The third round of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Japan was held at SPORTLAND SUGO, with 23 488 Challenge Evos lining up on the starting grid for Race 2. Yudai Uchida (Rosso Scuderia) in the Trofeo Pirelli, AKITA (Cornes Nagoya) in the Trofeo Pirelli Am, and Yasutaka Shirasaki (Rosso Scuderia) in the Coppa Shell Am secured pole to win, while Masafumi Hiwatashi (European Version) secured his third victory of the season.
Trofeo Pirelli. In Trofeo Pirelli class, Uchida, the undefeated champion, dominated in the class once again by securing pole position for the second time in a row. Female race driver Anna Inotsume (Ferrari Japan) started in 2nd place in Race 2. The initial battle for the first corner was crucial for both drivers, but Uchida ultimately emerged victorious and continued to widen the gap, clinching a flawless victory in round 3. This was Uchida's 4th consecutive win.
In Trofeo Pirelli Am, AKITA took pole position for the second race in a row. From the beginning of the race, he was in hot pursuit of the two Trofeo Pirelli cars that were battling for the overall win. AKITA was able to keep out Motohiko Isozaki (Cornes Shiba), who qualified 2nd in the same class and won the Coppa Shell Am championship in the European series last year, and Kanji Yagura (Cornes Osaka), who qualified 3rd, and showed his speed in two consecutive races to achieve pole position for the second consecutive race.
Coppa Shell. In Coppa Shell, Shirasaki, the reigning series champion, claimed pole position for the Coppa Shell race. Phil Kim (Nicole Competizione), who had finally earned his first victory in Race 1, attempted to challenge Shirasaki from the second qualifying spot. However, the gap between the two gradually widened. Despite qualifying in third place, Ryuichi Kunihiro (M-Auto Italia) fell behind and was ultimately replaced on the podium by Masaru Yoneda (Cornes Osaka) who had qualified in fifth place.
In Coppa Shell Am, Yusaku Maezawa (Cornes Shiba), who had secured pole position, spun out on lap 4, causing him to lose his lead. Saito, who had emerged victorious in Race 1, took the opportunity to take the lead. However, on lap 15, a multi-car crash occurred and the race was halted due to a red flag after 16 laps. The drivers involved in the accident, who were taken to the nearest hospital facilities for routine checks, were discharged. Hiwatashi, who had qualified 5th, claimed his third win of the season, while Norikazu Shibata (Cornes Osaka) finished in 2nd place on the podium.
Round 4 will take place on June 28-30 at the Suzuka International Racing Course, amidst the annual Ferrari Racing Days. A high-stakes showdown awaits before the enthusiastic crowd of Ferrari fans.