Season 2, Round 1: The Tokyo 400k Sponsored by SONY

SkyTech Racing's Rena Hirose Starting 1st, Flying Aces Racing Struggles

The 1st qualifying session went off earlier this evening, with Japan's Rena Hirose taking the pole for the SkyTech Racing team. After last season when they had a sluggish start to the season, they are hoping that this season starts off on a much better note. On the other hand, Flying Aces Racing had a rather disappointing qualifying effort, with Audra Baranauskas starting 11th, and Sebastian Maynard starting 22nd. However, this is a long race, and anything can happen, so don't be surprised if both of the FAR drivers are up front before the race is all set and done.

But without question the biggest surprise has to be the driver starting on the outside of the Front Row, New Jersey's Paul Jackson. It was thought earlier this week that other rookies like Andreas Allen and Scott Roush would be the rookies to beat this season, but at least for qualifying here at Tokyo, Paul Jackson has stolen the show. It will be interesting to see if he can keep it up in the race.

Lothaire-Irvine, Vandame Collide in Final Practice, Lothaire-Irvine to Start in the Back
The first incident of the season would happen in Final Practice, with Nicolas Lothaire-Irvine and Victor Vandame colliding down the FrontStrech, with Andreas Allen and Max Anderson also getting involved. Fortunately for Allen, Anderson, and Vandame, their damage was light enough to fix before the race, however Lothaire-Irvine's #11 Subaru had terminal engine damage, and will have to give up his 25th place starting spot and start I'm the back.

Jackson Harrows was rather quiet post-race.
Harrows, who qualified seventh, evidently showed his rookie experience as he would quickly drop back to the back of the field. He was quickly out-paced by his team-mate Ziki Marley and could not seem to keep up with any of the pack.

Even as the laps winded down and between the disarray and cautions, Harrows would grow close to the front, but never breach the top five and would inevitably drop back behind. He would come home 13th.

"I do not have my rhythm here yet, I don't suppose. I had a decent car all day, but these corners were brutal and I couldn't do very much on them. It is a shame, but I am glad to see my team-mate (Marley) up in the top ten!"

That's just about all Harrows would say as he looked really worn out from driving so long in a hot racecar. Later on, he seemed far more lively and continued with this after others had time for their criticisms of their own work and whatnot.

"I have managed to start out this season pretty well, and I hope to be able to do more than that to make my team owner, and my team-mate proud. Onto the next race, of sorts!"

Harrows had a clean race all day long; we'll see him next race!

Van Zandt displeased with Whetteneaux's performance; yet proud of Rowe.
Thiery Whetteneaux, of Thundersport GP started out his day like he should. He quickly fell back from his eighth place starting spot and began to fight hard with other drivers in the paddock.

He would be somewhat coherent and race rather decently, albeit, at the back. However, on Lap 34, coming onto the front stretch, the #28(?) Chick-Fil-A mobile would tag the back of Whetteneaux and send (Whetteneaux) him into the grass.

While Whetteneaux would spin back up on track, Whetteneaux would be lucky and not get heavy damage from the ensuing pack that would send the initial offender on his lid. Whetteneaux would receive heavy right-side damage after being clipped by the #29 car and then he'd proceed to slide up into the wall receiving more damage. Alexander Rowe, Whetteneaux's team mate would very nearly miss the spinning Whetteneaux. We cannot play Whetteneaux's radio chatter from the incident.

Whetteneaux would go one lap down and have to start on the inside for the restart; he would be the faster of the brutally slow lapped cars. En restart, Whetteneaux would quickly fall behind and Rowe would gradually close to the top ten before he, too, would slowly slip back.

Later on in the race, Whetteneaux's pit crew would find the issue causing Whetteneaux car to be slower and he'd be sent back out, still one lap down, but a good chunk faster than before.

All in all, Whetteneaux would finish four laps down, and in 23rd with a heavily beaten car.

Andrew Van Zandt, the team owner, spoke on in the post-race press-release stating: "I am not fond of how my team's first race went down. It is not much helpful that our equipment is rather skimpy comparatively speaking to other teams; though, how much money do I have to bring to this? Anywho....Whetteneaux performance, I understand the wreck, but he was racing far too aggressively and I have already given him a warning for his failure to omit any kind of care towards any paddock member, driver, or anyone."

He continued on, "I am rather proud of (Alexander) Rowe for staying out of trouble when he so nearly could have been collected. Way to go, chap!"

"I am giving Whetteneaux four races to clean his act up, or he is out of here. Let me, and for the sake of the paddock, hope he does not go amuck in the field. Whetteneaux, let this be your warning. I will not be afraid to use my power to remove you from my team."

Whetteneaux angrily got out of his car after the race and did not talk to a single person. We'll see where his story unfolds...