Tsuboi and Yamashita Crowned GT500 Champions as Team au TOM’S Clinch Historic Title at Motegi
In a decisive showcase at the Motegi GT 300km Race: Grand Final, Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita of TGR Team au TOM’S secured the 2025 GT500 Championship. A second-place finish would have sufficed, but their victory solidified their place in SUPER GT history, marking the team’s fourth title in five years.
The triumph is particularly notable for Tsuboi, who secured his fourth Drivers’ Championship, tying the record set by Nissan’s Ronnie Quintarelli in 2015. Tsuboi’s accomplishment also marks a historic milestone as he becomes the first driver to clinch three consecutive GT500 titles. Yamashita joins an elite group of drivers, now comprising only six individuals to achieve three or more championships, including Quintarelli and Satoshi Motoyama.
Tsuboi took the lead on the race’s opening lap, executing a flawless crossover pass on polesitter Hiroaki Ishiura (#38 KeePer Cerumo GR Supra). Leading for the first 23 laps before pitting, Tsuboi helped maintain the team’s advantage despite attempts from competitors, notably the #12 TRS Impul Z of Kazuki Hiramine and the #23 Motul Autech Z of Katsumasa Chiyo.
In a nail-biting finale, Yamashita faced aggressive challenges but managed to fend off Hiramine, finishing just 0.254 seconds ahead. The #12 and #23 cars rounded out the podium, finishing second and third, respectively.
The race also saw a mixed outcome for the #100 Stanley Honda Civic Type R-GT. Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino employed a bold fuel-only pit strategy, temporarily taking the lead before yielding to Yamashita. Despite finishing fourth, this outcome secured second place in the championship for Stanley Team Kunimitsu, marking a significant performance as the Civic Type R-GT heads into retirement.
In the GT300 class, Team Mach celebrated its first victory in 22 years, with the #5 Mach Syaken/Air Buster MC86 of Yusuke Shiotsu and Iori Kimura delivering an impressive performance. They executed an early pit strategy that paid off handsomely.
The GT300 Championship went to K2 R&D LEON Racing’s duo of Naoya Gamou and Togo Suganami, who edged out Kondo Racing by a single point. Their #65 LEON Pyramid Mercedes-AMG GT3 finished sixth, just enough to secure the title over Kohei Hirate and João Paulo de Oliveira, who finished fourth in the #56 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3. The podium was rounded out by the #61 Subaru BRZ R&D Sport, marking a significant farewell for the EJ20 engine as it retires after powering Subaru GT300 cars since 1998.
The season wrap-up highlights a remarkable period in SUPER GT, underscoring the competitive spirit and technical prowess of each team while setting the stage for the next season.
