Cold but fully dry conditions greeted the Asian Le Mans Series field for the second Free Practice session at Fuji Speedway.
The early efforts of Pipo Derani topped the times until the closing minutes when Phil Hanson, on new rubber, took the #22 United Autosports Ligier around in a 1:32.383, two tenths clear of the Brazilian’s best with the #24 Algarve Pro Ligier Judd rounding out the top three less than a tenth back. Guy Cosmo posted the fourth fastest time of the session to top the LMP2 Am order in the #23 United Ligier.
It was triple top for United as the pair of JS P3s were 1,2 in the session too, the #2 ahead of the #3 with a 1:35.691 from Wayne Boyd two full seconds clear of the sister car, Aiden Read in the #36 Eurasia car next up, just ahead of Colin Noble in the #79 Ecurie Ecosse/ Nielsen Ligier.
In the GT order it was a Ferrari 1,2 with the locally-based #11 Car Guy 488 GT3 fastest, James Calado’s 1:38.386 just a tenth better than Alessandro Pier Guidi’s best shot in the similar #51 Spirit of Race machine with Dries Vanthoor just six thousandths slower in the #88 TianShi Racing Audi.
The session was interrupted by a short Red Flag period after an accident involving the #50 R24 Ligier, Anna Inotsume catching the kerb at T14 and impacting the barriers head-on on the outside, the Ligier suffering a broken nose section but repairable, Inotsume would head for the mandatory medical checks, the impact was quite a thump.
