MUGEN

2013.10.9

“MUGEN CR-Z GT” continues to earn points steadily and goes into the final round still as the points leader.

Series name: 2013 AUTOBACS SUPER GT SERIES ROUND 7
Event name: SUPER GT IN KYUSYU 300KM
Course: 4.674km × 65 laps (303.81km)
Qualifying: 2013-10-05 Sat / Rain / Attendance 11,600 (Announcement from the organizer)
Race: 2013-10-06 Sun / Cloudy / Attendance 22,100 (Announcement from the organizer)

#16 MUGEN CR-Z GT (Hideki Muto / Yuki Nakayama) took part in 2013 AUTOBACS SUPER GT SERIES ROUND 7, which was held at AUTO POLIS in Oita pref. during Oct. 5th and 6th. With the additional championship points won in the SGT Class at the recent ASIAN LE MANS SERIES event on Sep. 22nd, #16 MUGEN CR-Z GT went into this event as the series points leader.

For the previous SGT championship race at FUJI, TEAM MUGEN had been required to carry 100kg success ballast (the actual weight handicap was calculated at 114kg, but under the technical regulations the maximum weight ballast that can be carried is capped at 100kg), but at this race the weight handicap was calculated based on the total pointed gained up until the last race, which was 68, therefore the weight handicap was decreased to 68kg. However, on the other hand, the GT association issued a further notification regarding the revision of the entry qualifications to GT300 Class on September 26th in which it was stated that the diameter of the estrictor mounted on MUGEN CR-Z GT was to further decrease from 30.0mm × 2, to just 28.5mm × 2. This was in addition to the restrictor size having already been decreased already at the 4th round of the series. Nevertheless TEAM MUGEN was forced to deal with this difficulty.

October 6th, (Sun)

■   Race: 9th position (60 laps 1:55:09.235 / Best time: 1:49.901)

Normally there is time during the free practice run to check the set up, but due to bad weather the time schedule was changed and the race started without the free practice run at 2pm.

The race started off under a cloudy sky and, although the course was dry for the start, it was not apparent when the rain would come. Muto was first behind the wheel and he made a clean start from 16th on the grid, but the tires selected as a countermeasure against the cold surface of the course took some time to warm up, and Muto had no choice but to give way to other machines, whose tires were better suited to the early race conditions, and so slipped down to 19th on the 1st lap.

Once up to temperature #16 MUGEN CR-Z GT regained the pace and was running the same lap times as those of the leading group. However once caught up in traffic it was difficult to come off the racing line because of the large amounts of tire debris and #16 MUGEN CR-Z GT had no choice but to stay on the driving line and adopt the same pace as those around them.

With regard to timing of the pit stops the strategy of all the teams was divided into two; one early, one in the later stages of the race. With the unstable weather conditions threatening to provide showers requiring a tire change, TEAM MUGEN chose the latter in order to cover the options.

As some of the machines among the leading group started to make their pit stops, Muto regained his pace and was able to post faster times on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th laps, and completed 32 laps in ostensibly 10th place.

With the pit stop completed Nakayama took over driving duties, and after getting the tires up to optimum temperature proceeded to set fastest laps for #16 MUGEN CR-Z GT of 1:50.024, and then 1:49.901 on the 36th lap, and with help of the pit stop of the other machines, moved up to the 12th position.

At the 40th lap Nakayama took advantage of some confusion on the track to pass 2 machines and to move up 10th position. He continued to swap position back and forth and completed the 60 lap race in 9th position.

With this result, TEAM MUGEN gained 3 team points (3 points for 9th finish and completion of the race two laps behind) bringing the team total ranking points up to 89, and a lead in the series ranking of 12 points ahead of the team in second. In the battle for the drivers championship, Hideki Muto / Yuhki Nakayama both gained 2 driver ranking points for their 9th place giving them 70 points and an 8 point lead over the second placed drivers. The next round, to be held at the TWINRING MOTEGI, will be the final decider of this series.

■ Comments from the director, Junichi Kumakura

The GT association notified us to adjust the diameter of the restrictor just one week before the race day, and we had no choice but to make a new restrictor. We needed to make it from the scratch, which means we had to prepare the materials for its production and under normal circumstances one week is not enough to make new restrictors. However, we did it, otherwise, the GT regulations would have imposed another 50kg weight handicap on our machine, and this would have meant a total weight handicap of 118kg. First of all it is impossible for our machine to carry more than 100kg and we may have had to cancel our race.

Working with no sleep we made it just before the car inspection on Friday. Inevitably we had no time to check its performance. Along with it, no engine test and no tire test since the last race in the AUTOPOLIS, and at that time the course was wet, so we had no chance to test on a dry course. On Saturday this time as well the course was wet.

In the end we started our race without any engine setting or tire checks and, due to the modification to the diameter of the restrictor, our straight-line speed was slower, and so our machine was caught in the traffic and could not find a chance to come out of it. Even under such severe conditions of making the restrictor within a week, thanks to the cheers of our fans we could finish the race to gain the points that can give us a chance to become the champion of this series.

We thank you fans very much for your presence and cheers at the race.

♦ Photo Gallery (Round7)