Strakka Racing will line up fourth in LMP2 for the 6 Hours of Fuji in Japan. With Nick Leventis taken ill shortly after arriving in the country and unable to participate, Jonny Kane and Lewis Williamson qualified the Gibson 015S fourth with an average time of 1.32.007, just seven hundredths of a second behind third and with clear potential to have been quicker. With just a handful of minutes remaining, Kane had already achieved quicker sector times before an all-out push in the dying moments of the session saw Kane slide wide on Turn 3 and unable to
post a quicker time.

“After turbulent start to the weekend, with Nick having to return to the UK after falling ill, we’ve cracked on and we think we’ve got good race pace in the car,” says Dan Walmsley. “Sharing the entire six hours between just two drivers will be a new challenge but one both Jonny and Lewis have stepped up to. The whole team wants to get a result for Nick, who we are very pleased to hear is recovering well back at home.”

Away from the track, the team’s success in Japan started early with Williamson out-folding his rivals in Saturday night’s Origami challenge. Together with local fans, Williamson together with team-mate Kane and Ford Chip Ganassi Racing’s Andy Priaulx created Orizuru origami birds. Judges declared Williamson’s the best effort, his first ‘win’ in the championship. “The Japanese fans are brilliant,” adds Williamson. “They are just so passionate, it’s hard not to love this event.”