Another battle scared GT World Challenge Asia experience for D'Station Racing at Motegi
Sunday, July 23, 2023
Having started off at Monza, Italy at the start of the month for the latest round of the World Endurance Championship, they then returned home to Japan for the third round of the GTWCAsia Series from Suzuka to then continued to Motegi for this weekend’s fourth round.
This time avoiding the rain, the #47 AMR Vantage GT3 of Satoshi Hoshino and Tomonobu Fujii would finish the early private testing sessions mid table with a best lap time of just under one second to the then pace setting Mercedes AMG GT3.
Going into the weekend’s more formally timed Free Practice sessions however, saw that gap increase to just over two seconds although their ultimate finishing position within their class improved. Next up would be the two Qualifying sessions with Hoshino out for Race 1 and Fujii for Race 2 but there would be no front of the pack relief for the crew this time around as early contact from a Porsche behind would hamper their opening stint in race 1 having started from P23.
Eventually finishing still further down the order than what they are used to, their P11 in GT3 Pro-Am finish was still worthy of a P3 finish in their overall target of the GT3 Japan Cup.
Sunday’s second race went much the same way but with Fujii able to consolidate his starting position of P15 until the pit stop window at halfway despite further contact and a half spin caused by the car behind. Further progress was made during the second half of the race for the #47 crew able to finish P8 in their class – and for an improved P2 finish in the GT3 Japan Cup.
Despite these finishes, the D’Station Racing crew have slipped back slightly within their favoured Japan Cup class as the series takes a few weeks off before its next round at Okayama towards the end of August.
Photo credits – Team / Series
