The Lionheart Challenge Series made their way across the pacific ocean to race the Nissan GTP ZX-T in the land of the rising sun at the Suzuka International Racing Course!
Ryan Otis put down the fastest lap in qualifying, and led the field to the green flag. On lap three, Otis would make a mistake in the final corner and gave up the lead to Jake Wright, who had been on his tail, along with Justin Weaver and Stephen Laarkmap. With under 10 minutes left in the race, a few laps after their one and only pit stop. Otis would make a move on Wright into the turn 10 hairpin, and the two would fight side by side exiting the hairpin, and all the way through the long sweeping turn 12, and into the spoon curve of turn 13, where Otis would pull his car in front of Wight! Otis would lead the final laps to take home the win in Japan, Wright would try to catch him, but couldn’t make it happen and finished second. Stephen Laarkamp would come home third, Justin Weaver would finish fourth, and Scott McClendon would finish a very impressive run after starting in twentieth, finishing fifth! The Lionheart Challenge Series will stay in Japan as the take their Nissan’s to the Oval of Twin Ring Motegi, which is looking to be a great show!
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Jake Wright became to first person aside from Ryan Otis to win a challenge series race, this time on the oval in Phoenix!
Wright Started his Porsche on pole, and led the first 21 laps before Dan Geren passed Wright for the lead! Geren and Wright would fight all the way until the final pit stop of the race, when Geren sped on pit road, giving up the lead to Wright. On lap 88, a caution would fly to bunch up the field for a final 5 lap dash! The green flag flew for the final time on lap 92, but wouldn’t last long as a caution flew only a lap later to end the race. Wright would maintain his position on the final restart, Stephen Laarkamp would Finish 2nd, Justin Weaver finished 3rd, Scott McClendon and Ryan Otis would round out the top 5. Next week the challenge series switches things up again, taking the Nissan GTP ZX-T over to Japan to run the Suzuka International Racing Course! Ryan Otis remained king of the road, and the Lionheart Challenge Series, with his third win in as many tries, this time conquering the Nürburgring Nordschleife in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Otis took the lead from pole winner Adam Blocker on lap 4, and paced the final 4 laps. The timed 45-minute race lasted 7 laps. Blocker came home second, 3.3 seconds behind Otis despite running the quickest lap of the race. Travis Jegerlehner came home third, leapfrogging Jake Wright, who finished fourth. Stephen Laarkamp took fifth. 24 911 GT3’s took the green flag from a standing start. 16 finished on the lead lap. The Lionheart Challenge Series next heads to Phoenix International Raceway to test the Porsche 911 GT3’s on an oval. That race takes place Thursday, January 18, 2018. |