Super GT: Lexus triumphed in both classes at Autopolis

The sixth round of the 2019 Super GT Series season took place at Autopolis. Lexus triumphed in both classes with Heikki Kovalainen/Yuichi Nakayama taking the overall victory in the #39 Denso Kobelco Lexus LC500 of Lexus Team SARD while Ritomo Miyata/Hiroki Yoshimoto won GT300 class in the #60 Syntium Lexus RC F GT3 of LM Corsa.

For Kovalainen, it’s his fourth GT500 victory while Nakayama climbed to the top podium spot for the first time in the premier class. Ritomo Miyata scored also his maiden GT300 victory while Yoshimoto today celebrated 100th Super GT start and seventh victory.

Bertrand Baguette and Koudai Tsukakoshi, who started the race from pole in the #17 Keihin Real Racing Honda NSX-GT, finished the race in the second place, what is their first podium this year. Ryo Hirakawa and Nick Cassidy, the crew in the #37 KeePer Tom’s Lexus LC500, completed the podium.

Yuichi Nakayama and Heikki Kovalainen

Championship leaders Kenta Yamashita and Kazuya Oshima finished sixth in the #6 Wako’s Lexus LC500, retaining the lead. With two more races on a calendar, they have ten points more (65:55) than Hirakawa/Cassidy.

In the GT300 class, LM Corsa’a crew took the victory in closing laps by overtaking the #720 McLaren 720S GT3 of Team Goh, driven by Alex Palou and Seiji Ara. Takashi Kogure and Yuya Motoyima took the third place in the #88 JLOC Manepa Lamborghini Huracan GT3.

The next Super GT event is set to take place at Sportsland Sugo on September 21-22.