Super GT:Top Qualifier for Second Consecutive Round!

[Plex]

TAKATA NOME NSX Top Qualifier for Second Consecutive Round

The qualifying for the Fuji GT 500 km Race, Round 3 of the 2007 AUTOBACS SUPER GT, took place at Fuji Speedway (one lap 4.563 km) in Shizuoka Pref. on May 3. The TAKATA NOME NSX driven by Takashi Kogure won the GT500 class pole position (fastest qualifier) and will start from the front row in the race on the 4th.

In the first qualifying session in the morning, Kogure ran the top time at 1 min. 33.697 sec. In the afternoon Super Lap for the top ten qualifiers (time trial run one machine at a time), he set a course record time of 1 min. 33.066 sec. to win the pole position.

TAKATA NOME NSX also won the pole position in the last round at the Okayama International Circuit (Okayama Pref.), making it the pole starter for the second consecutive round.

In the GT300 class, the AKTIO MURCIE RG-1 driven by Marco Apicella was top qualifier in class with a time of 1 min. 42.112 sec.

[Pole position winner comments]
No.18 TAKATA NOME NSX [GT500]
Takashi Kogure: "The biggest reason we were able to win this pole position is the pure potential of the machine. I am grateful to the team for having brought the car to this state. In the last round at Okayama, Michigami won us the pole position but we were unable to win in the race. That is why I wanted very much to win the pole position here today, and I am very glad that I was able to."

Ryo Michigami: "In this GT competition with its weight handicapping system, it is not often that one car can win the pole position in two consecutive rounds. And, since the NSX is considered to be at a disadvantage here on the Fuji Speedway, we are very happy that we were able to win the pole position with a course record. I believe that this year�s NSX has made a lot of progress. The anticipated race times have become quite stable. But there are still some things that I would like to see done, so I will be talking with the team. What about tomorrow�s race strategy? That is something I can�t talk about yet (laughs)."

No.88 AKTIO MURCIE RG-1 [GT300]
Marco Apicella: "The machine was great, and I think I got a very good time. I have been racing here in Japan for almost 20 years now, and it is so good to see a privateer team achieve results like this. I was shouting for joy so loud inside the car that I nearly lost my voice (laughs)."

Feedmesportscars