Round 5 of SUPER GT, the “SUGO GT 300km RACE” was decided on Sunday, July 27th at Sportsland SUGO (lap: 3.707km) in Miyagi prefecture. After starting 13th, the “WOODONE ADVAN Clarion GT-R” (#24 –Joao Paolo de Oliveira, Seiji Ara) took 8th and was awarded three championship points for their efforts.

In the four events since the opening round of the season, the NISSAN GT-R has taken three wins. As a result, a Special Performance Adjustment was levied on the cars. The undulating up-down nature of the SUGO track meant a hard fight was expected.

Among the GT-R runners, the highest-placed machine was the MOTUL AUTECH GT-R (#22 – Michael Krumm, Masataka Yanagida) starting in eighth place after qualifying. On the opening lap of the race, the car was pushed from behind by another competitor, and sent off track. As a result, the car fell to the back of the pack. Despite running a good pace, it was difficult to recover much ground. Starting driver Krumm handed the wheel over to Yanagida on lap 44. Yanagida also had difficulty making up places as he battled all the way to the end. He managed to get up to 13th after higher-placed cars went out, and successfully made it to the flag in that position.

Running an identically massive weight, the “XANAVI NISMO GT-R” (#23 – Satoshi Motoyama, Benoit Treluyer) saw ace driver Motoyama start from 10th place. In the early stages, he settled into 14th place, before handing the car over to Treluyer on lap 42. With only the smallest of gaps between them, he followed his teammate in the #22 machine home in 14th place.

After taking the win at the last race in Sepang, the “WOODONE ADVAN Clarion GT-R” (#24 – Joao Paolo de Oliveira, Seiji Ara) had an additional 50kgs handicap weight added, making it a difficult weekend for the team. However, right from the start of the race, Oliveira gradually moved up the order. Taking charge on lap 42, Ara waited for the chance to advance further than his starting position of 10th. After successfully battling with another car while running ninth on lap 63, he advanced to eighth. It was a position he would keep to the flag.

Running in the middle of the GT-R entries in a comparatively heavy car, the “CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R”(#12 – Tsugio Matsuda, Sebastien Philippe) was without driver Matsuda due to ill health. The team thus had the abundantly experienced GT500 driver Dominik Schwager (Germany) as a stand-in. Sebastien Philippe took the race start after qualifying the car 14th. Driving a rhythmical race, Philippe steadily moved up the order. In the middle stages, contact was made with another car. The accident resulted in a 10-second stop-and-go penalty. In the second half of the race, Schwager took the wheel, starting the final lap in 11th. However, at the final corner, his car stopped abruptly, causing him to lose one position. He finished the event in 12th place.

The #3 “YellowHat YMS TOMICA GT-R (Ronnie Quintarelli, Naoki Yokomizo) qualified 15th. On the final lap they swapped positions with the #12 car, ending the race in 11th position.

KONDO Racing Team Manager Masahiko Kondo’s comment: “We did everything we could here today. I think it’s a great result to take home points despite the heavy weight on the car. Looking towards the next event, we were able to undertake good race management because it had been our objective to get into the top ten and take as many points as possible. These three points are sure to act as a body blow for us in the second half of the season. Looking to the races in the second half of the season, I will steadfastly unite the team. I wonder where we can take another victory.”

Due to the ill health of NISMO Director Yoshitaka Iijima, Mr Kunihiko Kakimoto acted as Team Manager on this occasion.

NISMO Team Director Kunihiko Kakimoto’s comment: “Many thanks to everybody for your support. We were hoping for a position closer to the front, but the heavy weight on the cars prevented us from fulfilling this aim. Since the opening round of the season, the GT-R has taken three wins from four races. This time we faced the most severe conditions yet. We are looking forward to slightly better conditions at the next round, the 1,000kms at Suzuka. We appreciate your continued support.”

Source: Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

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It was a day of ups and downs for Nissan Motorsport on Saturday with disappointment in qualifying and race one offset to some extent by a podium finish in race two. The Nissan Dealer Team had another good day with a second and a fourth in the day’s two Kyalami races.

Leeroy Poulter qualified second on Friday despite only completing one timed lap before an over-zealous marshal insisted on doing a sound check on the Nissan, preventing the 2006 champion from completing any more laps. He crashed in Saturday’s warm-up, managing to spin the car backwards into a tyre wall when a brake caliper bolt broke.

Hard work by his pit crew saw the car ready for race one, but the unfortunate Poulter then pulled off the circuit after the Esses on the warm-up lap when the engine cut out. The battery had become dislodged in the morning’s warm-up accident and by the time Poulter had identified and fixed the problem he was already a lap in arrears. He pitted during a safety car period for fresh tyres and eventually finished 11th, but with the consolation of scoring a championship point for fastest lap of the race.

“I was pretty sure I could have got pole position on Friday after our good showing in the three official practice sessions,” said Poulter. “We didn’t have much luck this weekend, but I have to thank my team for getting my car ready for the first race after this morning’s crash.”

Team-mate Tschops Sipuka also endured a hard day at the office. He struggled with the set-up of his car all weekend and was disappointed with ninth place in race one after starting from the pit lane (a penalty imposed for his clash in the previous round in East London). “I had a lot of understeer and the car just wasn’t as good as it was in EL,” said Sipuka.

Marco da Cunha who drove the Nissan Dealer Team’s two Tubular-backed 350Zs had a good day, qualifying third on Friday (his best result of the season so far) and finished second in race one. He was in the points again in race two, scoring a well-earned fourth from seventh on the grid. This gave him and his team a memorable first overall for the day.

Source:Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

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Mitsubishi Motors Corporation announces the addition of the premium sporty 4WD RALLIART trim level to the Galant Fortis sedan series. The new model raises the driving pleasure bar while retaining all the utility and comfort qualities of the base model. RALLIART comes with a price tag of \2,982,000 and goes on sale at affiliated dealership throughout Japan today.

Galant Fortis RALLIART

Launched in August 2007 Galant Fortis¹ was MMC’s first new sedan model in seven years. It has been well received by customers looking principally for everyday utility plus a taste of sporty performance, while the Lancer Evolution X2 finds favor with those drivers looking to enjoy a serious sport driving experience, participation in motorsport events included. The new Galant Fortis RALLIART strikes an excellent balance between everyday driving comfort and fun-to-drive dynamic performance and as such will meet the needs and demands of a wide spectrum of customers.

Source: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

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On the outskirts of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, Sepang International Circuit (1 lap – 5.542kms) played host to Round 4 of the SUPER GT series. Starting from a fourth-place qualifying result, the WOODONE ADVAN Clarion GT-R (#24 – Joao Paolo de Oliveira/Seiji Ara) took the win. In second place, the pole-starting MOTUL AUTECH GT-R, (#22 – Michael Krumm/Masataka Yanagida) came second, resulting in a resounding 1-2 finish for the NISSAN GT-R. From four rounds this season, this is the third victory for the NISSAN supercar. KONDO Racing was also victorious last year; that win coming in a NISSAN Z. It is the team’s second successive Sepang victory.

However, the WOODONE ADVAN Clarion GT-R, from the winners here last year, KONDO Racing, also moved up to third place immediately after the start, and after the penalty was taken by the #1 car, moved securely into 2nd place. In addition, the driver who took over in the second half of the race, Seiji Ara pushed the #24 car onto the tail of the leading GT-R, presenting the chance of getting by. And so with both cars’ tyres coming to the end of their grip, a momentary chance presented itself on lap 50. Ara, through a decisive maneuvere, was instantly through. From there he made his escape, the accomplishment giving the team their first victory of the season. In addition to the 100kgs of success ballast on the XANAVI NISMO GT-R (#23 – Satoshi Motoyama/Benoit Treluyer), an additional 75kgs imposed in the form of a smaller diameter air restrictor meant the car was unable to show it’s true performance in official qualifying, and suffered as a result. After qualifying 15th, Benoit Treluyer took the start and made his way round, putting in the laps. For the second half of the race, Satoshi Motoyama took the wheel, giving chase to the cars ahead, though was unable to advance significantly. He brought the car home in 13th place. Sebastien Philippe took the start in the #12 CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R, though contact with the #32 NSX on the opening lap forced him into a spin. As a result, he had to return to the pits because of trouble in the engine compartment. Repairs meant lost time and the car dropped back. Tsugio Matsuda took over the reins for the second half, the car crossing the line in 14th place. The #3 YellowHat YMS TOMICA GT-R (Ronnie Quintarelli/Naoki Yokomizo) qualified ninth. After battling with other cars, it reached the flag in 9th place. Source: Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. If you are looking for Japanese used vehicles exporters, please visit : http://www.japanautopages.com/business_type/exporter.php Technorati tags: Nissan, Racing Car

Tschops Sipuka and Leeroy Poulter qualified their Sasol Nissan Nissan 350Zs in first and third places respectively for the start of the first race at East London’s historic former grand prix circuit on Saturday. It was a result that Nissan Motorsport had worked hard for and it gave the team hope for a good race result on the fastest circuit hosting a round of the Bridgestone SA Production Car Championship.

However, at the end of a dry but windy winter’s day that threatened rain, Sipuka’s spoils were restricted to just the three points he scored for pole position after he failed to finish either of the two races. Poulter didn’t fare much better, scoring one point for his third place on the grid and another for eighth place in race two. He was struggling without a clutch, pulled off the circuit on lap four and also scored a DNF in race one.

Nissan pride was preserved by the Nissan Dealer Team 350Zs of Darren Lobb and Marco da Cunha, who were third and sixth overall for the day. Lobb, seventh (and last class A finisher) in race one, was on pole for race two (the top eight start in reverse order) and took full advantage to lead the 10-car field for 14 of the 15 laps. He was under pressure from Michael Stephen (Audi A4 quattro), winner of race one, from around lap 11 and finally gave up his lead to Stephen in the last corner of the 15th and last lap.

Da Cunha, fifth in race one, was spun out of second place behind his team-mate as he was about to start lap three and dropped back to finish seventh.

Source: Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

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