Sobue crowned JMRCA All-Japan Champion

Akio Sobue is the new Japanese Touring Car National Champion.  Last held in 2019, Naoto Matsukura taking the win on that occasion, the JMRCA All-Japan Championships returned following Covid at the Greenpark Speedway in Hanno City. In qualifying, Sobue would take the opening three of four qualifiers to secure the TQ ahead of factory Yokomo driver Souta Goto who topped Q4.  Next up where the Infinity pairing of Ryosuke Yamamoto and former champion Jin Sawada.  The Top 5 in qualifying was completed by Sobue’s Axon team-mate and World Finalist Hayato Ishioka.  In the finals, Sobue took A1 but an early incident in A2 left the World Championship podium finisher with a fourth as Yamamoto took the win.  For A3 it was back to business for Sobue as he set the fastest lap to win by 1-second and with it claim the JMCRA title for a third time (2015, 2017).  The podium was completed by Yamamoto and Goto.

Source: Axon [team-axon.com]