What an absolute disasterclass in survival. Round 5 of the All Japan Super Formula Championship at Suzuka Circuit was pure, unadulterated chaos from the moment the cars left the garage, featuring three separate safety car deployments and a race of attrition that caught out half the field.
When the dust settled, pole-sitter Naoki Yamamoto (DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING) drove a brilliant, controlled race to take his first win of the year and leapfrog into the championship lead with 23 points. Behind him, Kazuki Nakajima (VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S) drove a smart race to secure second place, while Yuji Kunimoto (carrozzeria Team KCMG) charged home to third to claim his first podium appearance since the season before last.
Even before the lights went out, the grid was in tatters. Tomoki Nojiri (TEAM MUGEN) suffered an electrical failure on his way to the dummy grid, forcing his car to be towed back and relegated to a back-row start. Yuhi Sekiguchi (ITOCHU ENEX TEAM IMPUL) then stalled on the formation lap, requiring extra formation laps just to sort the grid out. Once racing actually began, the carnage truly started. Tire contact sent Nirei Fukuzumi (TCS NAKAJIMA RACING) and teammate Toshiki Oyu battling hard, but Fukuzumi's race ended abruptly in the barrier at the Dunlop corner, bringing out the first safety car.
As the race shook out through the mandatory pit stops, drama struck again. Fukuzumi's teammate, leading contender Yamamoto, maintained control at the front, but the race behind him exploded. Nobuharu Matsushita (Buzz Racing with B-Max) suffered a heavy spin and crash at 130R due to an unexplained left-rear tire failure, triggering the second safety car just as Yamamoto pitted.
Then came the madness. On the lap 26 restart with just two laps remaining, a four-wide drag race into turn one involving Ukyo Sasahara (TEAM MUGEN), Sho Tsuboi (JMS P.MU/CERUMO･INGING), Kamui Kobayashi (carrozzeria Team KCMG), and Ryo Hirakawa (ITOCHU ENEX TEAM IMPUL) ended in tears. Sasahara and Tsuboi made contact, sending Sasahara spinning into Hirakawa. Both Sasahara and Hirakawa were out on the spot, while Tsuboi crawled into the pits to retire. Through the smoke and flying carbon fiber, Kobayashi threaded the needle brilliantly to keep his machine undamaged.
With the third safety car clearing with only two laps to go, Yamamoto cruised home safely to seal the victory. Nakajima took second, Kunimoto secured third, and Kobayashi survived to finish fourth. Rounding out the points-paying positions were Nick Cassidy (VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S) in fifth, Hiroaki Ishiuri (JMS P.MU/CERUMO･INGING) sixth, Nojiri seventh after his brilliant charge from the back, Oyu eighth, Kenta Yamashita (KONDO RACING) ninth, and Sacha Fenestraz (KONDO RACING) taking the final point in tenth.
