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 14th edition, we will be talking with Ryota Horachi, who the year before last finished 2nd ranked in the FIA-F4 championship, and this season he will make his SUPER GT debut driving the No. 25 HOPPY Schatz GR Supra GT,
* Interviewed at the Official tests at Okayama
Ryota Horachi No. 25 HOPPY Schatz GR Supra GT (GT300 class rookie)
—This is your first time competing in SUPER GT, isn’t it. Would you please begin by telling us how you came to join HOPPY team TSUCHIYA? The person who is in charge of my management is Hironobu Yasuda-san (No. 26 ANEST IWATA GAINER Z driver), and it was he who made an introduction on my behalf to Takeshi Tsuchiya-san (the team’s Manager and the team’s Representative), which led to an opportunity for me to run a SUPER GT test at Fuji on December 14th of last year. At that point it was still not decided whether I could drive in SUPER GT this season or not, and I thought it would be enough for me if I was able to drive as the team’s third driver. But after the New Year, at the end of January, just before the team’s program for this season was announced (February 5th), I heard that it was decided that I would be the team’s second driver. That made me feel really happy.
—The team had been successful from the time of its predecessor, the Tsuchiya Engineering team, a strong team that had previously won the GT300 class title. Would you tell us about your impression of the team? I was very nervous at first, but everyone on the team would come and talk with me, so my nervousness went away and I was able to talk with them naturally. Manager Tsuchiya gave me advice not only concerning driving but also detailed information about the car and the tires, and that all has helped me progress. (Tomomitsu) Matsui-san has also been very kind and has taught me a lot of things, which makes me very happy.
—Having driven it from your initial runs and now in the Official Tests here at Okayama, would you tell us how you feel driving the GR Supra GT? Since Fuji is a track that I am used to driving on, I was running just with a focus on getting used to the GR Supra GT, so I was able to get used to the car quite quickly. But since I have never raced on the Okayama track, I had to get used to not only the car but to the track as well, which was difficult for me. But I have now gotten quite used to the car. Although it was hard for me at first (laughs).
—The opening round at Okayama is now close at hand. Please tell us about your goals for your debut race and for the new season. In the Official Test, our focus was still mainly on making long runs on used tires, so I personally and also the team members still don’t know yet what position we stand in as a team. But I am determined to definitely win series points this season, and I hope we can win a race. From the opening round at Okayama, I want to see us continue to progress, both me personally and the team. And I want to see us continue work on the car until we can get good results, both at Suzuka, which I consider to be a track I am good on, and through to the final stages of the series.
In the next interview we will talk with Lee Jung-woo, a native of Korea Republic who, thanks to GT Academy, was able to step up to FIA-F4 and Super Taikyu, and this season was given a seat in GT300 driving the No. 26 ANEST IWATA GAINER Z. We hope you will look forward to it.
