At Sportsland SUGO, as the sun began to set but the heat still lingered on, the 15 participating cars of the 2023 Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Japan set off in Race 2 of round 5 - the final race of the challenge. Despite a few technical issues, some of the drivers took home their first victory in the competition, leaving the event triumphant and joyous.
Trofeo Pirelli.Yudai Uchida of Trofeo Pirelli class, won pole position by more than one second, and proceeded to secure another dominating victory in Race 2, outpacing the second-placed driver overall by over a second each lap. All looked to be going to plan for Uchida, until a suspension issue halted him on lap 16 with just seven minutes left of the race. Despite this, Uchida had successfully met the 70% lap limit, thus claiming the revered pole-to-win.
Akita led from pole position in both Races 1 and 2 of the Trofeo Pirelli Am – with the top four cars separated by only one second and the race deadlocked for some time. But on lap 16, Yudai Uchida, Trofeo Pirelli class had to stop due to machine trouble, causing a shift in the order. Finally, after 21 intense laps, Kazuyuki Yamaguchi emerged triumphant and claimed his second win of the season – as well as his first overall victory.
Coppa Shell. Yasutaka Shirasaki earned his second pole position since Round 3 in Coppa Shell class, and quickly established a commanding lead throughout the race, earning the pole-to-win by finishing over 30 seconds ahead of the second place contender. Making a remarkable debut this season, he celebrated a triumphant victory in the Race 2 of the final round.
In the Coppa Shell Am class, Masato Yoneoka, who captured the championship title, earned another pole position in Race 2 following his top spot from Race 1. His impressive performance enabled him to overtake the Coppa Shell competitors of a higher class, ultimately resulting in a pole-to-win run. Masato Yoneoka concluded an impressive season with his class victory in eight out of the nine races.