Kakunoshin Ohta has one hand on Super Formula championship trophy after stellar win at Fuji

Credit: Super Formula

Following the drama filled start in Round 3 earlier this morning, this race’s dramas started before it even started. Zak O’Sullivan had his brakes replaced after the reconnaissance laps.

Ren Sato, set to start 11th, peeled into the pits during the formation lap over a fluid leak caused by a cracked gearbox, effectively ending his race and causing trouble for Toshiki Oyu and Yuto Nomura, who were forced to do the formation lap behind the leaking car, the latter even spinning, unable to avoid the oil trail.

The start was delayed due to Sato’s car leaking fluid all around the circuit during the formation lap. We also had pole sitter Tomoki Nojiri calling for everyone’s starting positions to be moved one row back since there was a fluid spill right in front of his grid box.

When the race eventually started, it was 45 minutes past the initial start time, and it started under a safety car to iron out the cement dust put on the track to cover the fluid.

When the race eventually started on lap 6, Nojiri was smart to catch the drivers behind him off guard at the start, but was a little too late on the OTS. While he managed to keep his lead, the two Dandelions behind him lost their positions to a charging Igor Fraga, intent on making it two wins this weekend.

Ohta, however, had other plans, having moved up to third after a three wide battle with his teammate, Tadasuke Makino and Sho Tsuboi. Soon, the championship leader got past Fraga for second and was challenging Nojiri for the lead.

Nojiri’s valiant defence against Ohta proved to be ineffective as the Kyoto native passed him for the lead on lap 10. Nojiri then chose to gamble when the window opened on lap 11, making an early pit stop, along with Oyu, Nobuharu Matsushita and Nirei Fukuzumi, who were on the fringes of the points paying positions.

Credit: Super Formula

Iwasa pit four laps later from fifth, opting to pull off an undercut to salvage a few more points.

On lap 22, Tsuboi put from fourth and filtered out behind Iwasa and soon lost a position to Oyu. Oyu wasn’t ahead for too long as Tsuboi got past in the following lap.

Fraga pit from second on lap 25 and lost out to both the Mugens and soon found himself defending from Tsuboi. Ohta came in from the lead a lap later and also came out behind the two Mugens but ahead of Fraga.

Makino came in a lap after his teammate and exited the pits behind Tsuboi. Soon after, Ohta quickly got past Iwasa and Nojiri for the lead.

The two Mugens quickly started losing places, with Iwasa losing out to Fraga and Tsuboi and Nojiri losing second place to Fraga.

Behind this pack, Makino, already furious with the strategy, was charging on and soon made his way past Iwasa, Tsuboi and Nojiri to climb up to third.

Credit: Super Formula

When the chequered flag was waved on lap 41, it was Kakunoshin Ohta grabbing his tenth career win. Igor Fraga won the race earlier this morning but had to settle for second this time around. Makino crossed the line third to round off the podium places.

Tsuboi’s wife, Aimi Saito, won the supporting Kyojo Cup race earlier today, but the best he could do was be the leading Toyota driver in fourth. Iwasa passed Nojiri late in the race, and the two Mugens crossed the line fifth and sixth.

Oyu fended off Fukuzumi for seventh, grabbing a few more points to round off a solid weekend for the DJ. Kamui Kobayashi was ninth, taking the TGMGP machine back into the points, and Kenta Yamashita was tenth for his and KCMG’s second points finish of the season.

In the driver’s championship, Ohta leaves this weekend with a ginormous 50.5 point lead over Iwasa. Fraga is 5.5 points behind Iwasa in third.

Dandelion Racing leave Fuji with 120 points to their tally, 55.5 points ahead of Team TOM’S in second.

The next race will be held at Sportsland SUGO, the circuit where reigning champion Ayumu Iwasa scored his first win. The race will be held just a few weeks from now on  August 8th and 9th.