Weider HSV-010 Rules Sepang Circuit

Round 3 of the 2011 Autobacs Super GT Series was held at the Sepang International Circuit from 18-19 June 2011. The pilots for Team Weider HSV-010, Takashi Kogure and Loic Duval, drove a superb race from start to the chequered flag.

The team started from pole position after securing it during the GT 500 qualifying session. Takashi Kogure secured the pole position during a blasting pace set in the Super Lap session with a time set at 1 minute 55.984 seconds; 1.227 seconds faster than their lap time in the Qualifying session.

Team Weider HSV-010 completed the Race to 46-laps of the 5.542-kilometre Sepang International Circuit with a total time of 1 hour 33 minutes 34.849 seconds, followed by Team S Road MOLA GT-R, drivers Masataka Yamagida and Ronnie Quintarelli, in second, while Keihin HSV-010's Toshihiro Kaneishi and Koudai Tsukakoshi finishing third, just 14.198 seconds and 32.487 seconds behind, respectively.

In the GT-300 category, drivers Nobuteru Taniguchi and Taku Bamba of Team Hatsunemiku Goodsmile BMW, drove their BMW Z4 GT3 to victory, completing the race in 1 hour 34 minutes 10.601 seconds, with a total of 42-laps round the Sepang track. The team practically lead a great race throughout till the final 3-laps of the race.

The BMW was challenged closely by team JIMGAINER Dixcel Dunlop 458 lead by Tetsuya Tanaka and Katsuyaki Hiranaka, during the closing stages of the race with Tetsuya Tanaka closing up on the Z4. Both teams were bumper-to-bumper, with just 1 last lap to the cheqeured flag.

It was a close battle at the end of the race, with the Ferrari 458GTC settling for second placing, 0.776 seconds behind the Z4. Yutaka Yamagishi and Hideki Yamauchi of Team Pacific NAC Ikamusume Ferrari in their Ferrari F430 managed to finish third, 46.432 seconds away from the leader.

The teams are now headed back to Japan for the next race of the 2011 Autobacs Super GT Series which will be held at Sugo Circuit from 30-31 July 2011.