Takahisa Fujinami, competing again aboard the Honda RTL ELECTRIC, continued to demonstrate his world champion skills by securing a remarkable second consecutive victory at Sportsland SUGO, Miyagi Prefecture. He climbed to 8th place in the overall standings in the MFJ All Japan Trial Championship, securing entry to the upcoming City Trial Japan event, allowing fans to witness his and RTL ELECTRIC’s prowess for another round.

After assessing the sections, the competition was expected to be a nerve-wracking battle with minimal deductions. The course allowed for the possibility of a flawless performance without a single foot down, meaning even one small slip could cost the victory.

Right from the start, Fujinami lost a point in the 3rd section, a painful deduction in this intense contest. Although this initial mistake unsettled him, he quickly found his rhythm as his rivals accrued points. By the end of the first lap, Fujinami stood at three points, with Kenichi Kuroyama trailing at seven points, and Tomoyuki Ogawa at 10 points. These three riders, along with Seiya Ujigawa, were closely contending for the top overall rankings.

In the second lap, Fujinami reduced his deductions to just 2 points. As one of the first to finish, he awaited his rivals’ outcomes. Kuroyama, who initially ranked 2nd, dropped to 3rd after consecutive 5-point penalties. Ogawa moved up to 2nd, completing his second lap with a total of 15 points.

The remaining challenge was the concrete block sections (SS), structured to be ridden round-trip. Fujinami, aiming to clear both SS sections, held a solid 10-point lead over Ogawa. His primary goal, however, was to complete the SS sections cleanly, regardless of the victory. As riders took on SS1 and SS2, their scores fluctuated. Following scores of 5, 3, and other minor deductions by top competitors, Fujinami executed a clean run, a feat no other rider achieved that day.

 

Takahisa Fujinami, Team HRC #27

“I aimed for an all-clean run but knew it wouldn’t be easy. In section 3, I took an unplanned step after hitting a rock, which was a big misstep, especially since a single point could decide the outcome. After that, I regained my focus and was able to find my rhythm. Winning two consecutive events was great, especially after having quality time with the RTL ELECTRIC these past two weeks. I’ll give my all at City Trial Japan.”

 

Results:

Position Rider Manufacturer
1 Takahisa Fujinami Honda
2 Tomoyuki Ogawa Honda
3 Tsuyoshi Ogawa Beta
4 Kenichi Kuroyama Yamaha
5 Seiya Ujikawa Yamaha
6 Koji Hisaoka Honda
7 Yohito Takeda GasGas
8 Jin Kuroyama Sherco
9 Masaya Takei Honda
10 Akira Shibata TRRS
11 Yoshihiro Tanaka Honda
12 Masatoshi Okamura Sherco