LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM’S
2009 Super GT Series
Round 5, Sportsland Sugo (300km race)
24 - 26 July 2009

Raceday Weather:
Fine and dry in the morning, rain and overcast
Temperature: 30°C (ambient) | 37 - 40°C (track)

Race Format: 3.704km x 81laps

It was a case of the weather affecting any chances for a podium finish for the LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM'S at last weekend's round 5 of the Super GT Series. The round at the Sportsland Sugo circuit proved to be a gamble the teams as the sudden changes in the weather caught out most teams when it changed from fine conditions to a downpour on the 27th lap of the 81-lap race. The conditions changed again when the rain stopped and conditions begin to improve towards the end of the race.

From the outset, the 70kg handicap weight presented the team with the prospect of a difficult race. Despite the disadvantage, the duo of Andre Lotterer and Juichi Wakisaka were able to produce a strong 7th place finish to add another 4 points to maintain their 2nd place position in the championship. Race Results

Qualifying
The 70kg handicap weight meant that the total were carrying a total weight of 1170kg for the round. During the Saturday morning free practice, the team were 12th fastest suggesting a tough fight for qualifying and race. In addition to the weight, the dusty track condition complicated the setup of the car. In spite of this, the team were able to find the best set up, which resulted in an improved qualifying pace. In the first qualifying session, Andre Lotterer was able to qualify 5th to progress to the Super Lap shoot out, where the team were able to clock in with the 7th fastest time.

Race
Despite the fine and sunny conditions on Sunday morning, all indications pointed to a wet affair for the race in the afternoon. The race itself started under sunny and dry conditions. Andre Lotterer as the starting driver was able to maintain his starting position for the first part of the race. At one point, the German had managed to bring the fight to the Honda NSX's but the turbulence from being behind the Hondas hampered any chances for an overtaking move.

A third of the way, it began to rain as predicted with the German still at the wheels of the PETRONAS SC430. On lap 34, the German pitted, handing over the reigns of the car to his Japanese teammate Juichi Wakisaka. Fitted with wet tyres, the Japanese was able to gain several positions, at one stage climbed up to 4th and looked set for a podium finish.

However, towards the latter stages of the race, the rain had stopped changing the track conditions. Driving with the wet tyres made it difficult for the team as Wakisaka fought hard to maintain a good pace on wet tyres. Despite the difficult race, Wakisaka was able to bring the car home in 7th, adding four more points to maintain the team's championship position in overall 2nd.

Juichi Wakisaka (JPN)
“At one stage of the race the podium finish looked very good. When the rain stopped and the conditions switched from wet to damp, it was tough to maintain a competitive pace and keep my car on track! The tyre choice was a big issue for us in this race but I believe we made the right choice during the stop. What is important is that we managed to collect points and maintain our 2nd position in the championship, so we will keep on fighting!”

Andre Lotterer (DEU)
"It was overall a good weekend, considering the weight handicap we were faced with. During the race, whenever I was stuck behind the NSX's, the car's centre exhaust outlet was giving out really hot air which blew straight into our car's engine intake. And this really affected the engine's power. When Juichi took over, we had managed to move up to fourth at one stage and could have made it a podium finish but when the track changed, it was really tough to maintain our position. In spite of this, I believe we are still in a strong position in the championship and this is showing our high performance.”

Masanori Sekiya, Team Director
“Conditions are really difficult to predict and planning what might happen in a race is a difficult game. This time around, nature was not on our side. As a result, it came down to choosing the right tyres and perhaps in hindsight it might not have been the right one. There are a lot of what ifs but that is the nature of racing. Anyway, we will continue to make as much progres and fight for the championship title."

日本語
Race Results
Team Standings
Driver Standings

For more on the team, visit the team's site at http://36toms.com/ Gazoo Racing: GAZOO RACING : http://gazoo.com/racing/Top/Top.aspx
For more on the Super GT championship, visit http://supergt.net