Sobue regains Japanese National title

Having opened the month of July with a debut international win for Axon’s new TC10/4 Touring Car at eSIC in Singapore, Akio Sobue has concluded the month by adding the Japanese National Championship title to the car’s credentials.  Racing at the Tsukuba RC Park, formerly known as the World famous Yatabe Arena, former champion Sobue would secure the TQ in qualifying ahead of Xpress paring Yoshiyasu Yanagisawa & Yugo Nagashima with Infinity’s Ryosuke Yamamoto securing P4 while team-mate & defending Champion Jin Sawada qualified P8.  In the finals Sobue took A1 ahead of Yanagisawa however in A2 under pressure from the Xpress driver they touched side by side on the front straight on lap 4 resulting in Sobue getting stuck the the corner marker.  With Yanagisawa taking the win from Nagashima and Sobue 5th it was all to play for in A3.  Setting the fastest lap, Sobue would enjoy his biggest winning margin finishing 6/10ths up on Yanagisawa to lift the title for a 5th time with Yanagisawa (2nd) and Nagashima  (3rd) joining him on the podium.

Image: Atsushi Hara [Facebook]