TF Sport # 81 Corvette wins WEC 6-hour race at Mt Fuji in Japan

Charlie Eastwood and teammates Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy in the # 81 Z06 GT3.R Corvette overcame an early-race penalty to win their first race on the sixth round of the WEC series.

Qualifying seventh, the trio bounced between second as seventh in LMGT3 as three safety car periods scrambled the race at various times on the 2.835-mile, 16-turn Fuji Speedway circuit.

In terms of fuel strategy and pace, the win came down to being in the right place at the right time in the closing stages.

Alessio Rovera in the # 21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 was first to cross the finish line but a 5-second post-race penalty for a pit stop infringement involving a mechanic put them second.

Ben Keating, Dani Juncadella and Jonny Edgar in the # 33 Z06 GT3.R Corvette completed 184 laps to finish 8th, one lap off the pace.

Their gamble to stretch fuel milage and double-stint tires to make one fewer pit stops was upended by the second safety car period.

The TF Sport # 81 Corvette now sits in third place, 24 points out and the # 33 Corvette now sits fourth with little hope of catching the # 21 Ferrari and the # 92 Manthey Porsche with 39 points up for grabs heading into the eight-hour season finale in Bahrain on November 6-8.

Photos courtesy of TF Sport, James Moy, Sports Car 365