Quintarelli and Yasuda take Sepang win22/06/2009

Round 4 of the SUPER GT championship took place in Sepang, Malaysia last Sunday with 30,000 local spectators turning up on race day to watch. Pole starter Satoshi Motoyama and Benoit Treluyer (Nissan GT-R/BS) had trouble on the grid, enabling Ronnier Quintarelli and Hironobu Yasuda (Nissan GT-R/MI), who started from second, to lead from the start and take the win. Toshihito Kaneishi and Kodai Tsukakoshi (Honda NSX/BS) were second with Ralph Firman and Takuya Izawa (Honda NSX/BS) claiming third place.  

With heavy rain starting just a few minutes into the morning free practice session none of the teams and drivers were able to work on a dry setting for first qualifying and the Super Lap. However, the Nissan GT-Rs set the pace, having tested in January in Sepang, and dominated the front row. Motoyama/Treluyer got their third straight pole position while the pairing of Quintarelli/Yasuda was second and Ryo Michigami and Takashi Kogure (Honda NSX/BS) were in third.  

The GT-R of pole sitters Motoyama and Treluyer however suffered a broken gear on the grid, leaving the spot empty on the grid, and were forced to push back to the pits for a pitlane start. Fifth placed Yuji Ide and Shinya Hosokawa (Honda NSX/BS) also retreated to the tale end of their class due to an engine change after the morning’s free practice. Quintarelli therefore led from the start, establishing a big gap which Yasuda kept to claim the win. It was their first win since Motegi in 2008. A battle ensued for the remaining two podium positions but it was Kaneishi/Tuskakoshi, who started from 11th place, who put in a great drive to finish second. Firman/Izawa took the final podium spot.  

Bridgestone Tire Engineer, Yoshihiro Hosoya, said;
“All I can say is that it was disappointing. It was quite unexpected that the pole starting GT-R would have gear trouble. And if the NSX of Ide/Hosokawa had started from their original spot, they would have been able to get a good result because they were setting a good pace. Our tires match with the NSX now and so NSXs claimed second to fourth place positions here in Sepang. Tsukakoshi especially had a great drive to the end of the race. It was very impressive”