
2024EWC 4th Round Bol d'Or 24h Qualifying2 Sep 13th Report

Sep 13th, 2024
Team Étoile qualified 3rd in SST class! Yudai and Shogo showed their speed in Q2.
It is Day2 of the qualifying sessions of 2024 EWC series 4th round Bol d'Or. Team Étoile was qualified pole in Q1 and was set to defend the position for the upcoming Q2.
Q2 session started from 11:00. The first rider Kazuki Watanabe did a lap of 1min 54.472sec. He again showed consistency as it was 1min 54.429 sec for him in Q1. The second rider Yudai Kamei showed improvement from Q1 with a lap of 1min 55.263 sec (1min 55.279sec in Q1), which set him in the top of the timesheet in SST class (10th overall).
It was the first attack for Hikari Okubo as he did not set a time in Q1, but he managed to squeeze 1min 55.794sec which places him 6th in SST class (14th overall). Shogo Kawasaki showed improvement as he finally made it under 2min with a lap of 1min 59.446sec.
The lap time of Kazuki and Yudai were averaged to 1min 54.846sec which placed Team Étoile 3rd in SST class (12th overall). Not a bad way at all to start the weekend for Team Étoile.
So far the average lap time of the team as a whole is quite steady and fast, and a few mechanical issues have been found and solved already, so one can expect Team Étoile to be well prepared for the race.
Race will start at Sep 14th Saturday 15:00 (22:00 JPN time).

Rider Kazuki Watanabe

'It was very windy just like Q1. I tried again to find the right spot to make the best use of the slip stream effect but I guess I was off the timing a bit. It's a bit shame that I couldn't improve my lap time from Q1'
'Anyway, it has been great that we had no major issues into the week so far with all of our riders riding with decent lap time. For a 24 hours race like this, consistency is the key, so we are doing well.'
'We have a small issue on the bike, but we don't have a free practice session on Saturday before the race, so it would be difficult to test everything in the limited amount of time. So the focus is to use the time and resources efficiently.'

Rider Yudai Kamei

'Yesterday in Q1, I did quite well even with the user tyre. Today in Q2, I went out with a new tyre but because the bike was different from what I rode yesterday in Q1, there was a tiny difference in the feeling which took me some time to adjust the way I ride. I ended up improving my personal best so that is positive, but I believe I could have done even better.'
'Pole position could have been possible if I push more, but I need to remind myself that this is an endurance race, not a sprint. My main focus is not the fastest lap but a steady lap.

Rider Hikari Okubo

'It was really a shame that I crashed after the bike faced some mechanical issue in Q1 yesterday, but I'm happy that the issue was quickly solved and the remaining session could go as planned.'
'The bike today in Q2 felt different for some reasons compared to the bike we used yesterday in Q1, so I could not push well. Anyway, we are 3rd on the time sheet, and I'm quite confident about my average pace, so it is looking good so far. I hope to see everyone smiling after the checkered flag.'

Rider Shogo Kawasaki

'I'm happy I could improve my lap time but was expecting more from myself. But anyway I could get some important data for the team so I'm happy that I could contribute like this.'
'At this moment I'm not sure if I would be riding during the race, but I will be ready anytime. I'm just hoping the best for the team.'

EWC 2024 Season Race Schedule
1st round: Le Man 24 hours (France, Le Man): Aprl 18th ~ 21st
2nd round: Spa 8 hours (Belgium, Spa Francorchamps): June 6th ~ 8th
3rd round: Coca Cola Suzuka 8 hours (Japan, Suzuka): July 18th ~ 21st
4th round: Bol d'Or 24 hours (France, Paul Ricard Circuit ): Sept 12th ~ 15th

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