Ferrari Challenge Japan

Starting this season, there will be a total of five classes.

Round 3 at Fuji Speedway saw 32 296 Challenge cars and six 488 Challenge Evo cars take part.

First, let’s explain the outline of the Ferrari Challenge. Usually, one round is held over two days, with one race per day, and a winner is determined from each. In this case, Race 1 will be held on Saturday, June 21st, and Race 2 will be held on Sunday, June 22nd.

Furthermore, within the same race, drivers are divided into classes based on their skill: first, the top class Trofeo Pirelli and the entry class Coppa Shell, then further divided into Expert and Amateur (Am), for a total of four classes.

The race will be run in a single-make model, the 296 Challenge, which has been introduced this year and is fast enough to compete in the GT3 category. However, from Round 2 at Autopolis, the 488CH EVO class, based on the 488 Challenge Evo, the single-make machine used until last year, will also be added, meaning there will be a total of five classes to compete in.

Racing veteran Nobuhiro Imada takes his first win of the season

Saturday, June 21st, was a beautiful sunny day at Fuji Speedway. The temperature reached 28°C, which is unusual for June. The 30-minute + 1 lap race was an exciting one, with the top positions changing hands in each class.

In the top-class Trofeo Pirelli race, in which professional drivers participate, Sota Muto, who had a stunning debut win in Round 2 at Autopolis, took pole position, but the skilled racer Nobuhiro Imada quickly took the lead at the Coca-Cola Corner on the first lap. Towards the end of the race, Akihiro Tsuzuki, who qualified third, made a comeback and got within one second of Imada, but just missed out.

In the Trofeo Pirelli Am, which saw five cars enter, Motohiko Isozaki, who currently leads the rankings, took class pole position, but Kanji Yagura, who qualified third in the class, made an excellent start and took the lead on the first lap. Isozaki wanted to catch up, but he couldn’t increase his pace and the gap between him gradually widened. In the end, Yagura managed to hold on to a lead of just over six seconds to take his first win of the season.

Happy first win in Coppa Shell Am

Tsutomu Shimoyama took pole position in Coppa Shell. Shimoyama showed speed throughout the race and finished third overall. Liang Chen Yu won the Coppa Shell Am, which had the largest number of participants this season with 16 cars. It was a delightful first win for him in his debut season. Deske took pole position in the 488CH EVO, showing speed comparable to that of the 296 Challenge. He drove safely from the start to take the class victory.

PHOTO/Ferrari Japan