Japanese local heroes: Keita Sawa and Motoaki Ishikawa
While all eyes will be on Toyota stars Kazuki Nakajima and Kamui Kobayashi as they do battle during the WEC's annual visit to Fuji, a pair of lesser-well known – but no less determined – Japanese drivers will be doing battle for class honours.
Keita Sawa and Motoaki Ishikawa ply their trade in the WEC’s fiercely competitive LMGTE Am class, driving Ferrari 488 GTEs for the Clearwater Racing and MR Racing teams respectively – and both will be determined to put on a show for the fans on home soil.
Silver-rated Sawa, 42, joined WEC newcomers from Singapore, Clearwater Racing, last year off the back off title success in the Asian Le Mans Series, teaming up with established Ferrari GT racer Matt Griffin and Singapore-born Malaysian Weng Sun Mok. The partnership was an instant success, as the trio secured a dream debut win for Clearwater at Silverstone after a dramatic final lap.
Five more podium finishes followed, as well as a memorable pole position at Fuji, with Sawa and his team mates eventually securing third in the GTE Am standings behind the works Aston Martin team and the Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche outfit.
The start of the 2018/19 Super Season has been a little tougher for the No.61 Clearwater Ferrari crew, with a 3rd place at Spa the highlight so far, but a consistent run of results has put Sawa, Griffin and Mok second in the (class) points heading to Fuji.
Motoaki Ishikawa, meanwhile, is embarking on his rookie WEC season with MR Racing, formed especially to tackle the Super Season with support from AF Corse. The 51-year-old, who raced in Italian GT and the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup last season, is the bronze-rated driver in the No.70 Ferrari line-up, racing alongside GT veteran Olivier Beretta and Eddie Cheever III.
A pair of 5th place finishes at Spa and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, followed by a 7th last time out at Silverstone, leaves the MR trio with a bit to do to climb higher in the standings but gaining experience every race.
Besides Nakajima (2012, 2013, 2017) and Kobayashi (2016), just one other Japanese driver has taken class victory at Fuji since the rebirth of the WEC in 2012, which was Shinji Nakano for the ADR-Delta LMP2 squad in that inaugural season. That means Sawa and Ishikawa would be in esteemed company if either Clearwater Racing or MR Racing can conquer the GTE Am division in Japan this time around.
