MUGEN

2013.9.24

"MUGEN CR-Z GT"
The long-awaited first victory from pole position to win!

Series name: 2013 ASIAN LE MANS SERIES ROUND 2
Event name: 3 HOURS OF FUJI
Course: 4.563km × 3hrs
Qualifying: 2013-09-21 Sat / Fine / Attendance 5,800 (Announcement from the organizer)
Race: 2013-09-22 Sun / Fine / Attendance 7,800 (Announcement from the organizer)

#16 MUGEN CR-Z GT (Hideki Muto / Yuki Nakayama) took part in 2013 ASIAN LE MANS SERIES ROUND 2 which was held at FUJI SPWEEDWAY in Shizuoka pref. from Sep 20th to 22nd.

ASIAN LE MANS SERIES is a race event in which prototype racing cars (LMP2/LMPC) and GT cars (LM GTE/GTC) running in The 24 Hours of Le Mans compete. The series got underway at Inje Speedium in August, and this was the second round. After this event, the next rounds of the series will be held at The Zhuhai International Circuit in China and Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

For this event TEAM MUGEN specially participated in the SGT class where they were not required to carry the 100kg weight handicap that they currently have in the SUPER GT SERIES. However, the restrictions imposed on the team from the 5th round, including the diameter of the restrictor, and vehicle-height (plus 8mm) remained in place.

In ASIAN LE MANS SERIES there exist several different regulations from those in SUPER GT SERIES; the time for refueling is shorter because the flow restrictor of the refueling rig can be removed, but there can only be one impact wrench in use and the pit-lane crew is limited only to two persons.

The team took part in a joint test in SUPER GT SERIES held at TWIN RING MOTEGI but the test scheduled for the first day on the Monday had to be canceled due to a typhoon. On the second day Tuesday, in consideration of the upcoming race in the ASIAN LE MANS SERIES the weight ballast was removed in order to confirm the condition of the machine. With the height of the summer now past and the cooler ambient temperatures, the air conditioner in the car was able to be removed.

September 22nd, (Sun)

■   Race: 1st place (106 laps: 3:02:08.703secs / Best lap: 1:39.598)

SUPER GT SERIES events have a pre-race warm-up session but for ASIAN LE MANS SERIES participants there is no opportunity to drive the machines on race-day until the race starts. The drivers had no choice but to stand on the starting grid without confirming the final setting, and wait for the starting flag on 2pm.

The first stint of #16 MUGEN CR-Z GT was with Muto in the driving seat from pole position. The race began with a rolling start and Muto held a distance from the two machines categorized in the leading group, and led the latter group maintaining his lead position.

Muto remained in the lead keeping a 1 second gap back to the following machine and on the 28th lap the second-placed runner lost pace while battling to avoid being passed to go a lap behind and in that, the lead of #16 MUGEN CR-Z GT increased to 7 seconds. With this time gap in hand the race became a bit easier for Muto.

At 3:00pm, one hour after the start of the race, and on the 37th lap, Muto made a pit stop. A fuel refuel, change of all four tires, and a driver change were all completed at the same time, and as Nakayama rejoined the circuit in the #16 MUGEN CR-Z GT the team was in 2nd position.

#52, which had gained the lead in front of #16 MUGEN CR-Z GT during the pit-stop, led the first stint, but then made his own stop at 3:18pm just after finishing the 47th lap, and during this Nakayama regained the front with a lead of more than 10 seconds.

#11 running behind Nakayama was gaining on Nakayama and time distance between the two cars was reduced to just over 5 seconds after the race was an hour and forty-five minutes old. By the 70th lap this was further reduced to 3 seconds, but in response Nakayama picked up his pace and the two held station.

In ASIAN LE MANS SERIES one regulation is that if a machine sustains damage after collision with another competitor then they cannot rejoin the race from the pit until damage is completely fixed. Therefore to avoid such an incident the team directed the drivers to run carefully and not to contact other machines even if this meant losing lap time. In following the team instructions Nakayama lost some pace, even though he could have run faster, but remained in the lead position. So, about two hours after the race had started, on lap 73, and with #11 still running behind, Nakayama made the team's second pit stop, having driven for 37 laps.

Once refueling and the tire change had been completed Muto returned the #16 MUGEN CR-Z GT to the circuit still in the lead and with a gap back to the #11 car of 7 seconds.

However with a decrease in track surface temperature, due to the onset of dusk, preventing the tires getting up to full pressures, the pace of Muto was such that #11 was starting to gain on him. However by the 80th lap the tires had started to work and Muto picked up his pace again and was able to stabilize his lead at 4 seconds.

Muto then speeded up further and almost made his best lap of the race, 1:39.598, increasing his lead to 8 seconds, and then Muto was able to maintain a consistent pace constantly to the finish and win the race. This is the very first victory for #16 MUGEN CR-Z GT since its debut in the last season.

With the result from this race TEAM MUGEN earned 8 team ranking points and with a total now of 86 the team remains 16 points clear at the head of the series ranking. Muto / Nakayama also gained 8 driver points apiece and their total of 68 gives them a similar 16 point margin in the lead of the drivers series ranking (Special points were provided at ASIAN LE MANS SERIES.)

■ Comments from the director, Junichi Kumakura

Though we had a lot of opportunities to win at previous races, we missed those chances due to subtle troubles. We are so honored to take the pole and the win in this first time in Japan for the ASIAN LE MANS SERIES. In qualifying we could make use of the hybrid system perfectly and the setting of the machine was also excellent.

But in the race the straight-line speed of GT300 is comparatively slower than GT3 at Fuji, so we tried to start off at as fast a pace as possible in order not to be positioned among other machines. Also since we could not confirm the final setting before the race, we were a bit concerned about the setting, however, we relied on our experience of previous Fuji races.

I directed our drivers to be always alert to other machines around them since their driving style was different; therefore the lap times were quite varied. But I believe this wariness also led to our victory. I was very nervous until the very end of the race, and would like to evaluate this race as perfect. We will continue to do our best to be the series champion.