Mr. Maeda drove the final stint. The track conditions had by now changed from semi-wet to dry, and the light was fading. The ‘Lights on' sign was shown just before 6pm and all the cars duly turned on their lights. Also, thanks to the three Safety Car periods, there was some room in terms of the fuel limitations. The top group therefore ran a dead heat over the last few laps before the chequered flag was shown at 18:15.

Driving the final stint, Mr. Maeda said, exhausted, “During the final stages of the race, the top group of cars ran really fast. They looked like Kamikaze pilots. I was overwhelmed by their pace and intensity, and made sure I let them get past safely. I think racing in twilight was particularly challenging but I learned a lot. I'd definitely like to come back and contest this race again next year.”

Team leader Mr. Yamamoto said, “Our target was to complete the race and we achieved that. Having three Safety Car periods disturbed our rhythm in the race, but thanks to all the team, not only the drivers, but all the staff including the pit crew, everything worked well. Despite the unstable conditions, each driver ran his stint without ever spinning out or crashing, and was able to hand the car over to the next driver without incident. I came to realize that the Mazda team understands good teamwork. I'd like to say thank you to all the fans who came out to Tsukuba circuit in the bad weather, and also to those of you who cheered us on via the website. Thanks again for all your wonderful support.”