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F-Nippon / Super GT News
Matsuda claims second consecutive title
22/09/2008
Lawson Team Impul driver Tsugio Matsuda stormed to his fifth win of the season at the Sport Land Sugo Circuit, Murata, on Sunday 21 September and claimed his second consecutive Formula Nippon title in the process.
Over 15,000 spectators endured the rainy conditions to attend the eighth and final round of the Formula Nippon series at Sugo. Matsuda started the weekend in good form setting the fastest lap times in both Q1 and Q2. The six-time pole sitter was however forced to quit his flying lap in Q3 due to a crash involving Satoshi Motoyama leading to the red flag being flown. Matsuda finished the session in second position, with Motoyama taking pole and Takeshi Tsuchiya claiming third.
Race day again looked to be wet and rainy, though three cars out of the twenty took a risk by fitting slick tyres for the afternoon’s activity. Motoyama led the race from pole position and Matsuda fell back into third. By lap 10 Matsuda had battled hard and claimed the lead he desired, holding the position to the end of the race to take the victory.
Team Lawson Impul driver, Tsugio Matsuda, said:
“I was very disappointed in qualifying, so I absolutely wanted to win this race. I took care of my tyres after I led the race. I ran with the thought of the championship in my mind to claim the win.”
Bridgestone tyre senior technical adviser, Yasuo Teranishi, said:
“To start with slick tyres in the wet conditions was a wrong decision. The rain did become light but it never actually stopped meaning the track remained wet. Matsuda maintained a high level of tyre management and drove very fast. He proved he had the speed of a champion.”
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