PREMATURE END FOR 'HOME' TEAM TOM'S

Nakajima Falls Victim To Mola Crash

A problem for a GT-R proved to be the unforeseen factor that disrupted 'home' team LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM'S quest for the GT500 podium. Racing in the Malaysian leg of the Super GT series held in Sepang on June 10, the team's race ended prematurely on lap 44 after a trailing car crashed into the PETRONAS SC430 piloted by Kazuki Nakajima.

Starting the race fifth on the grid, the team showed early signs of putting in a strong performance at the 5.543km Sepang Circuit when French driver Loic Duval muscled his way past the Motul Autech GT-R to place fourth within the first ten laps.

"I had a good start for the race. By the end of the stint, I was not expecting to be up in fourth place as I knew the GT-Rs were quicker under braking," Duval described his portion of the race.

Pitting on lap 24, Duval handed the wheel to Kazuki Nakajima who continued to maintain the team's pace within the top-5. However, Nakajima's efforts came to nought on lap 44 when an exploded tyre caused the S Road REITO MOLA GT-R behind him to spin out of control, collecting the No. 36 LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM'S car in the process.

"It was a disappointing result, especially to end it this way. For the first stint, Loic did a good job. When I took over, I was struggling with a lot of under-steer and this really compromised my pace. I was struggling with the tyres and the balance was off, which got worse and worse. I could see in my mirrors that the car behind me had a problem. I tried my best to avoid him but then it was over. I think we can learn from this race for the rest of the season, especially to find a solution for the next race," said a disappointed Nakajima.

"I feel even more disappointed, especially after the great support we received this weekend. On behalf of the team, thank you to everyone who came to support us. We will do our best for the next races," he concluded. 

Further up the GT500 field, team Weider HSV-010 collected the top honours, completing the 53-lap race with a total time of 1:47:52.531. Joining the Honda team on the podium are teams Zent Cerumo SC430, second with a time of 1:47:55.547 and Eneos Sustina SC430, third with a time of 1:48:02.173.

This piece of bad luck had cost LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM'S more than just a coveted podium finish. Unable to collect any points from their Malaysian outing, the team has dropped down the team standings. The team now head to the next round in Sugo on July 28 and 29 armed with 20 points to their name.

Top Five GT500 Results

1. Weider HSV-010, 53 laps, 1:47:52.531; 2. Zent Cerumo SC430, 53 laps, 1:47:55.547; 3. Eneos Sustina SC430, 53 laps, 1:48:02.173; 4. Denso Kobelco SC430, 53 laps, 1:48:13.101; 5. Calsonic Impul GT-R, 53 laps, 1:48:30.019

Top Five GT300 Results

1. Hankook Porsche, 49 laps, 1:47:57.011; 2. Endless Taisan 911, 49 laps, 1:48:21.278; 3. Triple A Vantage GT3, 49 laps, 1:48:23.554; 4. S Road NDDP GT-R, 49 laps, 1:48:23.927; 5. Evangelion RT Test-01 PETRONAS Shiden, 49 laps, 1:48:43.035