SUPER GT Rd.8
TWIN RING MOTEGI
RACE REPORT
Press release
TEAM JLOC
Car 87 Legal Frontier Lamborghini Kimiya Sato / Yuya Motojima Car 88 Money Partners Lamborghini Kazuki Hiramine / Marco Mapelli
Official Qualifying
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2018 Weather: Cloudy, followed by sunny
Qualifier Results: 1st place for No. 88, 7th place for No.87 Spectators: 21,000
Fully answering our expectations, No. 88 gains the pole position at Motegi —our best track
This was the 8th and final race for this year. The test run even went well, so this promising race weekend got underway. We began the official practice with the track still wet, and we made steady progress on our time.
Both machines cleared the Q1 qualifying. With the high hopes for Q2, Hiramine in No. 88 attacked with everything he had to gain the pole position with a course record! No. 87 also finished in 7th to make it a great qualifying day.
Comments from Seiji Hirai, Engineer for No. 87
We started the official practice in tricky conditions with the track still wet from the rain of the previous day. We gathered data on the wet tires, and then checked the racing tires on a dry surface.
Sato drove for the Q1 qualifying. He broke through at 13th. Motojima then took over for Q2. He completed the Q2 in 7th place with his best time of the season.
Comments from Kimiya Sato, No. 87
The track surface was wet at the start of the session, but the feel wasn’t that bad. It began to dry out from the middle, so I drove with slicks, and the feel of the set up we brought into the race was good even though there were still wet spots on the track. But I finished with good time.
I drove for the qualifying Q1. I was braking in some spots and it was causing difficulties in cornering, so I couldn’t get the time I wanted, but I was glad to get through Q1.
Comments from Yuya Motojima, No. 87
The machine handled well for this race starting from the official practice. Yokohama Tires provided us with tires that performed well in the long run, and they had good grip at top speeds, giving us a further edge in the race.
Sato got us through the qualifying Q1, and I was able to put Sato’s comment to use in Q2. I ran this qualifying like I wanted to and without any mistakes.
Comments from Masafumi Katsumata, Engineer for No. 88
Marco drove the qualifying Q1. He made his attack with used front tires and new rear tires due to the number of sets. He cleared Q1 without difficulty and made a wonderful attack.
Hiramine drove for Q2, and he launched a great attack to take the pole position with a course record. The two of them did really well.
Comments from Kazuki Hiramine, No. 88
Marco broke through Q1 without incident despite the rough conditions he faced. This was the first time this season I have driven for Q2, and I attacked with everything I had. I ended up taking the pole position and finished with a course record.
This was an amazingly fun race. I am thankful to everyone.
Comments from Marco Mapelli, No. 88
Qualify was very good, I made my lap with used tires and I was very happy with balance and result. Kazuki made an impressive lap with new circuit record.
We’ve been quick all over the wend, after all the job we’ve made during test days.
Final Race
Date: Sunday, November 11, 2018 Weather: Sunny
Final Results: 4th place for No. 87, 27th place for No. 88 Spectators: 37,000
No. 87 ran a persistent race to finish 4th
The weather for the final race day was warm and favorable—rare even for recent seasons. It’s important that the setup for the final race matches the conditions.
The final race started in the afternoon. No. 88 left everyone in the dust and built a margin of around 17 seconds. No. 87 fell back to 18th due to an accident at the start, but pushed to catch up.
No. 88 suffered a puncture due to debris on the track, and the changed tire also went flat, disqualifying the team and making for a disappointing race. After that, No. 87 gained in position enough to vie for the winner’s podium. Despite facing difficult conditions after deciding to not change the tires, Sato carried on to the finish line in 4th place, earning points.
Comments from Seiji Hirai, Engineer for No. 87
We checked for balance with a full tank for the warm-up run, and made some fine adjustments for the final. Motojima drove at the start of the final race. He made contact with another car during the first lap and fell back to 18th, but after a series of quick time laps, he came back to 2nd and brought the machine into the pit in the 29th lap.
Sato drove for the second half. He chose not to change his tires and came out of the pit in 4th place. He was able to hold back machines coming back up from behind that had changed all of their tires, and finished in 4th as he vied for 3rd place only 6 seconds from the front. We used a different strategy from the other teams with the Yokohamas, but the tires continued to function well all the way to the end. I think this is the result of the efforts of everyone, including the drivers and the mechanics, to not give up and fight all the way to the end.
Comments from Kimiya Sato, No. 87
We lost our position when Motojima made contact with another car early on, but after he caught up, he turned the machine over to me. My strategy to not change my tires put us in a good position, and when I left the pit, we had made it to a position to vie for the winner’s podium.
We continued on the race in 4th, but it was a fierce battle with the tires as the car was surrounded in the front and back. I was just barely able to protect my position. We had a really good second half of the season with this revival. I want to thank the team and all of our fans.
Comments from Yuya Motojima, No. 87
I was the starting driver. In the opening lap, the machines behind me had a good pace, but the machines in front looked like they were having trouble, so I tried to get out of that place on a hairpin turn. That’s when I made contact with another machine and fell behind greatly. But the tires and machine balance were wonderful, and I was able to catch up quickly. The team’s strategy fit well with the conditions, and by the time I took the machine out of the pit, we were in a position to vie for the winner’s podium. I am so grateful that Sato was able to finish 4th despite the difficult conditions he faced in the second half. We finished this season at Motegi, but with the uptrend of the second half, I am ready to run the next race.
Comments from Masafumi Katsumata, Engineer for No. 88
Marco was the starting driver, and he had an excellent start. He maintained a good pace and broke away from behind to break over 17 seconds at one point. Just when he was considering about bringing the machine into the pit, he ran over some debris which burst his tire and he made an emergency pit stop. We switched drivers and changed tires to get back on the course, and we had fallen to 2nd position, but we were certain we could overtake the car in front because they had not changed their tires. But our tire burst again and the machine was forced into the pit a second time disqualifying the team. We have made good speed this year, but it’s turned into a frustrating season with little to show in terms of results. The machines, tires and drivers were all perfect, but we just couldn’t make it.
Comments from Kazuki Hiramine, No. 88
Marco started driving. Of course he drove a good pace. He had a great run and didn’t let anyone pass. Just when he had gained a margin of over 10 seconds, he ran into a problem. He punctured his tire on debris and took an emergency pit stop. I took over for the second half and the machine entered the track again. Surprisingly, the second tire burst on the out-lap. All of our efforts were for nothing.
We were disqualified, and we don’t even know what place we finished. It was a disappointing result, but we gave it our all this year.
I am grateful to everyone who stuck with us in this fight. Thank you for all of your support this season!
Comments from Marco Mapelli, No. 88
Race was going great. 17” lead gap after 21 laps was incredible, then we had a puncture due to debrief which turned our wend into a nightmare. I still can’t believe we lost the race, I’ve also made the race lap record, to show that we were they strongest car this time.
I just would like to thanks my team and all the people of JLOC which helped me all the time. Yokohama for the great support, and all the team sponsors, Money Partners.
Comments from Isao Noritake, Team principal
We had a great set up on our machines for the final race at Motegi! In the advance test run the machines felt great, and we knew we would take the winner’s podium! We were confident that the drivers, mechanics and the whole team could reach our goal.
No. 88 came in first, and No. 87 came in 7th in the qualifying. Hiramine set a course record, and with Marco, they took the pole position this season.
Taking Andrea Caldarelli’s pole position in Thailand into consideration, No. 88’s speed has been the best throughout the season!
Sato in No. 87 cleared Q1 without incident! In Q2, Motojima came in 7th. This was due to their choice of harder tires to go with their final race strategy of not changing out tires. If they had used soft tires, they would have had a time that rivaled No. 88.
No. 88 came in 27th, and No. 87 came in 4th in the final race.
The results of this race were quite a bit different to what the team had intended. But, the starting run for No. 88 with Marco showed incredible speed and made the best lap time in the race. With 15 seconds ahead of the 2nd car, it was probably the fastest time since 2006 with Marco Apicella and Koji Yamanishi in their Murciélago! And to have bad luck after that! A burst tire! I could not believe it!
But, if they had maintained this gap, we would have won! We changed the tire and switched to Hiramine. On the second lap we had another burst tire! This ended our race! The drivers finished the race with consideration for other teams and his machine.
Motojima had a good start in No. 87, but he made contact with another machine in the first lap. He lost a lot of position with that. Right down to 18th! However, he tenaciously fought back up to 3rd!
Despite our strategy of not changing their tires, Sato was able to resolutely hold his position. It was a very disappointing result, and I don’t want to think about ‘what ifs’, but had both cars ran the course regularly, the data says they could have been 1st and 2nd!
I want to say thanks to all of the staff for getting the cars to run with great performance! I also want to thank the all 4 of the drivers for their great runs, despite the trouble they faced!
The season is now done and both cars finished in the top 10!
Thank you to Money Partners, who called in a TV crew for the final race, as well as to the President, Mr. Watanabe, and many employees!
Thank you to Legal Frontier and our many sponsors who came to support us! And thanks to Lamborghini and Yokohama Tires!
TEAM JLOC
Car 87 Legal Frontier Lamborghini Kimiya Sato / Yuya Motojima Car 88 Money Partners Lamborghini Kazuki Hiramine / Marco Mapelli
Official Qualifying
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2018 Weather: Cloudy, followed by sunny
Qualifier Results: 1st place for No. 88, 7th place for No.87 Spectators: 21,000
Fully answering our expectations, No. 88 gains the pole position at Motegi —our best track
This was the 8th and final race for this year. The test run even went well, so this promising race weekend got underway. We began the official practice with the track still wet, and we made steady progress on our time.
Both machines cleared the Q1 qualifying. With the high hopes for Q2, Hiramine in No. 88 attacked with everything he had to gain the pole position with a course record! No. 87 also finished in 7th to make it a great qualifying day.
Comments from Seiji Hirai, Engineer for No. 87
We started the official practice in tricky conditions with the track still wet from the rain of the previous day. We gathered data on the wet tires, and then checked the racing tires on a dry surface.
Sato drove for the Q1 qualifying. He broke through at 13th. Motojima then took over for Q2. He completed the Q2 in 7th place with his best time of the season.
Comments from Kimiya Sato, No. 87
The track surface was wet at the start of the session, but the feel wasn’t that bad. It began to dry out from the middle, so I drove with slicks, and the feel of the set up we brought into the race was good even though there were still wet spots on the track. But I finished with good time.
I drove for the qualifying Q1. I was braking in some spots and it was causing difficulties in cornering, so I couldn’t get the time I wanted, but I was glad to get through Q1.
Comments from Yuya Motojima, No. 87
The machine handled well for this race starting from the official practice. Yokohama Tires provided us with tires that performed well in the long run, and they had good grip at top speeds, giving us a further edge in the race.
Sato got us through the qualifying Q1, and I was able to put Sato’s comment to use in Q2. I ran this qualifying like I wanted to and without any mistakes.
Comments from Masafumi Katsumata, Engineer for No. 88
Marco drove the qualifying Q1. He made his attack with used front tires and new rear tires due to the number of sets. He cleared Q1 without difficulty and made a wonderful attack.
Hiramine drove for Q2, and he launched a great attack to take the pole position with a course record. The two of them did really well.
Comments from Kazuki Hiramine, No. 88
Marco broke through Q1 without incident despite the rough conditions he faced. This was the first time this season I have driven for Q2, and I attacked with everything I had. I ended up taking the pole position and finished with a course record.
This was an amazingly fun race. I am thankful to everyone.
Comments from Marco Mapelli, No. 88
Qualify was very good, I made my lap with used tires and I was very happy with balance and result. Kazuki made an impressive lap with new circuit record.
We’ve been quick all over the wend, after all the job we’ve made during test days.
Final Race
Date: Sunday, November 11, 2018 Weather: Sunny
Final Results: 4th place for No. 87, 27th place for No. 88 Spectators: 37,000
No. 87 ran a persistent race to finish 4th
The weather for the final race day was warm and favorable—rare even for recent seasons. It’s important that the setup for the final race matches the conditions.
The final race started in the afternoon. No. 88 left everyone in the dust and built a margin of around 17 seconds. No. 87 fell back to 18th due to an accident at the start, but pushed to catch up.
No. 88 suffered a puncture due to debris on the track, and the changed tire also went flat, disqualifying the team and making for a disappointing race. After that, No. 87 gained in position enough to vie for the winner’s podium. Despite facing difficult conditions after deciding to not change the tires, Sato carried on to the finish line in 4th place, earning points.
Comments from Seiji Hirai, Engineer for No. 87
We checked for balance with a full tank for the warm-up run, and made some fine adjustments for the final. Motojima drove at the start of the final race. He made contact with another car during the first lap and fell back to 18th, but after a series of quick time laps, he came back to 2nd and brought the machine into the pit in the 29th lap.
Sato drove for the second half. He chose not to change his tires and came out of the pit in 4th place. He was able to hold back machines coming back up from behind that had changed all of their tires, and finished in 4th as he vied for 3rd place only 6 seconds from the front. We used a different strategy from the other teams with the Yokohamas, but the tires continued to function well all the way to the end. I think this is the result of the efforts of everyone, including the drivers and the mechanics, to not give up and fight all the way to the end.
Comments from Kimiya Sato, No. 87
We lost our position when Motojima made contact with another car early on, but after he caught up, he turned the machine over to me. My strategy to not change my tires put us in a good position, and when I left the pit, we had made it to a position to vie for the winner’s podium.
We continued on the race in 4th, but it was a fierce battle with the tires as the car was surrounded in the front and back. I was just barely able to protect my position. We had a really good second half of the season with this revival. I want to thank the team and all of our fans.
Comments from Yuya Motojima, No. 87
I was the starting driver. In the opening lap, the machines behind me had a good pace, but the machines in front looked like they were having trouble, so I tried to get out of that place on a hairpin turn. That’s when I made contact with another machine and fell behind greatly. But the tires and machine balance were wonderful, and I was able to catch up quickly. The team’s strategy fit well with the conditions, and by the time I took the machine out of the pit, we were in a position to vie for the winner’s podium. I am so grateful that Sato was able to finish 4th despite the difficult conditions he faced in the second half. We finished this season at Motegi, but with the uptrend of the second half, I am ready to run the next race.
Comments from Masafumi Katsumata, Engineer for No. 88
Marco was the starting driver, and he had an excellent start. He maintained a good pace and broke away from behind to break over 17 seconds at one point. Just when he was considering about bringing the machine into the pit, he ran over some debris which burst his tire and he made an emergency pit stop. We switched drivers and changed tires to get back on the course, and we had fallen to 2nd position, but we were certain we could overtake the car in front because they had not changed their tires. But our tire burst again and the machine was forced into the pit a second time disqualifying the team. We have made good speed this year, but it’s turned into a frustrating season with little to show in terms of results. The machines, tires and drivers were all perfect, but we just couldn’t make it.
Comments from Kazuki Hiramine, No. 88
Marco started driving. Of course he drove a good pace. He had a great run and didn’t let anyone pass. Just when he had gained a margin of over 10 seconds, he ran into a problem. He punctured his tire on debris and took an emergency pit stop. I took over for the second half and the machine entered the track again. Surprisingly, the second tire burst on the out-lap. All of our efforts were for nothing.
We were disqualified, and we don’t even know what place we finished. It was a disappointing result, but we gave it our all this year.
I am grateful to everyone who stuck with us in this fight. Thank you for all of your support this season!
Comments from Marco Mapelli, No. 88
Race was going great. 17” lead gap after 21 laps was incredible, then we had a puncture due to debrief which turned our wend into a nightmare. I still can’t believe we lost the race, I’ve also made the race lap record, to show that we were they strongest car this time.
I just would like to thanks my team and all the people of JLOC which helped me all the time. Yokohama for the great support, and all the team sponsors, Money Partners.
Comments from Isao Noritake, Team principal
We had a great set up on our machines for the final race at Motegi! In the advance test run the machines felt great, and we knew we would take the winner’s podium! We were confident that the drivers, mechanics and the whole team could reach our goal.
No. 88 came in first, and No. 87 came in 7th in the qualifying. Hiramine set a course record, and with Marco, they took the pole position this season.
Taking Andrea Caldarelli’s pole position in Thailand into consideration, No. 88’s speed has been the best throughout the season!
Sato in No. 87 cleared Q1 without incident! In Q2, Motojima came in 7th. This was due to their choice of harder tires to go with their final race strategy of not changing out tires. If they had used soft tires, they would have had a time that rivaled No. 88.
No. 88 came in 27th, and No. 87 came in 4th in the final race.
The results of this race were quite a bit different to what the team had intended. But, the starting run for No. 88 with Marco showed incredible speed and made the best lap time in the race. With 15 seconds ahead of the 2nd car, it was probably the fastest time since 2006 with Marco Apicella and Koji Yamanishi in their Murciélago! And to have bad luck after that! A burst tire! I could not believe it!
But, if they had maintained this gap, we would have won! We changed the tire and switched to Hiramine. On the second lap we had another burst tire! This ended our race! The drivers finished the race with consideration for other teams and his machine.
Motojima had a good start in No. 87, but he made contact with another machine in the first lap. He lost a lot of position with that. Right down to 18th! However, he tenaciously fought back up to 3rd!
Despite our strategy of not changing their tires, Sato was able to resolutely hold his position. It was a very disappointing result, and I don’t want to think about ‘what ifs’, but had both cars ran the course regularly, the data says they could have been 1st and 2nd!
I want to say thanks to all of the staff for getting the cars to run with great performance! I also want to thank the all 4 of the drivers for their great runs, despite the trouble they faced!
The season is now done and both cars finished in the top 10!
Thank you to Money Partners, who called in a TV crew for the final race, as well as to the President, Mr. Watanabe, and many employees!
Thank you to Legal Frontier and our many sponsors who came to support us! And thanks to Lamborghini and Yokohama Tires!
TEAM JLOC
Car 87 Legal Frontier Lamborghini Kimiya Sato / Yuya Motojima Car 88 Money Partners Lamborghini Kazuki Hiramine / Marco Mapelli
Official Qualifying
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2018 Weather: Cloudy, followed by sunny
Qualifier Results: 1st place for No. 88, 7th place for No.87 Spectators: 21,000
Fully answering our expectations, No. 88 gains the pole position at Motegi —our best track
This was the 8th and final race for this year. The test run even went well, so this promising race weekend got underway. We began the official practice with the track still wet, and we made steady progress on our time.
Both machines cleared the Q1 qualifying. With the high hopes for Q2, Hiramine in No. 88 attacked with everything he had to gain the pole position with a course record! No. 87 also finished in 7th to make it a great qualifying day.
Comments from Seiji Hirai, Engineer for No. 87
We started the official practice in tricky conditions with the track still wet from the rain of the previous day. We gathered data on the wet tires, and then checked the racing tires on a dry surface.
Sato drove for the Q1 qualifying. He broke through at 13th. Motojima then took over for Q2. He completed the Q2 in 7th place with his best time of the season.
Comments from Kimiya Sato, No. 87
The track surface was wet at the start of the session, but the feel wasn’t that bad. It began to dry out from the middle, so I drove with slicks, and the feel of the set up we brought into the race was good even though there were still wet spots on the track. But I finished with good time.
I drove for the qualifying Q1. I was braking in some spots and it was causing difficulties in cornering, so I couldn’t get the time I wanted, but I was glad to get through Q1.
Comments from Yuya Motojima, No. 87
The machine handled well for this race starting from the official practice. Yokohama Tires provided us with tires that performed well in the long run, and they had good grip at top speeds, giving us a further edge in the race.
Sato got us through the qualifying Q1, and I was able to put Sato’s comment to use in Q2. I ran this qualifying like I wanted to and without any mistakes.
Comments from Masafumi Katsumata, Engineer for No. 88
Marco drove the qualifying Q1. He made his attack with used front tires and new rear tires due to the number of sets. He cleared Q1 without difficulty and made a wonderful attack.
Hiramine drove for Q2, and he launched a great attack to take the pole position with a course record. The two of them did really well.
Comments from Kazuki Hiramine, No. 88
Marco broke through Q1 without incident despite the rough conditions he faced. This was the first time this season I have driven for Q2, and I attacked with everything I had. I ended up taking the pole position and finished with a course record.
This was an amazingly fun race. I am thankful to everyone.
Comments from Marco Mapelli, No. 88
Qualify was very good, I made my lap with used tires and I was very happy with balance and result. Kazuki made an impressive lap with new circuit record.
We’ve been quick all over the wend, after all the job we’ve made during test days.
Final Race
Date: Sunday, November 11, 2018 Weather: Sunny
Final Results: 4th place for No. 87, 27th place for No. 88 Spectators: 37,000
No. 87 ran a persistent race to finish 4th
The weather for the final race day was warm and favorable—rare even for recent seasons. It’s important that the setup for the final race matches the conditions.
The final race started in the afternoon. No. 88 left everyone in the dust and built a margin of around 17 seconds. No. 87 fell back to 18th due to an accident at the start, but pushed to catch up.
No. 88 suffered a puncture due to debris on the track, and the changed tire also went flat, disqualifying the team and making for a disappointing race. After that, No. 87 gained in position enough to vie for the winner’s podium. Despite facing difficult conditions after deciding to not change the tires, Sato carried on to the finish line in 4th place, earning points.
Comments from Seiji Hirai, Engineer for No. 87
We checked for balance with a full tank for the warm-up run, and made some fine adjustments for the final. Motojima drove at the start of the final race. He made contact with another car during the first lap and fell back to 18th, but after a series of quick time laps, he came back to 2nd and brought the machine into the pit in the 29th lap.
Sato drove for the second half. He chose not to change his tires and came out of the pit in 4th place. He was able to hold back machines coming back up from behind that had changed all of their tires, and finished in 4th as he vied for 3rd place only 6 seconds from the front. We used a different strategy from the other teams with the Yokohamas, but the tires continued to function well all the way to the end. I think this is the result of the efforts of everyone, including the drivers and the mechanics, to not give up and fight all the way to the end.
Comments from Kimiya Sato, No. 87
We lost our position when Motojima made contact with another car early on, but after he caught up, he turned the machine over to me. My strategy to not change my tires put us in a good position, and when I left the pit, we had made it to a position to vie for the winner’s podium.
We continued on the race in 4th, but it was a fierce battle with the tires as the car was surrounded in the front and back. I was just barely able to protect my position. We had a really good second half of the season with this revival. I want to thank the team and all of our fans.
Comments from Yuya Motojima, No. 87
I was the starting driver. In the opening lap, the machines behind me had a good pace, but the machines in front looked like they were having trouble, so I tried to get out of that place on a hairpin turn. That’s when I made contact with another machine and fell behind greatly. But the tires and machine balance were wonderful, and I was able to catch up quickly. The team’s strategy fit well with the conditions, and by the time I took the machine out of the pit, we were in a position to vie for the winner’s podium. I am so grateful that Sato was able to finish 4th despite the difficult conditions he faced in the second half. We finished this season at Motegi, but with the uptrend of the second half, I am ready to run the next race.
Comments from Masafumi Katsumata, Engineer for No. 88
Marco was the starting driver, and he had an excellent start. He maintained a good pace and broke away from behind to break over 17 seconds at one point. Just when he was considering about bringing the machine into the pit, he ran over some debris which burst his tire and he made an emergency pit stop. We switched drivers and changed tires to get back on the course, and we had fallen to 2nd position, but we were certain we could overtake the car in front because they had not changed their tires. But our tire burst again and the machine was forced into the pit a second time disqualifying the team. We have made good speed this year, but it’s turned into a frustrating season with little to show in terms of results. The machines, tires and drivers were all perfect, but we just couldn’t make it.
Comments from Kazuki Hiramine, No. 88
Marco started driving. Of course he drove a good pace. He had a great run and didn’t let anyone pass. Just when he had gained a margin of over 10 seconds, he ran into a problem. He punctured his tire on debris and took an emergency pit stop. I took over for the second half and the machine entered the track again. Surprisingly, the second tire burst on the out-lap. All of our efforts were for nothing.
We were disqualified, and we don’t even know what place we finished. It was a disappointing result, but we gave it our all this year.
I am grateful to everyone who stuck with us in this fight. Thank you for all of your support this season!
Comments from Marco Mapelli, No. 88
Race was going great. 17” lead gap after 21 laps was incredible, then we had a puncture due to debrief which turned our wend into a nightmare. I still can’t believe we lost the race, I’ve also made the race lap record, to show that we were they strongest car this time.
I just would like to thanks my team and all the people of JLOC which helped me all the time. Yokohama for the great support, and all the team sponsors, Money Partners.
Comments from Isao Noritake, Team principal
We had a great set up on our machines for the final race at Motegi! In the advance test run the machines felt great, and we knew we would take the winner’s podium! We were confident that the drivers, mechanics and the whole team could reach our goal.
No. 88 came in first, and No. 87 came in 7th in the qualifying. Hiramine set a course record, and with Marco, they took the pole position this season.
Taking Andrea Caldarelli’s pole position in Thailand into consideration, No. 88’s speed has been the best throughout the season!
Sato in No. 87 cleared Q1 without incident! In Q2, Motojima came in 7th. This was due to their choice of harder tires to go with their final race strategy of not changing out tires. If they had used soft tires, they would have had a time that rivaled No. 88.
No. 88 came in 27th, and No. 87 came in 4th in the final race.
The results of this race were quite a bit different to what the team had intended. But, the starting run for No. 88 with Marco showed incredible speed and made the best lap time in the race. With 15 seconds ahead of the 2nd car, it was probably the fastest time since 2006 with Marco Apicella and Koji Yamanishi in their Murciélago! And to have bad luck after that! A burst tire! I could not believe it!
But, if they had maintained this gap, we would have won! We changed the tire and switched to Hiramine. On the second lap we had another burst tire! This ended our race! The drivers finished the race with consideration for other teams and his machine.
Motojima had a good start in No. 87, but he made contact with another machine in the first lap. He lost a lot of position with that. Right down to 18th! However, he tenaciously fought back up to 3rd!
Despite our strategy of not changing their tires, Sato was able to resolutely hold his position. It was a very disappointing result, and I don’t want to think about ‘what ifs’, but had both cars ran the course regularly, the data says they could have been 1st and 2nd!
I want to say thanks to all of the staff for getting the cars to run with great performance! I also want to thank the all 4 of the drivers for their great runs, despite the trouble they faced!
The season is now done and both cars finished in the top 10!
Thank you to Money Partners, who called in a TV crew for the final race, as well as to the President, Mr. Watanabe, and many employees!
Thank you to Legal Frontier and our many sponsors who came to support us! And thanks to Lamborghini and Yokohama Tires!
TEAM JLOC
Car 87 Legal Frontier Lamborghini Kimiya Sato / Yuya Motojima Car 88 Money Partners Lamborghini Kazuki Hiramine / Marco Mapelli
Official Qualifying
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2018 Weather: Cloudy, followed by sunny
Qualifier Results: 1st place for No. 88, 7th place for No.87 Spectators: 21,000
Fully answering our expectations, No. 88 gains the pole position at Motegi —our best track
This was the 8th and final race for this year. The test run even went well, so this promising race weekend got underway. We began the official practice with the track still wet, and we made steady progress on our time.
Both machines cleared the Q1 qualifying. With the high hopes for Q2, Hiramine in No. 88 attacked with everything he had to gain the pole position with a course record! No. 87 also finished in 7th to make it a great qualifying day.
Comments from Seiji Hirai, Engineer for No. 87
We started the official practice in tricky conditions with the track still wet from the rain of the previous day. We gathered data on the wet tires, and then checked the racing tires on a dry surface.
Sato drove for the Q1 qualifying. He broke through at 13th. Motojima then took over for Q2. He completed the Q2 in 7th place with his best time of the season.
Comments from Kimiya Sato, No. 87
The track surface was wet at the start of the session, but the feel wasn’t that bad. It began to dry out from the middle, so I drove with slicks, and the feel of the set up we brought into the race was good even though there were still wet spots on the track. But I finished with good time.
I drove for the qualifying Q1. I was braking in some spots and it was causing difficulties in cornering, so I couldn’t get the time I wanted, but I was glad to get through Q1.
Comments from Yuya Motojima, No. 87
The machine handled well for this race starting from the official practice. Yokohama Tires provided us with tires that performed well in the long run, and they had good grip at top speeds, giving us a further edge in the race.
Sato got us through the qualifying Q1, and I was able to put Sato’s comment to use in Q2. I ran this qualifying like I wanted to and without any mistakes.
Comments from Masafumi Katsumata, Engineer for No. 88
Marco drove the qualifying Q1. He made his attack with used front tires and new rear tires due to the number of sets. He cleared Q1 without difficulty and made a wonderful attack.
Hiramine drove for Q2, and he launched a great attack to take the pole position with a course record. The two of them did really well.
Comments from Kazuki Hiramine, No. 88
Marco broke through Q1 without incident despite the rough conditions he faced. This was the first time this season I have driven for Q2, and I attacked with everything I had. I ended up taking the pole position and finished with a course record.
This was an amazingly fun race. I am thankful to everyone.
Comments from Marco Mapelli, No. 88
Qualify was very good, I made my lap with used tires and I was very happy with balance and result. Kazuki made an impressive lap with new circuit record.
We’ve been quick all over the wend, after all the job we’ve made during test days.
Final Race
Date: Sunday, November 11, 2018 Weather: Sunny
Final Results: 4th place for No. 87, 27th place for No. 88 Spectators: 37,000
No. 87 ran a persistent race to finish 4th
The weather for the final race day was warm and favorable—rare even for recent seasons. It’s important that the setup for the final race matches the conditions.
The final race started in the afternoon. No. 88 left everyone in the dust and built a margin of around 17 seconds. No. 87 fell back to 18th due to an accident at the start, but pushed to catch up.
No. 88 suffered a puncture due to debris on the track, and the changed tire also went flat, disqualifying the team and making for a disappointing race. After that, No. 87 gained in position enough to vie for the winner’s podium. Despite facing difficult conditions after deciding to not change the tires, Sato carried on to the finish line in 4th place, earning points.
Comments from Seiji Hirai, Engineer for No. 87
We checked for balance with a full tank for the warm-up run, and made some fine adjustments for the final. Motojima drove at the start of the final race. He made contact with another car during the first lap and fell back to 18th, but after a series of quick time laps, he came back to 2nd and brought the machine into the pit in the 29th lap.
Sato drove for the second half. He chose not to change his tires and came out of the pit in 4th place. He was able to hold back machines coming back up from behind that had changed all of their tires, and finished in 4th as he vied for 3rd place only 6 seconds from the front. We used a different strategy from the other teams with the Yokohamas, but the tires continued to function well all the way to the end. I think this is the result of the efforts of everyone, including the drivers and the mechanics, to not give up and fight all the way to the end.
Comments from Kimiya Sato, No. 87
We lost our position when Motojima made contact with another car early on, but after he caught up, he turned the machine over to me. My strategy to not change my tires put us in a good position, and when I left the pit, we had made it to a position to vie for the winner’s podium.
We continued on the race in 4th, but it was a fierce battle with the tires as the car was surrounded in the front and back. I was just barely able to protect my position. We had a really good second half of the season with this revival. I want to thank the team and all of our fans.
Comments from Yuya Motojima, No. 87
I was the starting driver. In the opening lap, the machines behind me had a good pace, but the machines in front looked like they were having trouble, so I tried to get out of that place on a hairpin turn. That’s when I made contact with another machine and fell behind greatly. But the tires and machine balance were wonderful, and I was able to catch up quickly. The team’s strategy fit well with the conditions, and by the time I took the machine out of the pit, we were in a position to vie for the winner’s podium. I am so grateful that Sato was able to finish 4th despite the difficult conditions he faced in the second half. We finished this season at Motegi, but with the uptrend of the second half, I am ready to run the next race.
Comments from Masafumi Katsumata, Engineer for No. 88
Marco was the starting driver, and he had an excellent start. He maintained a good pace and broke away from behind to break over 17 seconds at one point. Just when he was considering about bringing the machine into the pit, he ran over some debris which burst his tire and he made an emergency pit stop. We switched drivers and changed tires to get back on the course, and we had fallen to 2nd position, but we were certain we could overtake the car in front because they had not changed their tires. But our tire burst again and the machine was forced into the pit a second time disqualifying the team. We have made good speed this year, but it’s turned into a frustrating season with little to show in terms of results. The machines, tires and drivers were all perfect, but we just couldn’t make it.
Comments from Kazuki Hiramine, No. 88
Marco started driving. Of course he drove a good pace. He had a great run and didn’t let anyone pass. Just when he had gained a margin of over 10 seconds, he ran into a problem. He punctured his tire on debris and took an emergency pit stop. I took over for the second half and the machine entered the track again. Surprisingly, the second tire burst on the out-lap. All of our efforts were for nothing.
We were disqualified, and we don’t even know what place we finished. It was a disappointing result, but we gave it our all this year.
I am grateful to everyone who stuck with us in this fight. Thank you for all of your support this season!
Comments from Marco Mapelli, No. 88
Race was going great. 17” lead gap after 21 laps was incredible, then we had a puncture due to debrief which turned our wend into a nightmare. I still can’t believe we lost the race, I’ve also made the race lap record, to show that we were they strongest car this time.
I just would like to thanks my team and all the people of JLOC which helped me all the time. Yokohama for the great support, and all the team sponsors, Money Partners.
Comments from Isao Noritake, Team principal
We had a great set up on our machines for the final race at Motegi! In the advance test run the machines felt great, and we knew we would take the winner’s podium! We were confident that the drivers, mechanics and the whole team could reach our goal.
No. 88 came in first, and No. 87 came in 7th in the qualifying. Hiramine set a course record, and with Marco, they took the pole position this season.
Taking Andrea Caldarelli’s pole position in Thailand into consideration, No. 88’s speed has been the best throughout the season!
Sato in No. 87 cleared Q1 without incident! In Q2, Motojima came in 7th. This was due to their choice of harder tires to go with their final race strategy of not changing out tires. If they had used soft tires, they would have had a time that rivaled No. 88.
No. 88 came in 27th, and No. 87 came in 4th in the final race.
The results of this race were quite a bit different to what the team had intended. But, the starting run for No. 88 with Marco showed incredible speed and made the best lap time in the race. With 15 seconds ahead of the 2nd car, it was probably the fastest time since 2006 with Marco Apicella and Koji Yamanishi in their Murciélago! And to have bad luck after that! A burst tire! I could not believe it!
But, if they had maintained this gap, we would have won! We changed the tire and switched to Hiramine. On the second lap we had another burst tire! This ended our race! The drivers finished the race with consideration for other teams and his machine.
Motojima had a good start in No. 87, but he made contact with another machine in the first lap. He lost a lot of position with that. Right down to 18th! However, he tenaciously fought back up to 3rd!
Despite our strategy of not changing their tires, Sato was able to resolutely hold his position. It was a very disappointing result, and I don’t want to think about ‘what ifs’, but had both cars ran the course regularly, the data says they could have been 1st and 2nd!
I want to say thanks to all of the staff for getting the cars to run with great performance! I also want to thank the all 4 of the drivers for their great runs, despite the trouble they faced!
The season is now done and both cars finished in the top 10!
Thank you to Money Partners, who called in a TV crew for the final race, as well as to the President, Mr. Watanabe, and many employees!
Thank you to Legal Frontier and our many sponsors who came to support us! And thanks to Lamborghini and Yokohama Tires!
TEAM JLOC
Car 87 Legal Frontier Lamborghini Kimiya Sato / Yuya Motojima Car 88 Money Partners Lamborghini Kazuki Hiramine / Marco Mapelli
Official Qualifying
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2018 Weather: Cloudy, followed by sunny
Qualifier Results: 1st place for No. 88, 7th place for No.87 Spectators: 21,000
Fully answering our expectations, No. 88 gains the pole position at Motegi —our best track
This was the 8th and final race for this year. The test run even went well, so this promising race weekend got underway. We began the official practice with the track still wet, and we made steady progress on our time.
Both machines cleared the Q1 qualifying. With the high hopes for Q2, Hiramine in No. 88 attacked with everything he had to gain the pole position with a course record! No. 87 also finished in 7th to make it a great qualifying day.
Comments from Seiji Hirai, Engineer for No. 87
We started the official practice in tricky conditions with the track still wet from the rain of the previous day. We gathered data on the wet tires, and then checked the racing tires on a dry surface.
Sato drove for the Q1 qualifying. He broke through at 13th. Motojima then took over for Q2. He completed the Q2 in 7th place with his best time of the season.
Comments from Kimiya Sato, No. 87
The track surface was wet at the start of the session, but the feel wasn’t that bad. It began to dry out from the middle, so I drove with slicks, and the feel of the set up we brought into the race was good even though there were still wet spots on the track. But I finished with good time.
I drove for the qualifying Q1. I was braking in some spots and it was causing difficulties in cornering, so I couldn’t get the time I wanted, but I was glad to get through Q1.
Comments from Yuya Motojima, No. 87
The machine handled well for this race starting from the official practice. Yokohama Tires provided us with tires that performed well in the long run, and they had good grip at top speeds, giving us a further edge in the race.
Sato got us through the qualifying Q1, and I was able to put Sato’s comment to use in Q2. I ran this qualifying like I wanted to and without any mistakes.
Comments from Masafumi Katsumata, Engineer for No. 88
Marco drove the qualifying Q1. He made his attack with used front tires and new rear tires due to the number of sets. He cleared Q1 without difficulty and made a wonderful attack.
Hiramine drove for Q2, and he launched a great attack to take the pole position with a course record. The two of them did really well.
Comments from Kazuki Hiramine, No. 88
Marco broke through Q1 without incident despite the rough conditions he faced. This was the first time this season I have driven for Q2, and I attacked with everything I had. I ended up taking the pole position and finished with a course record.
This was an amazingly fun race. I am thankful to everyone.
Comments from Marco Mapelli, No. 88
Qualify was very good, I made my lap with used tires and I was very happy with balance and result. Kazuki made an impressive lap with new circuit record.
We’ve been quick all over the wend, after all the job we’ve made during test days.
Final Race
Date: Sunday, November 11, 2018 Weather: Sunny
Final Results: 4th place for No. 87, 27th place for No. 88 Spectators: 37,000
No. 87 ran a persistent race to finish 4th
The weather for the final race day was warm and favorable—rare even for recent seasons. It’s important that the setup for the final race matches the conditions.
The final race started in the afternoon. No. 88 left everyone in the dust and built a margin of around 17 seconds. No. 87 fell back to 18th due to an accident at the start, but pushed to catch up.
No. 88 suffered a puncture due to debris on the track, and the changed tire also went flat, disqualifying the team and making for a disappointing race. After that, No. 87 gained in position enough to vie for the winner’s podium. Despite facing difficult conditions after deciding to not change the tires, Sato carried on to the finish line in 4th place, earning points.
Comments from Seiji Hirai, Engineer for No. 87
We checked for balance with a full tank for the warm-up run, and made some fine adjustments for the final. Motojima drove at the start of the final race. He made contact with another car during the first lap and fell back to 18th, but after a series of quick time laps, he came back to 2nd and brought the machine into the pit in the 29th lap.
Sato drove for the second half. He chose not to change his tires and came out of the pit in 4th place. He was able to hold back machines coming back up from behind that had changed all of their tires, and finished in 4th as he vied for 3rd place only 6 seconds from the front. We used a different strategy from the other teams with the Yokohamas, but the tires continued to function well all the way to the end. I think this is the result of the efforts of everyone, including the drivers and the mechanics, to not give up and fight all the way to the end.
Comments from Kimiya Sato, No. 87
We lost our position when Motojima made contact with another car early on, but after he caught up, he turned the machine over to me. My strategy to not change my tires put us in a good position, and when I left the pit, we had made it to a position to vie for the winner’s podium.
We continued on the race in 4th, but it was a fierce battle with the tires as the car was surrounded in the front and back. I was just barely able to protect my position. We had a really good second half of the season with this revival. I want to thank the team and all of our fans.
Comments from Yuya Motojima, No. 87
I was the starting driver. In the opening lap, the machines behind me had a good pace, but the machines in front looked like they were having trouble, so I tried to get out of that place on a hairpin turn. That’s when I made contact with another machine and fell behind greatly. But the tires and machine balance were wonderful, and I was able to catch up quickly. The team’s strategy fit well with the conditions, and by the time I took the machine out of the pit, we were in a position to vie for the winner’s podium. I am so grateful that Sato was able to finish 4th despite the difficult conditions he faced in the second half. We finished this season at Motegi, but with the uptrend of the second half, I am ready to run the next race.
Comments from Masafumi Katsumata, Engineer for No. 88
Marco was the starting driver, and he had an excellent start. He maintained a good pace and broke away from behind to break over 17 seconds at one point. Just when he was considering about bringing the machine into the pit, he ran over some debris which burst his tire and he made an emergency pit stop. We switched drivers and changed tires to get back on the course, and we had fallen to 2nd position, but we were certain we could overtake the car in front because they had not changed their tires. But our tire burst again and the machine was forced into the pit a second time disqualifying the team. We have made good speed this year, but it’s turned into a frustrating season with little to show in terms of results. The machines, tires and drivers were all perfect, but we just couldn’t make it.
Comments from Kazuki Hiramine, No. 88
Marco started driving. Of course he drove a good pace. He had a great run and didn’t let anyone pass. Just when he had gained a margin of over 10 seconds, he ran into a problem. He punctured his tire on debris and took an emergency pit stop. I took over for the second half and the machine entered the track again. Surprisingly, the second tire burst on the out-lap. All of our efforts were for nothing.
We were disqualified, and we don’t even know what place we finished. It was a disappointing result, but we gave it our all this year.
I am grateful to everyone who stuck with us in this fight. Thank you for all of your support this season!
Comments from Marco Mapelli, No. 88
Race was going great. 17” lead gap after 21 laps was incredible, then we had a puncture due to debrief which turned our wend into a nightmare. I still can’t believe we lost the race, I’ve also made the race lap record, to show that we were they strongest car this time.
I just would like to thanks my team and all the people of JLOC which helped me all the time. Yokohama for the great support, and all the team sponsors, Money Partners.
Comments from Isao Noritake, Team principal
We had a great set up on our machines for the final race at Motegi! In the advance test run the machines felt great, and we knew we would take the winner’s podium! We were confident that the drivers, mechanics and the whole team could reach our goal.
No. 88 came in first, and No. 87 came in 7th in the qualifying. Hiramine set a course record, and with Marco, they took the pole position this season.
Taking Andrea Caldarelli’s pole position in Thailand into consideration, No. 88’s speed has been the best throughout the season!
Sato in No. 87 cleared Q1 without incident! In Q2, Motojima came in 7th. This was due to their choice of harder tires to go with their final race strategy of not changing out tires. If they had used soft tires, they would have had a time that rivaled No. 88.
No. 88 came in 27th, and No. 87 came in 4th in the final race.
The results of this race were quite a bit different to what the team had intended. But, the starting run for No. 88 with Marco showed incredible speed and made the best lap time in the race. With 15 seconds ahead of the 2nd car, it was probably the fastest time since 2006 with Marco Apicella and Koji Yamanishi in their Murciélago! And to have bad luck after that! A burst tire! I could not believe it!
But, if they had maintained this gap, we would have won! We changed the tire and switched to Hiramine. On the second lap we had another burst tire! This ended our race! The drivers finished the race with consideration for other teams and his machine.
Motojima had a good start in No. 87, but he made contact with another machine in the first lap. He lost a lot of position with that. Right down to 18th! However, he tenaciously fought back up to 3rd!
Despite our strategy of not changing their tires, Sato was able to resolutely hold his position. It was a very disappointing result, and I don’t want to think about ‘what ifs’, but had both cars ran the course regularly, the data says they could have been 1st and 2nd!
I want to say thanks to all of the staff for getting the cars to run with great performance! I also want to thank the all 4 of the drivers for their great runs, despite the trouble they faced!
The season is now done and both cars finished in the top 10!
Thank you to Money Partners, who called in a TV crew for the final race, as well as to the President, Mr. Watanabe, and many employees!
Thank you to Legal Frontier and our many sponsors who came to support us! And thanks to Lamborghini and Yokohama Tires!
About Team JLOC
The team was founded in 1994, and it's the Lamborghini team with the most history and performance in Asia.
We have repeatedly entered touring car races both domestically and overseas, and in 2006 TEAM JLOC was the first team representing Lamborghini to enter the 24-hours Le Mans. We have since raced under only the Lamborghini name. We have numerous wins, including grand prize victories, under our belts in Super GT, Super Trofeo, Dubai 24 Hours, Sepang 12 Hours.
PHOTOS
