Super Taikyu: Burton secures first career win, as Tomishita, Inotsume and Ito pick up class wins at Okayama
Hana Burton in her #120 Club Spirit Mazda Roadster achieved a breakthrough ST-5R class win at in the second-to-last round of the Super Taikyu season at Okayama, as Riona Tomishita took her long-awaited first win of the season in her #225 KTMS Toyota Yaris in ST-2. Elsewhere in the field, Anna Inotsume and Rina Ito in their #250 Birth Racing Project Ford Mustang continued the team's domination in ST-USA with the car's fifth win of the season in as many races.
At the penultimate round of the Super Taikyu season at Okayama, Hana Burton scored a memorable first career win in the series in ST-5R, as Riona Tomishita helped KTMS secure an overall and ST-2 win, while Anna Inotsume and Rina Ito continued Birth Racing Project's winning streak in ST-USA. Elsewhere in the field, Nanami Tsukamoto in her #822 AndLegal Racing Honda Fit fought for the ST-5F lead, whilst Mai Hiwatari in her #89 Murakami Motors Mazda Roadster led in the late stages of the race in ST-5R.
For the final time of the year, Super Taikyu hosted a two-race format on Sunday, divided into two groups whose races each lasted three hours. Group 2 took to the track first with ST-Q, ST-2, ST-4, ST-5F and ST-5R machinery, whereas Group 1 ended the on-track action with ST-X, ST-Z, ST-TCR and ST-USA cars taking to the track.
Prior to the first race of the weekend, rain set in, meaning Group 2's race was forced to start behind the safety car. In ST-2, the leading class of the group, the #225 KTMS Toyota Yaris started seventh overall, while the #18 Asano Racing Service of Kazumi Mikami was 20th overall and tenth in ST-4. Just behind them, the #120 Club Spirit Mazda and the #89 Murakami Motors Mazda were fourth and sixth in ST-5R respectively, as the #822 AndLegal Racing Honda Fit started from ST-5F pole in 27th.
After the safety car peeled into the pits on lap three, the #225 KTMS Toyota Yaris, started by Rin Arakawa, wasted no time in moving up the order. In the early stages, the KTMS machine rocketed up to second in the first few laps, before taking the lead at the 15 minute mark. Over in ST-4, the #18 Asano Racing Service Toyota GR86 had moved up to ninth, but its progress was hampered by a brief trip to the garage around the 30 minute mark.
Towards the end of the first hour, the #88 Murakami Motors Mazda Roadster had a trip to the gravel at the hairpin, which left the car beached and forced the Full Course Yellow to be deployed. On the restart, the #822 AndLegal Racing Honda Fit had an off-track excursion of its own while fighting for the lead, taking to the gravel at Turn 1 and deploying the only other Full Course Yellow of the race.
As the track dried up, the #225 KTMS remained unchallenged in the remaining two hours, as Arakawa and Tomishita drove to their first win of the season and move up to third in the ST-2 standings. Over in ST-4, the #18 Asano Racing Service Toyota had a clean and consistent race after its early race trip to the garage, finishing tenth in class.
ST-5R was won by the #120 Club Spirit Racing Mazda spearheaded by Hana Burton, whose maiden series win elevated her to fourth in points, while the #89 Murakami Motors Mazda finished fifth after leading the final stages. After fighting for the lead in the early stages, the #822 AndLegal Racing Honda Fit recovered to finish fifth in ST-5F following its trip through the gravel in the first hour.
It was then turn for Group 1's race, held in dry conditions, from which the #250 Birth Racing Project Ford Mustang started 22nd. In the three-hour race, the car had a straight-forward race, staying out of trouble in the hands of Anna Inotsume, Takahisa Ohno and Rina Ito, who helped Birth Racing Project secure their fifth consecutive win in the newly-created class.
Super Taikyu is set to return to action on 15 November for a four-hour affair at Fuji Speedway, which will feature all series-eligible classes.
