Jono Lester will return to Japan this weekend to resume his championship with the PETRONAS Syntium Team in Super Taikyu Endurance Series, at the famous Suzuka circuit in Nagoya.
Driving the potent Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, the Suzuka event – which supports the World Touring Car Championship – will provide an opportunity to take the fight to his team’s sister car [Car #1] for the overall championship.
Lester and his #28 team mates had momentum at the last Japanese championship round at Sugo Sportsland in May, scoring pole position and opening up a significant buffer on the field before a suspension problem dropped them out of contention.
With recent V8 SuperTourer and Porsche GT3 Cup seat time under his belt, Lester is confident he can perform once again this weekend.
“It’s been a long mid-season break. Too long for my liking!” Lester said.
“However I’ve kept my eye in with strong results in other championships back in New Zealand, as have my PETRONAS team mates in Malaysia [winning the recent MME 12 Hour race at Sepang].
“We are all as excited as each other to visit Suzuka, and the track will be well gripped up after the Formula One event a fortnight ago.”
Rather than the usual long distance format of the Super Taikyu championship, the Suzuka event will stage two 60-minute, two-driver races, adding a sprint race mentality for the teams competing.
“It will be quite similar in approach to the V8s [SuperTourers] really. A pair of short enduros with a short turnaround. It’s always nice to mix things up, and to rag the SLS for all it’s worth is a prospect that really excites me.”
Lester is supported in the 2012 Super Taikyu Endurance Series by dwA Motorsports, Opti-Flex, R Redpath Limited, Trinity Media Group, CRC motornews.co.nz, Mako Networks, Vortex Racewear, iSign it, ThrillCapital, Sony New Zealand and Webdesign.
