Seven x Seven Racing Clinches ST-X Championship at Fuji
In a remarkable debut season in the Eneos Super Taikyu Series, Seven x Seven Racing secured the 2025 ST-X (GT3) Championship with a commanding victory in the four-hour S-Tai Final at Fuji Speedway. The team’s fourth win was solidified by the trio of Hiroyuki “Bankcy” Ogawa, Kiyoto Fujinami, and Taichi Watarai, despite missing two mid-season rounds at Sugo and Autopolis.
Race Highlights
The race featured diverse on-track action, beginning with the inaugural S-Tai Challenge series, attracting 42 cars competing in a one-hour race for entry-level JDM vehicles. Murakami Motors triumphed in this class, with their #88 Mazda Roadster piloted by Satoshi Yoshida and Eigo Suzuki.
Highlighting the event’s global appeal, six NASCAR stock cars, including the Le Mans Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, showcased North American motorsport to the Japanese audience. “This brings back our vision of Fuji Speedway as the ‘Daytona of the East,’” stated STMO President Akio Toyoda, emphasizing the partnership with leading teams such as Hendrick Motorsports.
Race Overview
The ST-X finale saw Bingo Racing’s #9 Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R take pole position, a notable achievement for the exhibition ST-USA class. However, mechanical issues plagued many competitors, leading to a challenging race characterized by strategic pit stops and attrition.
Sena Sakaguchi led early in the race for Bingo, but Craft-Bamboo Racing’s #33 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO took the lead thanks to a strong performance by Kakunoshin Ohta. The race’s turning point came when the #33 Mercedes retired due to a mechanical failure, allowing the #666 Seven x Seven Porsche to gain a strategic advantage.
Watarai, driving the #666 Porsche, maintained a substantial lead, crossing the finish line 57.731 seconds ahead after 135 laps. Daisuke Matsunaga’s #23 TKRI Mercedes-AMG finished second, securing the runner-up position in the championship.
Championship Context
This victory marks the first championship win in Super Taikyu’s GT3 category for a customer Porsche team, underlining Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific’s growing influence in Japan. For Fujinami, this title adds to his legacy, being his third ST-X championship.
The race concluded amidst tributes to Hajime Omono, a beloved figure in the series, who passed away earlier this season, leaving a legacy in amateur motorsport.
Final Results
- #666 Seven x Seven Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R
- #23 TKRI Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #777 D’station Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo
- Various podiums across classes including ST-1, ST-Z, and ST-TCR
A total of over 40,000 spectators attended the event, witnessing high-stakes racing that sets the stage for the 2026 Super Taikyu Series.
