on Saturday it was fine with clear blue sky on Sunday.
Having topped the times in qualifying Tomoki Nojiri of TODA RACING was supposed to start from pole, but he was relegated to third after his best time was canceled out because it was set while the yellow flags appeared. Yuichi Nakayama of PETRONAS TEAM TOM’S moved up from second to secure pole, and with Takamoto Katsuta sitting next to him completed all-Tom’s front row again for the Race 2 at Fuji Speedway. The second row was also shared by Nojiri and Katsumasa Chiyo (B-MAX ENGINEERING) again but in the opposite order to that in the Rd 8. While in the F3-N class Mitsunori Takaboshi of NDDP RACING snatched the top position he had lost in the qualifying for Rd 8 back, followed by Nanin Indra-Payoong of TOM’S SPIRIT with Hiroshi Koizumi of HANASHIMA RACING aiming at back-to-back podium finish behind.
The higher temperatures (air temperature of 34 degrees C and track temperature of 49 degrees C) and a total of 21 laps, 6 laps more than the previous race, to complete were alone sufficient to make the competitors believe that the Rd 9 would be tough.
Nakayama commented after the race that he did not make a good start, but retaining his spot the pole-sitter headed into the first corner. Katsuta made a move just behind him into the Coca Cola corner, but fully expecting it Nakayama outran the pursuer, and once he got out of the turn ahead of Katsuta he began to build up his lead. Matsushita of HFDP RACING, who had to start from the tail of the field due to a problem experienced during the qualifying, scythed his way through all the F3-N class cars into 5th place.
In the F3-N class Takaboshi got a great start, while Indra-Payoong fluffed, allowing Koizumi to coast past him and even Ryo Ogawa (TOCHIGI LE BEAUSSET MOTORSPORTS) to close in upon him. In the meanwhile, Takaboshi opened up his lead to 1.4s before the opening lap was even completed.
The dogfight over 2nd place was determined in the first corner on lap 5 when Ogawa, in an attempt to overtake Koizumi, who made an error in the final corner on lap 4 and slowed down, rear-ended Indra-Payoong due to different braking points, who was also capitalizing the overtaking chance. While Indra-Payoong barely stayed on the course Ogawa went off the track. This incident let Takaboshi earn further lead.
At the same time each of the two Tom’s leaders was enjoying a solid lead. Having overtaken his team-mate Shota Kiyohara on lap 2 and Chiyo on lap 4 Matsushita was now hunting down Nojiri. After furious challenges the HFDP driver finally moved past Nojiri down the straight on lap 12 to place 3rd. Nojiri lost another position to Kiyohara on the same lap to drop to 5th, and in a battle with Chiyo closing right behind him through the first corner on lap 13 he had a contact with Chiyo, the 6th-placed driver spinning out of the track.
Showing the impressive pace Nakayama and Takaboshi swept to victory so comfortably that no one could believe that their winning streaks stopped in Rd 8. They score d 7th and 8th win respectively.
 Asked about the title being close at hand, Nakayama replied, “I’m trying not to think too much about it. I’ll concentrate on the remaining events to ensure I can fully prove myself in all the sessions through practice on Friday, qualifying and race,” while Takaboshi commented, “That’s what I’ve been going for since the beginning. Mr. (Masahiro) Hasegawa (the team manager) also tells me to aim at the series title. I’ll do my best in each of the remaining races to lift the title.”
In the closing stages the battle over the 2nd place in the F3-N class was getting more intense. Koizumi lost his balance in braking as he was overtaken in the first corner on lap 15, and almost had a contact with Indra-Payoong, who managed to avoid it and get ahead of him. The Tom’s driver held on to the spot to gain 2nd.
Ogawa and Chiyo were able to return to the track, but both were disqualified for violating the obligation of wearing safety belt.

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