The V10 R-League's group stage enters its final week, and even those that have already tied up a playoff spot will be keen to improve their standings.
That's the case for McLaren Shadow, who come into this matchup second in Group B, but with a chance to snag that all-important first round bye and take a spot in the semi-finals.
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To do so they will need to beat JAESA Suzuki.
Brimming with confidence
McLaren Shadow entered the V10 R-League for the first time this season, but have quickly found their feet and unlocked bags of pace.
An opening 2-2 draw with Fordzilla was really down to a few rookie errors in strategy and combat rather than out-and-out speed, and they soon corrected those, taking a 3-1 win over Williams and then a spectacular 4-0 win over BMW last week.
Sitting on 9 points they are assured a playoff spot, the only question is if they can secure the top spot. While James Baldwin leads the line for McLaren, it's been the growing confidence and pace of Isaac Gillissen and Elvin Smith that has created a juggernaut of a team. Both drivers have been able to dispatch their opponents and keep the points rolling in for McLaren.
Fighting for pride
It's been a disappointing season for JAESA Suzuki, who came in hoping to snatch a playoff spot and instead have been kept at arms length by most teams.
An entertaining 2-2 draw against Fordzilla last week gave them their first points of the season, but they are out of the playoffs now and only have the glory of a big upset to race for.
Giovanni De Salvo has provided a lot of the entertainment from JAESA Suzuki, with daring overtakes and some physical driving. Can he do enough to disrupt McLaren's flow and snatch some points?
Prediction
It feels unlikely. McLaren has looked imperious, with Baldwin usually starting on pole and executing a lightning start to get clear. Unless someone from JAESA Suzuki is starting alongside him in the team races and can force a way through, it's hard to see McLaren dropping enough points to prevent them from taking the #1 spot.
Both Smith & Gillissen have the pace to make relay races pretty comfortable for McLaren, as long as there are no speeding issues or collisions.
In short, there is really only one way this match is going...
Prediction: McLaren Shadow 4-0 JAESA Suzuki
How to watch
Fans in the UK & Ireland will be able to catch the whole match on BT Sport 3 at 3:00pm BST on Thursday, 13 May.
Those in the USA can watch the action on ESPN3 from 6pm EST on the same day. Thanks to their expanded coverage, ESPN subscribers in the Netherlands, the Caribbean, Canada, Latin America, and Oceania will be able to watch the match the following day.
Check local listings for exact times!
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