Matsukura cruises to unchallenged TQ in Florida
Naoto Matsukura has cruised his way to an unchallenged fourth consecutive 1:12 World Championship TQ wrapping up qualifying in Florida early with another fastest run in the fourth of the six scheduled qualifiers. The Yokomo driver was again the only driver to turn 53 laps of the Minnreg Hall making it four from four by taking Q4 from rapid American Donny Lia who set a new track record with an 8.822 lap time. Matsukura’s Yokomo team-mate Masatsugu Ido would complete the Top 3. Such was Matsukura’s pace that over the 8-minutes he ran a full lap more than that of fourth place finisher Hideo Kitazawa.
Declaring himself ‘happy’ to again be defending his title from pole position, Matsukura said the run was his best yet and it was good to get the first part of his program over with early. Testing extensively in preparation for his going for an unprecedented fourth consecutive IFMAR World title, the 21-year-old wanted to thank the new Change Circuit in Japan for facilitating him in testing on a similar sized track to the Worlds track, his Yokomo team’s Yatabe Arena being too big & open for meaningful testing. With the pressure now off, he will use the final two qualifying runs to test a few things adding he would like to find a little more steering ahead of the tomorrow’s finals.
Lia, a driver who is using every inch of the tight track, said ‘its a tyre game and they are getting close now’. Adding that his clean run so far was a big factor to his second for the round, the TOP Racing driver said while his BSR tyres faded towards the end of the 8-minutes they are working towards a good strategy and he believes in the next one he ‘should hit it on the head’.
Leaving his car unchanged Ido was much happier with his driving declaring the run as his best so far. Set to continue with the same set-up, the 20-year-old hopes to repeat the run in Q5 and added another Top 3 run having also posted the third fastest time in Q1 which should ensure he makes his 1:12 Worlds debut at the sharp end of the A-Main grid.
Behind Kitzawa, Jilles Groskamp finally registered a Top 5 run. Running for the On-point team, the 2010 Runner-up said his run was ‘not so fast but stable’ but while he can’t say he took it easy he was able to drive it around for the 8-minutes. Struggling with overall grip from the start with it getting particularly bad towards the end of the run he said he knows he is not competitive but he still wants to do the best he can and the aim now is for clean runs to at least try and give himself the best possible starting spot for the final.
Another driver recording his best round so far was Alexander Hagberg. Having failed to make the Top 10 in the opening three qualifiers the Swede took a similar approach to that of Groskamp. Setting the 6th fastest time, the European Champion was happy to at least finish a run with no major dramas. Going for a clean run he said his Xray is nowhere near the pace it had yesterday with the set-up used then just not working today. While they are still trying to find a good set-up he said he is conscious of the fact he needs to finish off qualifying with two good runs if he is even to make the A-Main.
Japanese National Champion Hayato Ishioka took his CRC to the 7th fastest time with the honour of top Team Associated falling to Juho Levanen in 8th. Separated by just 0.002 of a second Markus Mobers and Paul Lemieux completed the Top 10. Elsewhere Marc Rheinard’s improving runs came to an end as he suffered two heavy crashes, the second of which caused the centre shock on his CRC to pop off. Another non finisher of the round was Q3 fourth place finisher Alexandre Laurent who pulled up after just the 1-minute mark.
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