ARTA Mugen #16 grab first win in two years at Suzuka; PACIFIC Umamusume BMW clinch maiden GT300 win
- Tarun Suresh
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
The ARTA Mugen #16 wins Super GT's Suzuka GT 300km after an intense battle with the pole-sitting Astemo REAL RACING machine, as the race ended under the Safety Car.
In GT300, the PACIFIC Umamusume BMW won from pole, the student-run team grabbing their first ever win and marking their first time on the podium since the 2017 season opener.
As it happened
When the race went green for GT500, the pole sitting Astemo Prelude pulled away at the start as the two ARTA Mugens, the #8 ahead of the #16, jumped the Modulo, the Dunlops already failing to keep up with the pack in race trim.
The two ARTAs got into an intense multi-lap battle, allowing Yuto Nomura in the Astemo Prelude to pull away, and after four laps of holding out behind the sister car, Tomoki Nojiri dived down the final chicane to move up to second.
The start in GT300 was relatively starved for action as the the pole sitting PACIFIC Umamusume BMW had a solid start, maintaining its lead. Behind it, the Subaru in third tried to lunge down the inside of the second placed D’Station Aston Martin but failed to make the move stick.
Up ahead in GT500, the Stanley Kunimitsu pit on lap 5 to serve their 5 second penalty stop for an engine swap and the No.37 Deloitte Team TOM’S car served its 5 second penalty stop for the same reason.
A little later in GT300, the Subaru BRZ lost out its second place to the Syntium Lexus and soon found itself holding up a pack of cars with the UpGarage Mercedes right behind its tail.
Meanwhile, a lead battle started heating up in GT500 as Nojiri in the ARTA #16 closed up on Nomura in the Astemo. Further down the order, Hiroki Otsu in the ARTA sister car kept losing ground to the Modulo and the Impul Nissan behind and found himself defending the final podium spot.
On lap 15, the UpGarage Mercedes passed the Subaru on the outside of the final of the S curves to jump up to fourth. The Subaru’s nightmares didn’t end there as two laps later the Ponos Ferrari hit the Subaru in the rear at the same turn, forcing it into the gravel, adding another DNF to the Subaru’s nightmarish season so far and bringing out a Full Course Yellow.
When the race went green, the ARTA #8 was the biggest loser, losing third to the Modulo Prelude and soon to Bertrand Baguette in the Impul Nissan in an impressive move at 130R.
On lap 18, multiple cars came in to pit, most notably the Astemo and the ARTA #8 cars. A lap later, the Modulo and the Realize Z made their stops, with the latter jumping the Modulo, and when it exited the pits, the ARTA #8 as well.
Its time in glory didn’t last long as Kakunoshin Ohta in the ARTA got past the Nissan in an impressive move on the outside of the first Degner.
The leading ARTA #16 came into the pits on lap 23 and exited a few car lengths ahead of the Astemo. However, Koudai Tsukakoshi in the latter car took advantage of his warmer tyres and made a pass for the net lead soon after at the Spoon Curve.
Meanwhile in GT300, the pit stop cycle started shuffling the order, with the Syntium Lexus leading those who had pit ahead of the CarGuy Ferrari and the UpGarage Mercedes. When the PACIFIC BMW pit on lap 27, it came out in the net lead.
Up ahead in GT500, Ren Sato in the ARTA #16 made its pass for the lead after Tsukakoshi in the Astemo went wide in the 130R trying to lap a GT300 car and managed to keep the lead despite a tough attack from Tsukakoshi.
With 6 laps to go, the Syntium Lexus, second placed in GT300, suffered from a slow puncture and had to pull into the pits, dropping from second to fourth.
A lap later, the Green Brave Supra, which had just done a tyre change following contact a few laps earlier, hit the wall exiting 130R, with the car flipping 360 degrees. The driver, Hiroki Yoshida, was conscious and could walk on his own soon after the incident.
The barriers were damaged extensively due to the incident, and the Safety Car was brought out, under which the race ultimately ended.
In GT500, the ARTA Mugen #16 took its and ARTA's first win in two years. It was also Ren Sato's maiden win in either Japanese top-class racing series, and Nojiri's 10th Super GT win. Behind them in second was the Astemo Real Racing Prelude, and the ARTA sister car, the #8, finished third for a Honda 1-2-3.
In GT300, the PACIFIC Umamusume BMW grabbed their first ever win and marked their first time on the podium since 2017. Behind them was the CarGuy MKS Ferrari, grabbing back to back podiums. The final podium spot was taken up by the UpGarage Mercedes.
In the championship standings, the au Team TOM'S duo of Sho Tsuboi continue to lead after a solid ninth place finish, but their lead has been cut down by three points, down to 17. The ARTA #16 lineup of Nojiri and Sato has now moved up to second ahead of the ENEOS ROOKIE Racing pair of Nirei Fukuzumi and Kazuya Oshima as the battle for second intensifies.
In the GT300 standings, the Kondo Nissan crew of J.P. de Oliveira and Iori Kimura are in the lead, just one point ahead of the D'Station Aston Martin squad of Tomonobu Fujii and Charlie Fagg. Zak O'Sullivan is third and trailing the two by four points, ahead of his teammate Kiyoshi Umegaki in fourth, the latter not having participated in the season opener.
The title fight in GT300 remains as tight as ever, with the top seven still being separated by just 10 points. It's all to play for as we look onwards to the final three rounds of the season.
The next round is at Sportsland SUGO, to be held from 19th-20th of September.
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