Impul driver Hirakawa came out on top in two entertaining tussles on his way to the top step of the podium, seeing off Sacha Fenestraz early on before passing reigning champion Nojiri late in the race.
After being passed by Hirakawa, Nojiri was able to hold off Fenestraz in the battle for second despite his early-stopping strategy leaving him exposed in the closing stages.
Hirakawa vaulted into an early lead at the start when both front-row starters, Ukyo Sasahara and Ren Sato, suffered disastrous opening laps.
Mugen driver Sasahara stalled from pole position, dropping him to the rear of the field, while Sato made a sluggish getaway and was tipped into a spin later on the opening lap by Hiroki Otsu.
That left Hirakawa leading Fenestraz, Ritomo Miyata, Yuhi Sekiguchi and Nojiri, who was first of the leaders to stop on lap 10 of 41.
Fenestraz passed Hirakawa for the lead on lap six, moving ahead along the start/finish straight, but once out in front the Kondo Racing driver couldn’t…
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