JAF GP Legends Race, Favorite Battle of Former Top Drivers
The JAF GP Legends Cup race was held from November 12-14 at Fuji Speedway. 20 former top drivers, representing Japanese motorsport, competed in a Mazda Roadster(MX-5) one-make race. Qualifying was held on the 12th, with the two races held on the 13th and 14th.
In the race on the 13th, Kunimitsu Takahashi won pole position after the age handicap was applied. Second place qualifier Masahiro Hasemi was pushed off the track in the first corner of the opening lap by former Nissan works' teammate Takao Wada, and retired in the pits with a damaged car. Haruhito Yanagida, known as a Fairlady Z driver, finished in seventh place after a fifth place finish in qualifying. Masahiko Kondo finished in fourteenth place to the screams of his female fans. The winner was Masahiko Kageyama, with second place going to former TOM's driver Masanori Sekiya, while third was awarded to Takuya Kurosawa.
The second race on the 14th was originally intended to be an eight-lap event, however due to the late running of the support race it was shortened to six laps. At the first corner on the second lap, contact was made between the three cars of Haruhito Yanagida, Takuya Kurosawa and Hideki Okada. TOM's representative Nobuhide Tachi received a drive-through penalty for a jumpstart. Masahiko Kondo finished in sixth place after a fifth place finish in qualifying. Masahiro Hasemi was not able to start after receiving damage to his car in the previous day's race. The winner was former All-Japan and England champion Geoff Lees. The chequered flag was waved by Kazuyoshi Hoshino, the original 'Fastest Man in Japan.' The NC Roadster race was an exciting addition to the JAF Grand Prix which has long tradition as a festival of motorsport.
Many motorsports fans enjoyed watching the weekend's two days of racing, with the SUPER GT and Formula Nippon cars racing together in the JAF Grand Prix Sprint Cup.
15.11.2011
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