Reigning champion Nojiri dominated the majority of the race from pole position, with the Mugen Honda driver's advantage over the rest of the field peaking at well over 10 seconds early in the 31-lap contest.
But the tide started shifting slowly when both Tadasuke Makino and Matsushita dispatched front row starter Kenta Yamashita in quick succession on laps seven and nine respectively, and set about chasing Nojiri for the victory.
