Following what turned out to be a three-month interval, the 2026 AUTOBACS SUPER GT Series resumes with a run of races in August. First up is Round 4, the FUJI GT 300km RACE, which will be held at Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture on August 1 (Sat) and 2 (Sun). Although the venue is the same as the previous round, this race will be run over 300 km, making it significantly shorter than the 3-hour contest held in Round 2. As a result, qualifying position will carry greater importance, and the tension is expected to remain high from start to finish. With the race taking place at the beginning of August, teams can also expect true midsummer conditions. Increased tire wear and the need to manage heat-related issues on the cars could have a major influence on the outcome. Furthermore, this will be the third race of the season, and the Success Weight carried by the championship frontrunners has continued to increase. How will team management approach these demanding conditions strategically, and will the drivers be able to execute those plans successfully? Although the battle returns to Fuji Speedway, fans can expect a race quite different from the previous round held at the same circuit. And for those attending the event in person, don’t forget to take precautions against heatstroke.
※The top photo is from Round 2 at Fuji in 2026.
Fuji Speedway information ■Track details Length: 4,563m Width: 15 to 25m Elevation difference:40m
■Track records GT500 1’25.764 Kenta Yamashita / No.14 ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra 2021 Round 8 Qualifying – Q2 (Nov. 27) GT300 1’34.314 Hideki Yamauchi / No.61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT 2026 Round 2 Qualifying – Q2 (May 3)
■Fierce battle expected among the GR Supras at Toyota’s home track, Fuji! Will the favorites be the No.38 or No.14? Or can the powerful No.36 make it three wins in a row from the start of the season?
The reigning champions, the No.36 au TOM’S GR Supra (Sho Tsuboi / Kenta Yamashita), have started the season in ideal fashion, winning both the season opener at Okayama and Round 2 at Fuji, putting themselves in an excellent position in pursuit of a fourth consecutive championship. Based on those results, there is little doubt that the No.36 remains one of the strongest contenders of this season. However, under SUPER GT’s Success Weight system, the No.36 will carry an equivalent handicap of 80 kg for Round 4*. Considering that burden, even a podium finish will be difficult. That said, the team has repeatedly demonstrated its racecraft over the years. Strategic opportunities may emerge through weather conditions or race management, and while the odds may be lower than before, the No.36 is still expected to fight near the front. Even so, Fuji remains Toyota’s home circuit, and the GR Supra GT500 continues to enjoy a strong record there. That points attention toward the GR Supra entries that have consistently delivered victories and podiums at Fuji over the last two seasons. Leading the list are the No.38 KeePer CERUMO GR Supra (Toshiki Oyu / Rikuto Kobayashi), winner of Fuji Round 2 last season, and the No.14 ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra (Nirei Fukuzumi / Kazuya Oshima), winner of Race 2 at Fuji Round 4. Both entries have already scored podium finishes in the opening rounds of 2026, making them prime contenders for victory in Round 4. As for a potential dark horse, the No.19 WedsSport BANDOH GR Supra (Yuji Kunimoto / Sena Sakaguchi) deserves attention. As the sole Yokohama-tire runner in GT500, the team could spring a surprise if it finds the perfect tire choice for the track conditions. In that case, the No.19’s trademark raw speed could catch many by surprise. *For 2026, the GT500 Success Weight system has been revised to match the GT300 approach. Physical ballast is limited to a maximum of 50 kg. Any handicap beyond that is applied through a Success Refueling Restrictor that limits the amount of fuel, increasing pit stop time and creating an equivalent performance penalty.
■The 2026-spec Z GT500 has shown promise in the first two rounds! Can the No.23 and No.12 claim their first win of the season and take a step toward a long-awaited title?
The previous-generation Z NISMO GT500 was known to have circuits where it was stronger or weaker, and teams often relied on setup adjustments to compensate. The 2026-spec car appears to have addressed that characteristic, resulting in a machine that is easier to drive. At Round 2 Fuji, the No.23 MOTUL Niterra Z (Katsumasa Chiyo / Mitsunori Takaboshi) finished third in both qualifying and the race, providing clear encouragement. Although the team struggled at Okayama, the issue stemmed from an incorrect tire choice rather than the performance of the car itself. For Round 4, the No.23 carries a manageable Success Weight of 28 kg. The team will be targeting its first victory since Round 5 last year, or at the very least another podium finish. The car that capitalized on the No.23’s difficulties at Okayama was the No.12 TRS IMPUL with SDG Z (Kazuki Hiramine / Bertrand Baguette), which finished third in that race. Notably, at Fuji Round 4 in 2022, the year the No.12 captured the GT500 championship, the team finished second before using that momentum to win the following race and ultimately secure the title. This season, the goal will be a second podium of the year, and ideally a victory that could serve as the foundation for a championship challenge for the first time since 2022. Leveraging the data gained at the previous race at Fuji!
■Leveraging the data gained from the previous Fuji race! Expectations are high for the HRC-backed No.8 and the proven No.100.
For the new Honda HRC PRELUDE-GT, results have been difficult so far. The best finish in the car’s debut race, the opening round at Okayama, was seventh place for the No.100 STANLEY HRC PRELUDE-GT (Naoki Yamamoto / Tadasuke Makino), while eighth place at Fuji Round 2, again by the No.100, was the best Honda result of that round. The previous CIVIC TYPE R-GT was known for its straight-line speed, while the NSX-GT that preceded it excelled in cornering performance, a total contrast in the baseline characteristics. The new PRELUDE-GT appears to fall somewhere between those two concepts. As a result, teams are still refining the car’s fundamental setup and extracting its full potential. Under those circumstances, the unexpected three-month break should have provided Honda with a valuable opportunity for development. Among the PRELUDE-GT entries, the No.8 #8 ARTA MUGEN HRC PRELUDE-GT (Kakunoshin Ohta / Hiroki Otsu) stands out as a car to watch. No.8 car (previously No.8 ARTA MUGEN CIVIC TYPE R-GT) delivered the CIVIC TYPE R-GT’s first victory at Fuji in Round 4 of 2024, and the team now operates with support from Honda’s development arm, HRC. Naturally, it will be aiming to score the PRELUDE-GT’s first victory at Fuji as well. The No.100 STANLEY HRC PRELUDE-GT (Naoki Yamamoto / Tadasuke Makino) is also expected to come into contention. During the two years of the CIVIC TYPE R-GT, the team finished second in the championship twice in succession and has scored a Fuji podium every year since 2023, first with the NSX-GT and then with the CIVIC TYPE R-GT. With the PRELUDE-GT entering its third race weekend and development continuing to advance, this may finally be the moment for Honda’s new challenger to show its true potential.
■Signs of a breakthrough for the No.52 GR Supra and No.60 LC500! The No.56 GT-R targets back-to-back wins, while the fast No.61 BRZ seeks redemption!
The winner of the previous Fuji 3-hour race was the No.56 REALIZE NISSAN MECHANIC CHALLENGE GT-R (João Paulo de Oliveira / Iori Kimura). Although the car qualified only sixth, it moved into the lead during the first half of the race and ultimately fought at the front before taking victory. For Round 4, however, the team’s task becomes significantly more difficult, carrying a Success Weight equivalent of 54 kg together with a Success Refueling Restrictor. Even so, the strength of the team suggests another podium finish is entirely possible. While it may not be the outright favorite, it should certainly be among the frontrunners. Two other cars that deserve close attention are the No.52 Green Brave GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshida / Seita Nonaka) and the No.60 Syntium LMcorsa LC500 GT (Hiroki Yoshimoto / Shunsuke Kohno). Since switching to the GR Supra in 2020, the No.52 has scored five Fuji podium finishes, including two victories, making this one of its strongest circuits. Meanwhile, the LC500 has traditionally been highly competitive on high-speed circuits. Although it uses a different powertrain, the No.31 apr LC500h GT (Kazuto Kotaka / Miki Koyama) shares the same LC500 chassis and finished third at Fuji in Round 2. That result should provide encouragement to the No.60 as it seeks to demonstrate its speed and chase a first victory since Round 6 last year. As for the No.31, consecutive podium finishes have brought increased Success Weight, now reaching 64 kg. Given the circumstances, securing another top-five finish and maintaining a strong championship position may be the wiser objective. The No.61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Takuto Iguchi / Hideki Yamauchi) is another fascinating contender. Equipped with a new engine for 2026, the BRZ demonstrated its potential at Fuji Round 2 by taking pole position. However, the team struggled with tire performance during the 3-hour race before suffering a drivetrain issue late in the event, resulting in a disappointing retirement. That makes this return to Fuji a prime opportunity for revenge. The team’s weaknesses from Round 2 should have been thoroughly addressed during the lengthy break. Can the No.61 convert another pole position into victory over 300 km this time? Also worth watching are last year’s champions, the No.65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Naoya Gamo / Togo Suganami), runners-up in Round 2; the No.4 GOODSMILE HATSUNE MIKU AMG (Nobuteru Taniguchi / Tatsuya Kataoka); and the No.32 ENEOS X PRIME AMG GT3 (Hiroaki Ishiura / Tokiya Suzuki). All three Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries have the potential to be major players at Round 4 Fuji. Current championship leader No.777 D’station Vantage GT3 (Tomonobu Fujii / Charlie Fagg) carries the largest Success Weight in the field at 70 kg, yet a top-five finish, or even a podium, is still within reach. And should the weather turn wet, the No.666 seven x seven PORSCHE GT3R EVO (Sven Müller / Kiyoto Fujinami), a car renowned for its strength in difficult conditions, could also emerge as a serious contender for the top positions.
