Sugo Super Formula: Nick Cassidy wins, Sette Camara crashes

Reigning Super Formula champion Nick Cassidy scored his first victory of the season at Sugo as debutant poleman Sergio Sette Camara crashed out.

B-Max Racing driver Sette Camara lost the lead at the start to Ryo Hirakawa, who proceeded to build a small cushion out front as Sette Camara kept his pursuers Naoki Yamamoto and Cassidy at bay in the early stages.

That changed on lap 18 of 53, as Yamamoto passed the Brazilian driver heading into Turn 1, and later on the same lap TOM’S man Cassidy forced his way by at Horseback corner.

Sette Camara pitted at the end of that lap, but after a slow stop dropped him out of realistic podium contention he crashed on his out lap at Turn 4.

That brought out the safety car, prompting the leaders to all pit at the same time, and when action resumed on lap 28 Hirakawa led from Yamamoto and Cassidy.

But Cassidy was quickly on the move, dispatching Dandelion Racing rival Yamamoto at Turn 1 on the following lap, and on lap 30 the Kiwi repeated the move on his SUPER GT teammate Hirakawa to take a lead he would hold to the chequered flag.

It marks Cassidy’s third career win and his first since last year’s Suzuka opener.

Team Impul man Hirakawa still extended his championship lead with a comfortable to run to second, while Yamamoto claimed a first podium of the season in third place.

Ryo Hirakawa, Team Impul

Photo by: Masahide Kamio

Tomoki Nojiri (Mugen) was a distant fourth ahead of Yuji Kunimoto (KCMG), who was one of several drivers to gain ground by pitting under the safety car.

Kenta Yamashita (Kondo Racing), Tadasuke Makino (Nakajima Racing), Hiroaki Ishiura (Inging) and Kazuya Oshima (Inging) filled out places six through nine, having all likewise benefitted from the caution period.

Nirei Fukuzumi (Dandelion) claimed the final point in 10th, the best of the drivers to have stopped early before the safety car, after passing Yuhi Sekiguchi (Impul).

Okayama winner Sho Tsuboi (Inging) endured a low-key run to 14th, having also pitted before the mid-race caution, one place behind Kamui Kobayashi (KCMG).

Kazuki Nakajima (TOM’S) was 15th after making contact with a slow-starting Sacha Fenestraz (Kondo) at Turn 1, which put Fenestraz out of the race. Nakajima had to pit for a fresh wing and was later handed a drive-through penalty.

Mugen’s Ukyo Sasahara retired from what is set to be his final outing replacing Red Bull junior Juri Vips due to mechanical trouble, having been delayed in the Turn 1 melee.

Race results:

Cla#DriverTeamGap
11 Nick CassidyVantelin Team TOM’S 
220 Ryo HirakawaITOCHU ENEX TEAM IMPUL 3.974
35 Naoki YamamotoDoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing 11.895
416 Tomoki NojiriTeam Mugen 20.759
518 Yuji Kunimotocarrozzeria Team KCMG 24.172
63 Kenta YamashitaKondo Racing 25.520
764 Tadasuke MakinoTCS Nakajima Racing 26.173
838 Hiroaki IshiuraJMS P.mu/cerumo-INGING 34.571
914 Kazuya OshimaROOKIE Racing 39.143
106 Nirei FukuzumiDoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing 39.798
1119 Yuhi SekiguchiITOCHU ENEX TEAM IMPUL 45.232
1265 Toshiki OyuTCS Nakajima Racing 45.296
1339 Sho TsuboiJMS P.mu/cerumo-INGING 48.359
147 Kamui Kobayashicarrozzeria Team KCMG 51.819
1536 Kazuki NakajimaVantelin Team TOM’S 1 Lap
1612 Koudai TsukakoshiThreeBond Drago CORSE 12 Laps
1715 Ukyo SasaharaTeam Mugen 19 Laps
1850 Sergio Sette CamaraBuzz Racing with B-Max 35 Laps
194 Sacha FenestrazKondo Racing 52 Laps
View full results


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