Jun 16, 2008
|
Super GT round 2（Okayama International Circuit／3.703km） |
|
CUSCO Impreza proved its more potential After marked 2nd fastest on Super Lap… |
|
|
Under clear sky on 12 Apr, second round of Super GT series “OKAYAMA GT 300km” kicked off in Okayama International Circuit. At afternoon section of final official practice on precious day, CUSCO RACING showed good pace with setting 4th fastest time. With making good start, team finished in 6th overall and built high expectation to qualifying. The condition at qualifying was continued clear sky from previous day and machines started battle of time attack under dry condition. Team’s Impreza already proved its speed with result of 8th in qualifying/6th in main race at opening round in Suzuka which was good start of season for the team. Again, the machine set its form with running among top runners from first attack of morning section. This time, Sasaki took the wheel for the time attack. It was team’s tactic when concerning to become chaotic battle in afternoon, Yamano who has more experience with Trans axel Symmetrical AWD Impreza would be more applicable to take its advantage effectively. With think of this, team decided to send Yamano for afternoon session. Meanwhile Sasaki has more knowledge about the course in here Okayama as he had been driving since he debut. So he was entrusted to decide starting position by himself with his attack.. On first attack, Sasaki took some tactic with sitting on machine but staying there during about 8 minute. He waited that the road temperature rose up. The temperature on surface was rising up from gradually start of the session and got 4℃ up until end of the session. The skill to take those tactics proved the result of huge improving reliability of the machine. When think about the performance which the machine showed in opening round, there had been no major trouble during whole of weekend from practice to checker. It’s exactly team’s evolution which is resulted by big effort of all mechanics who maintain their machine with hard working. |
 In team’s pit, the white board said “get on Podium!” which was team’s catchphrase for this race. |
On this first session of qualifying, Sasaki recorded 6th fastest. After that, one of machine marked another fastest lap on last attack of mix run, but one of top time excluded after scrutineering, so eventually CUSCO RACING ranked 6th to go to Super Lap(SL) run in the afternoon. It’s second time in a row to advance to SL which rose team’s motivation up. On the SL, Sasaki showed superb pace. Starting the time attack in fifth, although lost bit time on sector 1, but took it back on sector2 and spurt on sector 3, marked time in 1”31.960. He hugely broken record his fastest time of morning run by over 2 seconds. His record was not broken for while after that brought his position up. The machine which broken Sasaki’s time first was Garaiya which finished morning section in 2nd. Sasaki took fastest record back with narrow gap and final attacker Z couldn’t break the record. It was looked that the starting grid was almost confirmed as front low for Impreza and second for Z… but the unexpected accident was happened. On the scrutineering after SL, lack of minimum ground clearance was founded with team’s Impreza. It made team surprise and it turned to disappointment immediately. After team’s technical staff assessed the problem, team found that the minimum road clearance of Impreza was satisfied the restriction of regulation when they measured by laser tool. But supplementary regulation required to having height which clears the 50mm height official box in Okayama International Circuit. Team’s Impreza was regarded to failure this. The conclusion of qualifying was unexpected, but it’s no doubt that the machine had superb speed. The time of machine in SL was struck out, so team was now going to revenge on main race which they would start from 10th grid. |
 The pit walk gets excitement from qualifying day. |
|
 Machine got new chacks for air jack |
 Front kanard renewed to Carbon made |
 Rear diffuser redesigned with affected feed back from testing |
|
Team quote: Managing director, Hisashi Matsuda “We don’t have the road clearance problem when we checked at previous optional measuring (with the box). However we should be able to avoid this accident if I checked it again more cautiously. It’s my responsibility. In other hand, it’s confirmed that our machine got more speed. We didn’t change major parts, just adjusted to that each area would work effectively. Just brought own potential out properly. Also having no trouble made good result same as opening round. Team was rewarded by big effort from all of mechanics. We will start main race from 10th grid, so just going to make maximum attack from the start. We would like to get as much point as possible. Driver quote: Tetsuya Yamano “Kouta (Sasaki) showed good driving in qualifying. He lost bit time on sector 1, but he took the late back on sector 2 and 3. (With striking time out) the result was disappointed, but I think it was good job as driver. Of course it’s till not enough ant there are more area where we can do, but car got much more speed I think. I spun because machine was a bit peaky. In fact Kouta spun on same point on Friday. It would be big problem on qualifying, but would be no problem on main race I think. We are going to make hard push to go on podium!” |
