Karthikeyan wins dramatic DTM/Super GT Race 2

After a fairly processional first half of the first-ever joint race weekend between the Japanese Super GT series and its European-based counterpart, DTM, Sunday's Dream Race 2 at Fuji Speedway delivered plenty of excitement and drama...and incidents as Narain Karthikeyan (Super GT Modulo Epson Honda NSX-GT) won the safety car-punctuated finale.

After his heartbreaking exit on Saturday before even taking the start, Loic Duval (Audi RS 5 DTM) triumphed during Sunday morning’s qualifying session, earning second but taking pole following a grid penalty for the fastest car. Daisuke Nakajima (Motul Mugen Honda NSX-GT) had initially set the quickest lap, but a five-place penalty for changing the monocoque following a massive practice shunt for teammate Hideki Mutoh on Friday meant the Japanese racer would start what would be his final Super GT race from sixth. The 30-year-old announced his retirement today.

Indian driver Karthikeyan quickly took control of the race, slipstreaming past polesitter Duval at the start of the second lap and seeing off a lengthy challenge from the chasing cars of Naoki Yamamoto (Raybrig Honda NSX-GT), Koudai Tsukakoshi (Keihin Honda NSX-GT) and Nakajima.

https://twitter.com/DTM/status/1198477217388351489?s=20

These four cars set the pace at the front until a number of safety car periods began to ramp up the pressure, finally causing a series of frantic, multi-car accidents that slimmed down the field and resulted in a nail-biting single-lap charge to the checkered flag.

https://twitter.com/DTM/status/1198488540750860293?s=20