All Japan Road Race at Okayama: Nozane takes 2nd in JSB1000 class, Hada claims third victory of the season in ST1000 class!
On October 4th (Sat) and 5th (Sun), Round 6 of the MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship, titled “Superbike Race in Okayama,” was held at Okayama International Circuit in Okayama Prefecture.
Rain affected Friday and Saturday, resulting in wet conditions throughout practice and qualifying. However, Sunday brought clear skies, allowing the final races to be held under dry conditions.
On Saturday, October 4, the qualifying sessions were held in rainy conditions.JSB1000 Class featured only one race on Sunday, and the official qualifying was conducted using the season’s only knockout format. Rider Nozane, affected by a crash the previous day, began by checking the condition of his machine. He barely made it through Q1 in 10th place and secured 6th on the grid in Q2 with a time of 1:45.468.
In the ST1000 class, rider Hada, having experienced wet conditions during pre-testing, approached the session prepared for both dry and wet conditions. Despite it being his first wet run, Arakawa performed well. In qualifying, Haneda attacked late in the session and took 2nd place, while Arakawa secured 5th. Rider Nakarin, known for his strength in wet conditions, was 2nd in Friday’s session but ended up 7th in qualifying.
In the ST600 class, returning from injury, Suzuki gradually improved his lap times during pre-testing. However, he struggled with grip during qualifying and finished 18th.
In the J-GP3 class, rider Techin and Todaka participated. Techin steadily improved his time and marked the 7th fastest lap. Todaka crashed during his attack lap and settled for 13th.
On Sunday, October 5, rain lingered in the morning, and the warm-up sessions were held under unstable conditions. Despite this, Arakawa recorded the fastest time in the ST1000 class, and Hada placed 4th, raising expectations for the final race. By the afternoon, the skies cleared and temperatures rose.
In the ST 1000 class final race, Hada made a strong start and took the lead, maintaining a solo run at the front. Although he experienced rear brake issues in the closing laps, a crash by a trailing rider with two laps remaining enabled Hada to cross the finish line in first place. This marked his third win of the season, bringing him closer to the series championship. Arakawa collided with another rider at the hairpin on the opening lap and retired from the race. Nakarin battled fiercely for 5th place early on but gradually fell back. However, a crash by a rider ahead enabled him to finish 5th.
In the JSB1000 class final race was longer than usual at 24 laps. Nozane couldn’t capitalize on his strong start and was 4th on the opening lap. On lap 4, he overtook Mizuno (Ducati team Kagayama) to move into 3rd and began chasing Nagashima (DUNLOP Racing Team with YAHAGI). While Nakasuga (YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEAM) gradually pulled away in the lead, Nozane and Nagashima engaged in a fierce battle for 2nd, repeatedly swapping positions. In the final stages, Nozane moved ahead and skillfully held off Nagashima to secure 2nd place on the podium.
In the ST600 class, Suzuki struggled to pick up pace early in the race but gradually improved his lap times and climbed the ranks, ultimately finishing 12th and earning 4 points.
In the J-GP3 class, the final race was shortened to 17 laps. Techin and Todaka battled within the third group, exchanging positions throughout. Although they aimed to catch the group ahead, their lap times didn’t improve enough for a successful chase. Todaka finished 11th, and Techin came in 12th.
