Fuji, Japan. LKM Racing’s Earl Bamber dominated Round 7 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia today, with a commanding run from pole to chequered flag at Japan’s Fuji International Speedway. Second across the line after the 15-lap race for the second time this weekend was Porsche Holding’s Martin Ragginger, but once again the Austrian was handed a time penalty for another coming together with the luckless Alexandre Imperatori of PICC Team StarChase. That gave Team Jebsen’s Rodolfo Avila second place after the talented Macau driver had brilliantly fought off an unremitting challenge from Ragginger in third until a tangle with a back marker on the final lap saw him forfeit the position and cross the line third.
Third on the result sheet was Team C&D’s Jason Zhang Zhi Qiang, demonstrating how the new China Junior Development Programme is paying rich dividends for its drivers.
The Round 7 Class B victory went to Japan’s Hiroshi Hamaguchi, taking over driving duties at Clearwater Racing from regular driver Mok Weng Sun for the Fuji weekend. Second was Dorr Havelock Racing’s Yuey Tan after a flawless drive, with OpenRoad Racing’s Francis Tjia in third.
Bamber’s fourth victory of the season puts him at the top of the overall championship leaderboard, eight points clear of Ragginger in second, and 15 points clear of Imperatori in third. Nexus Racing’s Alif Hamdan retains his lead in Class B, despite retiring before the start of Round 7 with a broken driveshaft on the formation lap. Francis Tjia of OpenRoad Racing lies second, just two points adrift, with Dorr Havelock Racing’s Yuey Tan in third.
The Japan debut of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia was nothing short of spectacular, with some of the most exciting racing in the series’ 12-season history all played out amidst the dramatic setting of the iconic Fuji International Speedway. To a man, all the drivers were unanimous in their praise of the exception organisation of the Japanese circuit, the fantastically challenging track, and the warm welcome all received.
The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia begins the second half of its 2014 season at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit with Rounds 7 and 8 to be held on August 15-17.
