The 2023 season of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia goes to the Suzuka Circuit in Japan for Rounds 5 and 6 in this 20th anniversary season of the one-make racing series, this time marking the series’ return to the unique figure-of-eight racing circuit since its last running at the venue in 2019.
The Sime Darby Racing Team (SDRT) continues its season-long campaign with Malaysian racing driver Nazim Azman, who enters the Pro category in the series this season, where all racers campaign the 992-generation GT3 Cup race car.
Round 5 started out in mixed weather conditions as rain befell the 5.8-km, 18-turn circuit in parts on the formation lap, with a starting grid led by Florian Latorre on pole position at the weekend’s first race in Suzuka.
Track positions were shuffled even before the race started as some competitors elected to pit for a change of tyres as the field completed the formation lap; polesitter Latorre carried on with his starting position on P1.
An early appearance of the safety car was brought about by the stranded #23 car of Eric Kwong, which neutralised the gaps across the field, particularly for those who has pitted for a tyre change. Early progress was made by Malaysian Adrian D’Silva, who started 14th on the grid and grabbed P7 as the safety car was deployed; Nazim Azman was P16 in this opening stage of the race.
Green flag conditions resumed on Lap 3 with Latorre and the #99 car of Luo Kailuo leading the pack in P1 and P2 respectively, with tyre change decisions resulting in a scattering of drivers across the different categories; behind the Pro-class Latorre and Luo were a train of Am-class drivers, with the next closest Pro driver being Gao Yujia in the #55 car in P10 upon resumption of the race on Lap 3.
Lap 5 saw the resurgence of Pro class drivers Martin Ragginger and Chris van der Drift in the #86 and #8 cars respectively, notably with Am class driver Zhang Yaqi in the #16 car – P3 at this stage – taking the fight to the Pro class drivers at the sharp end of the pack.
The #718 car of Bao Jinlong held P5 at the halfway stage on Lap 7, behind Latorre, van der Drift, Ragginger and the Am-classified Zhang. Sime Darby Racing Team driver Nazim gradually made progress through to P11, while compatriot D’Silva struggled in the changing conditions, his #61 car now in P17.
More position changes emerged as the race entered Lap 10, with earlier lead pack contender, Pro-class Luo dropping back to P13 following a drive-through penalty for a starting procedure infringement. Nazim in the #17 worked his way to P8, while Latorre and van der Drift similarly served drive-through penalties, yielding positions for Ragginger to take P1.
Eventually, a string of penalties for starting position infringements meant that the initial race classification would change. The final result for Round 5, the weekend’s first race at Suzuka would see Malaysian Pro class driver Nazim Azman emerge with a P4 overall race result, and third in class.
Round 6 that is the second race for the series at Suzuka brought clear skies and higher track temperatures, and the starting grid this time sees Latorre once again on pole position, followed by Luo and Ragginger in P2 and P3 respectively. Malaysian driver for SDRT Nazim started Round 6 from P5, alongside Pro-Am class polesitter Bao.
Nazim made up one position to P4 by the start of Lap 2, with Latorre, Ragginger and Luo holding the top 3 positions at this early stage. Meanwhile, Luo in the #99 car made his pass for P2 at the Casio Square, and early Round 5 dropout Eric Kwong has made a recovery for Round 6, holding P9 and the Am class lead as of Lap 3.
The hotter, drier running of Round 6 brought a relatively quieter race for SDRT Pro class driver Nazim Azman who continued to hold P4 behind the all-Pro trio of Latorre, Luo and Ragginger ahead on track, with Pro-Am category leader Bao Jinlong in the #718 car in P5 and battling to hold off Pro class Chris van der Drift for overall position.
Some variety to the on-track action came courtesy of an off-track excursion on Lap 8 by Zhu Zhiyao of the Am class in the #25 car, which was beached in the gravel trap along the ‘S’ curves section in the first sector of the circuit. This resulted in a safety car period, which would neutralise the 2.3-second lead held by Latorre in P1.
The safety car pulled in at the end of Lap 10, with race leader Latorre ahead of Luo, Ragginger, Nazim and van der Drift in positions two through to five respectively. Green flag resumption on Lap 11 meant a two-lap sprint to the finish, and van der Drift promptly made a dive down the inside of Nazim for P4 at the first turn.
More battling further along the field as Kwong in his #23 car fought Yang Ruoyu for Am-class honours, while the Pro class battle between Ragginger and van der Drift flared up, with the Kiwi giving chase on the final lap with hopes of a podium finish.
Fourth-placed van der Drift has a look-in at the high-speed 130R turn but Ragginger holds off the attacking three-time PCCA title holder, and the leading pack hold their respective positions to the race finish for Round 6.
Latorre wins for a Suzuka double victory while Luo takes P2, with Ragginger, van der Drift and Nazim Azman completing the top five with P3, P4 and P5 respectively. Pro-Am class winner Bao Jinlong finished sixth overall, with Zhang Yaqi of the #16 car once again emerging as the Am class winner at Suzuka ahead of Yang and Kwong, who eventually were classified 10th and 12th overall, and second and third in class.
The 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series departs Suzuka with Florian Latorre atop the points standings with 137 points, and Nazim Azman in fifth with 58 points. In the Dealer Trophy standings, Sime Darby Racing Team also holds fifth on the table; Toro Racing leads with 121 points.
Next on the calendar for this series is Thailand, where it will go to the Chang International Circuit in Buriram for Rounds 7 and 8 which will be held on August 4 to 6. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series will then continue its run in this direction, returning to the Sepang International Circuit on August 25 to 27.
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