SAILUN TIRE DEFENDS TITLE AT FDJ FUJI RACE
The third round of Formula Drift Japan (FDJ) 2023 drew to a close at Fuji Speedway, with Sailun Tire’s Kazumi Takahashi winning the tandem drift battle once again.
Takahashi remains undefeated at Fuji speedway after lifting the solo run championship trophy in 2021 and securing victory in the final tandem race of 2022 six months ago.
Takahashi did not perform well in the solo run qualifying round after coming in eighth spot. However, he was confident after forcing Yukio Matsui off the track in the knockout round of 32. Smoke began to billow, causing Matsui to become disorganized and allowing Takahashi to win after making a tempo change in the final U-shaped bend.
The excellent grip performance of Sailun’s PD12 tires was credited for Takahashi’s outstanding tempo change and contributed to his success in the next round. Matsui’s tires were stretched to the limit in the final U-shaped bend and had to watch Takahashi overtake his car in the race. Later, Takahashi also won against Akihiro Hanawa, Yusuke Kusaba and talented youngster Koudai Sobagiri before competing against Tetsuya Hibino in the final round.
The two rivals performed well in the final tandem battle of both rounds, but it was clear Takahashi’s drifting technique was clean and smooth while Hibino was slightly hesitant with more car movements, which allowed Takahashi to claim victory after scoring more points.
Takahashi’s third consecutive triumph at Fuji Speedway is no easy feat. Sailun’s PD12 slick tires have proved its quality again and will continue to support drivers in winning races.
