Dandelion wins again as Ohta takes Sunday glory

Dandelion Racing prolonged its successful streak in Tremendous System as Kakunoshin Ohta led one other one-two end for the Honda-powered workforce at Motegi on Sunday.

Ohta was the foremost beneficiary of a first-lap security automobile interval that prompted nearly all of the sector to pit instantly and clear their obligatory stops, having began second on the grid behind poleman Kenta Yamashita.

Kondo Racing’s Yamashita, who took pole by an enormous margin of over half a second, led a practice of 13 vehicles into the pits, however a slower cease allowed Ohta to get the bounce.

Shortly afterwards Yamashita slowed with a free right-rear tyre, trundling again to the pits together with his hopes of a primary victory since 2019 ruined.

On the head of the sector, Ohta’s Dandelion team-mate Tadasuke Makino led a gaggle of seven drivers who stayed out, which additionally included Ayumu Iwasa’s Workforce Mugen automobile.

With no alternative however to try to go so long as doable on his first set of tyres, Makino made it so far as lap 23 of 37 earlier than coming in for recent rubber, with Iwasa going 5 laps longer.

That put Ohta again into a snug lead, whereas Makino slipped behind first-lap stoppers Sacha Fenestraz, Sena Sakaguchi and Kazuya Oshima earlier than rapidly selecting off all three drivers as soon as his new tyres had been as much as temperature.

Kenta Yamashita, KONDO RACING

Picture by: Masahide Kamio

After clearing Fenestraz for a web second on lap 27, Makino confronted a deficit of 12 seconds to Ohta, however the latter was capable of handle his tempo on older rubber to perfection.

In the long run, 4.6 seconds separated the pair, as Dandelion celebrated its second consecutive one-two end however with its drivers within the reverse order to Saturday’s opener.

Iwasa in the meantime was capable of make use of his sturdy race tempo to seize third, overcutting Fenestraz to place the frustration of his DNF on Saturday behind him.

TOM’S driver Fenestraz held on for fourth place, main residence Sakaguchi’s Inging machine, Oshima’s Rookie Racing automobile and Toshiki Oyu within the second Inging automobile.

KCMG driver Seita Nonaka, deputising for Kamui Kobayashi, was a powerful eighth place after passing Saturday podium finisher Igor Fraga, who may solely handle ninth for Nakajima Racing.

Tomoki Nojiri (Mugen) fended off Zak O’Sullivan (Kondo) for the ultimate level in tenth as his troublesome begin to the season continued, whereas Yamashita completed thirteenth.

Sho Tsuboi (TOM’S) was among the many minority of drivers to not pit on the primary lap, and was operating third till clutch bother pressured him to gradual, in the end leaving the reigning champion a number of laps down on the end.

Ohta’s win places him again within the lead of the drivers’ standings on 61 factors, one level away from Makino, whereas Iwasa strikes again as much as third on 41 factors with eight races remaining.