Super Taikyu: Team Nova Audi R8 LMS ultra in the Fuji 7 Hours

By Johan Laubscher

The Japanese Super Taikyu Endurance Series headed to Fuji Speedway for round four, a seven hour endurance event. The Nova Engineering Audi R8 LMS ultra competed in this endurance race.

Nova Engineering, listed as Team Nova on the series entry lists, debuted their 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra in Super Taikya at Twin Ring Motegi last time out. The team had a difficult race and finished the three hour event in sixth overall. At Fuji the #8 Nova Audi R8 LMS ultra was again driven by Seiji Ara, Akira Shibuya, and Shohei Yuzawa. Ara is the headline driver in the car as he was the 2004 Le Mans 24 Hours winner, having taken that victory in the Audi Sport Japan Team Goh Audi R8.

During qualifying they achieved seventh place overall and in the GT3 class. The race itself was long and testing, and even included heavy rain during the final few hours, a race of survival. Team Nova dropped back during the first hour and they were classified thirty-ninth by the end of the first hour. They then began a very good recovery drive which saw them moving up through the field. By the fourth hour the Audi was back inside of the overall top ten and continued to perform well. Ultimately the Nova Engineering team completed the seven hours in sixth place within the GT3 class.

The race was won by the #1 Petronas Syntium Team Mercedes-Benz SLS. The Fuji weekend results can be seen HERE.

Super Taikyu will host the fifth round of the season at Okayama for a three hour race in the beginning of September.