Sekiya Wins Auto Race by Less Than a Second

SUZUKA, Japan — Masanori Sekiya Sunday drove a Leyton March 89 from the pole position and won the fourth race of the 125-mile Grand Champion Race, edging Britain’s Geoff Lees by less than one second.

Sekiya sped 35 laps over the 3,633-mile Suzuka International Circuit in 1 hour, 10 minutes, 01.105 seconds at an average speed of 108.845 m.p.h.

It was Sekiya’s first victory in the event.

Driving a Reynard 89D, Lees was clocked in 1:10:01.909, 0.804 of a second behind Sekiya.

In third was Takao Wada, who drove a Lora T88-50 in a time of 1:10:48.118, followed by Eje Elgh of Sweden, in a Lora t88-40, in 1:11:28.644.

A total of 16 started and eight machines finished the race.