With the conclusion of the 2026 AUTOBACS SUPER GT Official tests at Okayama and Fuji, the opening round of the season at Okayama is fast approaching (held on April 11th and 12th).
With this, we interviewed some of the drivers who will be the focus of special attention, as well as rookie drivers and newly added drivers. As we look forward to the start of the series we offer their messages to the SUPER GT fans.
In this 12th edition, we will be talking with Kiyoshi Umegaki, who has competed successfully in FIA-F4 and last year won the Formula Regional Japanese Championship title, and this season has been chosen to compete as a driver for the No. 7 CARGUY Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO.
* Interviewed at the Official tests at Fuji
Kiyoshi Umegaki No. 7 CARGUY Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO (GT300 class rookie)
− Finally you are about to make your SUPER GT debut, aren’t you. Will you tell us about your career experiences until now? In my activities as TGR-DC development driver, this season I have been given the opportunity to make my debut driving car No. 7. Since I was a child, I had the impression that SUPER GT races were fast, fascinating and really cool races, and as a driver it was my goal to someday compete in them.
So, first of all, I am happy that I finally have a chance to stand at the start line of those very races. Among the races in Japan, it is also a high-class category, so I believe it requires many more driving skills than the other categories I have competed in, and also I think I have to change my mental approach to driving in it.
− Would you please tell us about your impression of the Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO you will be driving this season and your impression of the team? In the past I have had the chance to drive a GTA GT300 spec car but compared to it this year’s Ferrari 296 has almost no bad characteristics, so I feel it is easy to drive. Since until now I have not been familiar with driving a Hakosha (not a formula car or prototype racing car but a mass-production based racing car), it has been difficult for me to adjust to driving it.
As for the team, everyone is kind, so I feel like I have become the member of a family. I also feel that the direction the team moves in is something I can agree with, so I think it is a good team.
− In the Official Tests until now, how do feel about actually driving the car? Because of my lack of a driver’s license, I wasn’t able to drive at Okayama, but at Fuji I was able to take a rookie test. There I had the experience of running together with the GT500 class cars. Also, although I wasn’t able to drive to the full potential of the machine, I feel that I was able to drive better than I thought I would be able to. Since this is the team that won this race last year, and because there are two drivers besides me who are fast (Zak O’Sullivan and Reimei Ito), since I will be able to work in that environment for a full year, I think I should be able to improve as a driver.
− In closing, please tell us your enthusiasm for this season. Although there is the pressure of knowing that this is a team that can aim for the win, I think I want to do the best that I can at my level. First of all, I want to contribute to the team with my ability to run fast laps and by delivering steady performance.
In the next interview we will talk with Kotaro Shimbara, who has performed well in FIA-F4 and this season will be a GT300 class rookie driving the No. 18 UPGARAGE AMG GT3. We hope you will look forward to it.
