The ZENT CERUMO racing team of Yuji Tachikawa and Kohei Hirate driving their #1 Lexus RC F secured their first win of the season by clinching Round 4 of the 2014 AUTOBACS Super GT series (GT500 class), which took place at the Sugo International raceway in Japan in July.

The KeePer TOM Lexus RC F team of Daisuke Ito and Andrea Caldarelli finished second as Lexus RC F vehicles dominated the action, securing four of the top 5 positions.

The reigning Super GT500 class champions, the ZENT CERUMO team had a time of 1:47'49.984 to win the 79-lap race. With this latest win, ZENT CERUMO driver Tachikawa becomes the sole holder of the record for most GT500 victories, with 16 wins now to his credit, while for Hirate, the weekend triumph at the Sugo raceway marks his sixth win overall. Meanwhile, the second-place finish in Round 4 has propelled the KeePer TOM Lexus RC F team to the top of this season’s points table.

According to Takayuki Yoshitsugu, chief representative, MENA Representative Office, TOYOTA Motor Corporation, “Lexus Racing cars have delivered outstanding performances all season long, and the one-two finish at Sugo raceway provides further confirmation of the extraordinary quality and durability of these high-performance machines. Motorsports provides an important platform for Lexus to showcase the limitless possibilities of its cars.”

In a contest marked by intermittent rain and multiple position changes, the ZENT CERUMO team’s decision to stick with slick tires even as a number of others dived into the pits for wet tires proved to be a masterstroke, as the rain cleared shortly to give the ZENT team a 20-second lead.

“The car had a good balance in the race, so just by running normally I was able to keep building a lead,” ZENT driver Kohei Hirate said.