The fact the #3 Nissan ended up ahead of the #23 NISMO Z at the finish came down to pit strategy rather than raw speed in the wet, but from 10th on the grid Chiyo and Takaboshi would most likely have been nowhere near the podium in the dry with their stage two fuel flow restrictor.
Conversely, other title-contending teams like Toyota outfit TOM’S and Honda squads Team Kunimitsu and Real Racing saw a golden chance to reduce the gap to the points leaders slip away as they struggled to get their Bridgestones working in the tricky mixed conditions.The upshot is that Nissan heads into the final two rounds with three cars occupying the top three positions in the standings, with Chiyo/Takaboshi heading Baguette/Hiramine by 3.
But somehow, this year has a different feel about it. While Honda was taking its points advantage in 2021 into the final round at Fuji, a Toyota stronghold, this time, the Z heads to Autopolis and then Motegi for the final two races.
how bout they stop putting garbage transmissions in their consumer cars?