Reigning champion Cassidy won after overtaking both Naoki Yamamoto and long-time chief Ryo Hirakawa in snappy succession, on both instances getting a superior flee by the long, quick final corner sooner than passing along the start/pause straight.
Hirakawa had been leading by as a lot as four seconds when a safety automobile became known as on lap 20 following a shatter for Sergio Sette Camara, which intended Hirakawa, Yamamoto and Cassidy would all pit collectively and flee nostril-to-tail for the restart.
On the halt of the most main lap of green flag running, TOM’S man Cassidy became in a region to secure the better of 2019 title rival Yamamoto, and two laps later he accomplished a identical coast on Hirakawa sooner than going to whisper his third profession victory in Mountainous System.
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Describing his passes on Yamamoto and Hirakawa in further aspect, Cassidy recalled: “I might possibly most likely leer Naoki became making some mistakes on the closing corner. The Honda engine is de facto precise up the hill, on a conventional flee I couldn’t secure shut to him.
“However he made a mistake, and on that lap I became full throttle within the closing corner, which in Mountainous System in that moment with half of a tank [of fuel] is provoking, but I made it work. It became a combination of staying flat, OTS [overtake system], and slipstream.
“It became the same predicament with Ryo. I waited one lap, made him use the OTS, and then the next lap I did the total lot I might possibly most likely. He had some touching [bottoming out], and he went a little bit of enormous, I might possibly most likely halt flat and use OTS, which helped me secure the flee.”
Prick Cassidy, TOM’S
Picture by: Masahide Kamio
Cassidy certified fourth, his supreme grid slot of the yr, and ran in that explain for most of the most main stint as poleman Sette Camara settled into 2d explain within the again of Hirakawa.
The New Zealander acknowledged he became biding his time within the early segment of the flee but felt he had the tempo to secure sooner than his adversaries at some level of the pitstop fragment.
“I felt solid on chilly tyres, so I became rather confident that if I ended around [the same time as] these guys, I will likely be stronger on the out lap,” acknowledged Cassidy.
“Within the most main stint, I became expecting one more to assault. [The pace] wasn’t risky, we had been doing 1m08.1s, 8.2s, Hirakawa became doing 7.8s, then I pushed one lap I did 7.6s, and I knew the tempo became there. At that stage you don’t own any diagram what everybody’s blueprint is, so even as you happen to can’t pass there’s no point out push. I perfect wished to halt there and wait and see.
“It became subtle, tyre warm-up became uninteresting this weekend, but on the 2d explain [of tyres] for no topic cause I felt stronger, so I might possibly most likely assault. I took some likelihood in SP In and SP Out, to secure shut to these guys, and assault within the closing corner and luckily it paid off.”
Prick Cassidy, TOM’S
Picture by: Masahide Kamio
Cassidy now sits 2d within the championship standings, 15 aspects adrift of Hirakawa, who extended his profit with his nearest pre-flee rival Sho Tsuboi failing to rating.
Impul driver Hirakawa admitted that there became miniature he might possibly most likely pause to counter the tempo of his smartly-liked SUPER GT teammate as he struggled with his tyre warm-up.
“Most steadily in SUPER GT, Prick’s tempo on chilly tyres helps me, but this time it harmed me,” acknowledged Hirakawa. “I became a little bit of disillusioned about that, but I had the sensation he became merely faster in phrases of tempo. That acknowledged, within the Motegi and Okayama races, I had a strong time [with race pace], but this time I became quicker.
“Every the team and I showed progress in that situation, so I are seeking to bewitch that away as a obvious. I’m no longer if truth be told inquisitive in regards to the aspects predicament, and Autopolis is my favourite circuit, so I’m if truth be told taking a stumble on forward to it. So as to arrangement shut all over again, I are seeking to place the total lot collectively.”
Extra reporting by Tomohiro Yoshita
