Kakunoshin Ohta ends Tsuboi’s dominance at Fuji with dramatic victory

Kakunoshin Ohta secured his third victory of the season in Super Formula at Fuji Circuit — ending Sho Tsuboi’s dominance at this track since joining TOM’S last year.

In a fierce three-way battle, Ohta managed to outperform Tsuboi and Ayumu Iwasa to deliver Dandelion Racing’s first victory at Fuji after a 17-year wait.

The 41-lap race became more intriguing when the safety car entered on lap 19 — forcing pit stop strategy changes that benefited Iwasa who had pitted earlier.

The crucial moment came on lap 33 when Ohta passed Iwasa at Turn 1 — leaving his rival 7.1 seconds behind at the finish line. Iwasa finished second, while Tsuboi had to settle for third.

This result keeps Tsuboi in the championship lead with five races remaining — but his advantage over Ohta is now just three points. Tadasuke Makino who finished ninth drops to third in standings, trailing the leader by 13 points.