2007 Round of Japan

The 2007 Round of Japan was the ninth round of the 2007 TM Master Cup season. It was held at the Twin Ring Motegi in Japan.

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Failed to Qualify
2 - Brian Sendack

9 - Troy Griffith

01 - Nick Phillip

02 - Marcos Leonard

05 - Kathy Clemons

12 - Craig Cross

24 - Kurt Plissken

33 - Drew Eisenman

57 - Doug Baker

87 - James Parkes

89 - Jack Cronin

Summary
Todd Wodarczyk won the Clutch Pole Award. He was making his debut, having replaced Tom Delgado in the #37 Saar. On the first lap, Alan Hodges passed Wodarczyk easily. Hodges was in turn passed by Kevin Colley on lap two. On lap three the first caution came out. Ryan Hearnne and Curtis Darcy got togeather, sending James Lombardi into the wall. Hearne spun down the front stretch. He drove away easily. Colley led Sam Morel and Ross Peterson. Scott Bates changed numbers, sponsors, and manufactures since the previous race. Bates drove the #88 Erhhrtfanracing.com Lenard, as opposed to the #03 Budweiser Calton Morel he drove until then. Chris Johaanes made his debut in the #7 Killogg's Calton Morel for Ian Cooper Racing. Johaanes, an ARLA champion, was running well and made friends on the track with his clean driving. Tony Durbin was running strong as well. This was not surprising because Durbin had won on the previous two mile and a half tracks the series had visited. Motegi is a mile and a half oval. There was a debris caution on the twenty-first lap. The first dozen or so cars in line did not pit and led the field to the green. They included Dale Roswell, Tyrone Stanley, Damien Snyder, Paul Lyons, Leonid Roderick, Todd Bell, Matt Taylor, Eric Jackson, Scott Steudler, Justin Brooks, Tom Wetmore, Manny Brown, Ryan Nawrocki and Johnnie Ada. They intended to go the rest of the distance with out stopping for fuel. Roswell led on the restart, but Lyons, Roderick, and Snyder emerged as contenders. Roderick was especially fast, and he passed Roswell for the lead. Durbin was the fastest of the cars that pitted, followed by Stuart Sandoval. The drivers were told in the drivers' meeting not to go to fast into turn four. This concern was realized when Curtis Darcy took the corner to fast and hit teammate Ryan Nawrocki. Nawrocki hit Yulyia Nosova, then spun back up into Stephanie McGlynn. Nobody retired from this incident. None of those involved lost a lap. Roderick was passed on the restart by the lapped cars of Peterson and Morel, and Snyder passed him as well taking the lead on the inside. Lyons followed Snyder into second before taking the lead from Snyder. He was not able to catch the lapped cars. Roderick retook the lead, but it became apparent that the leaders might not be able to make it on fuel. With three laps to go, Paul Lyons, Dale Roswell, Tyrone Stanley, Tom Wetmore, Justin Brooks, Johnnie Ada, Manny Brown, and Ryan Nawrocki pit due to no fuel. Leonid Roderick stayed out. On lap 67, Danny Savin was turned by Kevin Colley, brining out the caution. Stuart Sandoval took second place from James Dalton coming to the yellow flag. Roderick ran out of fuel and had to pit on the final lap. He was able to return to the race. The officials were not able to restart the race. Stuart Sandoval scored his first career TM Master Cup victory under caution.