Nick Cassidy and co-driver Daisuke Ito have finished second at the latest round of the 2016 Super GT Series in Japan. The Suzuka 1000 saw Cassidy/Ito’s factory backed Lexus RC F work its way through the field after starting 12th, and eventually fighting for the lead.
Victory was claimed by the Lexus RC F of Yuji Tachikawa/Hiroaki Ishiura but not without some controversy. When rain hit on lap 127, Tachikawa starting to claw back the gap to Nick Cassidy in the battle for the GT500 lead as teams started to pit for wet tyres. Two laps later the Keihin Honda NSX of Takashi Kogure beached at the end of Spoon Curve. Tachikawa made his move passing Cassidy, but under yellow flags for Kogure’s spin. Stewards eventually ruled that Tachikawa’s controversial first pass for the lead at Spoon Curve was a valid.
The win gave Yuji Tachikawa his 15th career GT500 class win, while his teammate Hiroaki Ishiura claimed his fourth GT500 win and his first with this team. It was the first win of the season for Lexus in the eight round series which now heads to Thailand for round seven 8-9 October 2016.
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