Motegi GT 250km Race: Okusa Secures Third Consecutive Pole
In a commanding performance, Riki Okusa of Modulo Nakajima Racing claimed pole position for the first Motegi GT 250km Race in the 2026 Autobacs SUPER GT Series, setting a time of 1:36.572. This marks Okusa’s third straight pole and Honda’s fifth consecutive front-row sweep since the summer break. The race begins today at 2:00 p.m. JST.
Okusa surpassed Tomoki Nojiri of ARTA Mugen, who qualified second at 1:36.917. Both drivers recorded their best times at the session’s conclusion, as the qualifying format consolidated the session for both classes without knockout stages.
Nirei Fukuzumi and Sena Sakaguchi in Toyota GR Supra GT500s secured third and fourth positions, clocking in at 1:36.942 and 1:37.009, respectively. The Nissan Z NISMO GT500s of Atsushi Miyake and Bertrand Baguette will start fifth and sixth.
Championship co-leader Kenta Yamashita qualified seventh, while rivals Tadasuke Makino and the #100 Stanley Prelude-GT are just three points behind in the standings, having qualified eighth.
Notably, rookie Yuto Nomura faced a setback after an early-puncture mishap forced him to abort what was shaping into the fastest lap, relegating the #17 Astemo Prelude-GT to 14th.
In the GT300 sector, Ryuichiro Tomita earned a surprise pole for the #11 Gainer Tanax Nissan Fairlady Z with a lap time of 1:45.418. This is Gainer’s first pole since 2022 and represents a milestone for both the driver and the Nissan Z platform.
Shinichi Takagi, winner of the recent Autopolis 3 Hour, qualified second with a time of 1:45.786, while Takashi Kogure in the #88 Venteny Lamborghini secured third. Championship leader João Paulo de Oliveira qualified 17th in the #56 Realize/Nissan Mechanic Challenge GT-R GT3.
Five GT300 teams remain competitive for the championship, with the closest contender being Charlie Fagg in eighth position.
The #32 ENEOS X Prime GR GT3 Concept had a challenging debut, qualifying last at 27th with a time of 1:48.105.
The race promises exciting developments as teams prepare to battle for crucial points this afternoon.
