The AUTOPOLIS GT 3Hours RACE, Round 7 of the 2026 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series will be held at Autopolis in Oita Prefecture on October 17 (Sat) and 18 (Sun). With Round 3 in Malaysia having been postponed and incorporated into Saturday’s schedule at the season finale in Motegi, the Autopolis round effectively becomes the sixth race of the 2026 season. Accordingly, Success Weight (SW) will continue to be applied at a rate of 2kg per championship point, as it was in the previous round, with none of the SW reductions that are typically seen by Round 7. In addition, this event will be the longest race of the season at three hours in duration. Last year’s race lasted 102 laps, covering approximately 476km, placing a greater burden on both cars and tires than most other rounds. With a minimum of two pit stops also mandatory, race strategy and pit work will play a major role in determining the outcome. After this round, only the two-race finale at Motegi will remain. For teams lower down the standings, Autopolis represents the last realistic opportunity to keep their title hopes alive, while the front-runners have a perfect chance to strengthen their positions in the championship battle. As the various ambitions of the teams intersect, fierce battles are expected throughout the field. The race that could define the climax of the 2026 season is about to begin at Autopolis.
※Above photo is last year’s Round 7 Autopolis race start.
■Autopolis information ◎Track details Length: 4,674m Width: 12 to 15m Elevation difference:52m
◎Track records GT500 1’31.131 Nirei Fukuzumi / No. 16 ARTA MUGEN NSX-GT 2023 Round 7 Qualifying – Q1 (October 14) GT300 1’41.016 Yuui Tsutsumi / No. 2 muta Racing GR86 GT 2023 Round 7 Qualifying – Q2 (October 14)
■The No.38 must stay in title contention, while the lightly weighted No.19 looks well positioned. And can the three-time champion No.36 keep moving forward?
The team that has remained at the top of the Drivers’ Championship throughout the season is the three-time reigning champion No.36 au TOM’S GR Supra (Sho Tsuboi / Kenta Yamashita). As the championship leader, the car carries the maximum 100kg of Success Weight (SW). Even so, it finished fourth at the previous round at SUGO, once again demonstrating championship-caliber strength. While challenging for victory at Autopolis may not be easy under those conditions, another podium challenge is certainly possible. Should the No.36 achieve that, it would take a major step toward a record-breaking fourth consecutive title. However, the team suffered mechanical trouble at Autopolis last year and will be eager to make amends this time. Among the GR Supra contingent, the team most desperate for victory may be the No.38 KeePer CERUMO GR Supra (Toshiki Oyu / Rikuto Kobayashi). After securing pole position and finishing second in the opening round at Okayama, the team has since fallen away from the podium positions and currently sits eighth in the standings. With 58kg of SW, lighter than many of the championship front-runners, victory or at the very least a podium finish is essential if the No.38 is to remain in title contention. Also worth watching is the No.19 WedsSport BANDOH GR Supra (Yuji Kunimoto / Sena Sakaguchi). Carrying just 14kg of SW, the No.19 enjoys a significant advantage on paper. If the team can secure a strong grid position in qualifying, it has every chance of joining the fight for victory. Given its well-established reputation for outright speed, a pole-to-win performance is certainly not out of the question.
■Can last year’s winner No.100 and runner-up No.64 repeat their Autopolis success with the PRELUDE-GT?
The Honda HRC PRELUDE-GT contingent arrives at Autopolis with tremendous momentum, having recorded three consecutive victories from Round 4 Fuji through Round 6 SUGO. While the PRELUDE-GT struggled during the opening two rounds of its debut season, the three-month interval created by the postponement of Round 3 allowed the teams to significantly improve the car’s competitiveness. The results speak for themselves. Following victory at SUGO, the No.17 Astemo HRC PRELUDE-GT (Koudai Tsukakoshi / Yuto Nomura) rose to second place in the drivers’ standings. Meanwhile, the No.100 STANLEY HRC PRELUDE-GT (Naoki Yamamoto / Tadasuke Makino), winner of Round 4, and the No.16 ARTA MUGEN HRC PRELUDE-GT (Tomoki Nojiri / Ren Sato), winner of Round 5, occupy third and fourth in the standings respectively.
Last year at Autopolis, the No.100 demonstrated a masterclass in race management. The team conserved its pace in the first half while maintaining track position before increasing its speed dramatically in the closing stages to take victory and give the then-struggling CIVIC TYPE R-GT an important win. This year the No.100 faces a difficult challenge with 76kg of SW, but given the team’s overall strength, a podium finish or even victory remains realistic. Another car that deserves close attention is the No.64 Modulo HRC PRELUDE-GT (Riki Okusa / Igor Omura Fraga), which carries just 2kg of SW. While race results have not reflected its potential, the No.64 has already demonstrated its speed through pole position at Round 6 SUGO and second on the grid at Round 5 Suzuka. After finishing second at Autopolis last year, the team will be aiming to go one step better in 2026.
■Could the No.23, driven by Autopolis specialists Chiyo and Takaboshi, be the favorite? The No.12 also needs a strong result to stay in the title fight
The NISSAN Z NISMO GT500 camp has yet to claim a victory this season. However, the lack of wins means the Nissan entries enjoy an advantage in terms of Success Weight (SW) compared with many of their rivals. Autopolis places enormous demands on tires and features significant elevation changes, making aerodynamic performance particularly important. Considering Nissan’s strong record at this circuit in recent years, Round 7 represents an ideal opportunity to challenge for a first win of the season.
Particular attention will focus on the No.23 MOTUL Niterra Z (Katsumasa Chiyo / Mitsunori Takaboshi), driven by Mitsunori Takaboshi, who currently sits ninth in the Drivers’ Championship, and the No.12 TRS IMPUL with SDG Z (Kazuki Hiramine / Bertrand Baguette), which is 11th in the standings. For both entries, this could be a decisive race in determining whether they remain within reach of the championship battle heading into Motegi. With many higher-ranked rivals carrying heavier SW, the No.23’s 50kg and the No.12’s 40kg should leave both teams in a competitive position. The No.23 driver pairing in particula has an excellent record at Autopolis. In 2024, Chiyo finished second, while Takaboshi claimed third place in the No.3 car, giving both drivers podium finishes. The year before, Chiyo and Takaboshi shared the then-No.3 car and together secured a third-place finish. Given that record, another strong result would come as no surprise. This time, however, Chiyo and Takaboshi will be looking to secure the long-awaited victory at Autopolis as the No.23 pairing and regain momentum in the championship battle.
■Autopolis could decide the title race! Watch out for the Porsche GT3R of the No.666 and the Huracan GT3 of the No.88!!
The GT300 Drivers’ Championship is now entering its decisive phase. Currently leading the standings on 69 points is the No.56 REALIZE NISSAN MECHANIC CHALLENGE GT-R (Joao Paulo de Oliveira / Iori Kimura), winner of Round 2 at Fuji. Twenty-one points behind sits the No.777 D’station Vantage GT3 (Tomonobu Fujii / Charlie Fagg). Behind them come the No.7 CARGUY Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO (Zak O’Sullivan / Kiyoshi Umegaki), No.666 seven × seven PORSCHE GT3R EVO (Sven Müller / Taichi Watarai), No.52 Green Brave GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshida / Seita Nonaka), No.60 Syntium LMcorsa LC500 GT (Hiroki Yoshimoto / Shunsuke Kohno), No.2 HYPER WATER INGING GR86 GT (Yuui Tsutsumi / Kazuhisa Urabe), and No.31 apr LC500h GT (Kazuto Kotaka / Miki Koyama / Charlie Wurz), all within 22 to 29 points of the championship leader. Those teams remain firmly in the title fight. Most of the championship contenders carry substantial Success Weight (SW) and may face a difficult race at Autopolis. However, as demonstrated by the No.56 at SUGO, where it used a no-tire-change strategy to finish second after fighting for victory, clever strategy and changing weather conditions can still allow heavily weighted cars to achieve strong results. Among those contenders, the No.666 car stands out. Thanks to the traction advantages of its rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, the Porsche GT3R has traditionally been well suited to the elevation changes of Autopolis. Among the championship contenders, it may prove one of the strongest threats this weekend. At the same time, teams just behind the leading group will view Autopolis as an opportunity to score heavily and keep their hopes alive for a title charge during the two-race Motegi finale.
One of the leading candidates for victory is the No.88 VENTENY Lamborghini GT3 (Takashi Kogure / Daniil Kvyat / Natsu Sakaguchi), winner at Autopolis in 2024. Among the Ferrari 296 GT3 runners, the lightly weighted No.45 PONOS FERRARI 296 EVO (Takuro Shinohara / Shintaro Kawabata / Kento Omiya) and the No.6 UNI-ROBO BLUEGRASS FERRARI (Yoshiaki Katayama / Niklas Krütten) are also expected to be strong contenders. In addition, the No.61 SUBARU BRZ R&D SPORT (Takuto Iguchi / Hideki Yamauchi), which claimed its first podium finish of the season with third place at SUGO, cannot be overlooked.
So who will emerge from this fierce battle and establish themselves as a central figure in the championship fight heading into the season finale? The race at Autopolis could play a decisive role in determining the destination of the 2026 titles.
