CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R TRIUMPHS AT SUPER GT ROUND 4 IN SEPANG
2010-06-21 18:15:34 Author: admin Source:
Calsonic Impul GT-R duo Tsugio Matsuda and Ronnie Quintarelli achieved a dominating victory at the tenth Super GT International edition in Sepang on Sunday. In an exciting 54-lap race, the blue GT-R held the lead following the customary rolling start of the Super GT championship where the GT500 class cars led off the GT300 machines.
Right from the start, Matsuda powered ahead to lead the field with ARTA's Ralph Firman (above) and Motul Autech GT-R's Satoshi Motoyama tagging the blue GT-R closely in second and third respectively. Matsuda fended off Honda HSV-010 GTs and remained in the lead until he made his pit stop at the end of lap 25.
The lead temporarily went to the Raybrig HSV followed closely by the Motul Autech GT-R who's desperately trying to wrestle the lead from the HSV. Both cars stopped for their required pitstops which allowed the Calsonic Impul GT-R to surge ahead into the lead once more.
With 15 laps to go, the pursing Raybrig saw a chance to outmaneuver the Calsonic Impul GT-R at turn 2, but rammed into the back of the GT-R causing a spin off by both cars. However, both cars were able to continue racing without the slightest problems, only the HSV had an obvious dent at the right front bumper (above left).
Into the final laps, the Calsonic Impul GT-R had apparently come to grips with the brief accident scare and its second driver Quintarelli took it home in style, making it three GT-R victories in the past three Super GT events at the Sepang International Circuit. Additionally, it was the team's first win since the final round of the 2008 season, and last season, the team failed to score a single victory. Despite last season's 'bad' year, the stalwart support of many surrounding the team helped it mount a Super GT campaign again this season, and it was probably feelings of gratitude for that support that brought tears to the eyes of team principal Kazuyoshi Hoshino after the race.
In the GT300 class race, the M7 Mutira Motors Ameiya SGC7 came from 2nd position on the class starting grid to grab the win. This was the fifth win for the team here at Sepang in the ten GT races held here.
Results
1 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R Tsugio Matsuda/Ronnie Quintarelli 1:50'54.084
2 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R Satoshi Motoyama/Benoit Treluyer +0'13.333
3 Weider HSV-010 Takashi Kogure/Loic Duval +0'16.673
4 ENEOS SC430 Daisuke Ito/Bjorn Wirdheim +0'28.242
5 RAYBRIG HSV-010 Takuya Izawa/Naoki Yamamoto +0'30.809
6 ZENT CERUMO SC430 Yuji Tachikawa/Richard Lyons +0'54.074
7 MJ KRAFT SC430 Hiroaki Ishiura/Kazuya Oshima +0'55.339
8 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430 Juichi Wakisaka/Andre Lotterer +1'07.541
9 HIS ADVAN KONDO GT-R J.P.Lima de Oliveira/Hironobu Yasuda +1'20.339
10 DENSO DUNLOP SARD SC430 Andre Couto/Kohei Hirate +1'24.343
