TOM’S Toyota Leads Both Legs Of First Okayama Test Day

2026 Autobacs SUPER GT Series Pre-Season Test Report – Day 1 at Okayama

Date: Friday, [Insert date]

The opening pre-season test for the 2026 Autobacs SUPER GT Series took place at the Okayama International Circuit, with teams examining their performance in advance of the upcoming season. The test sessions were conducted behind closed doors, allowing for focused evaluation.

GT500 Highlights

Session 1 Results:
Defending GT500 champions from TGR Team au TOM’S, Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita, continued their strong form, topping the time sheets. Tsuboi broke the one-minute, 18-second barrier with a best lap of 1:17.446, marking him as the fastest driver in the morning session. This performance placed him slightly behind the GT500 course record of 1:16.263, set by Nirei Fukuzumi.

• 1. Sho Tsuboi (TOM’S GR Supra): 1:17.446
• 2. Toshiki Oyu (KeePer Cerumo GR Supra): 1:17.723
• 3. Bertrand Baguette (TRS Impul Z NISMO): 1:17.764
• 5. Koudai Tsukakoshi (Astemo HRC Prelude-GT): 1:18.011

Session 2 Insights:
Yamashita was the standout in the afternoon session, recording a lap of 1:17.493 during the GT500 Exclusive Run, just milliseconds shy of Tsuboi’s morning time.

• 1. Kenta Yamashita (TOM’S GR Supra): 1:17.493
• 2. Kazuki Hiramine (TRS Impul Z NISMO): 1:17.844
• 3. Yuhi Sekiguchi (Denso Kobelco SARD GR Supra): 1:17.917

Tsuboi noted the significance of testing alongside the GT300 cars, suggesting mixed-class conditions alter the competitive atmosphere. He added, “Given those circumstances, I think there’s still room for improvement.”

GT300 Highlights

In the GT300 category, the #60 Syntium LM corsa Lexus LC500, driven by Hiroki Yoshimoto, set the day’s fastest time of 1:24.919 in Session 1.

• GT300 Session 1 Results:

1. Hiroki Yoshimoto (Syntium LM corsa Lexus LC500): 1:24.919
2. Hiroaki Ishiura (Eneos X Prime Mercedes-AMG): 1:25.508
3. Seita Nonaka (Saitama Green Brave Toyota GR Supra): 1:25.666

Yoshimoto remarked on the team’s progress since last season, emphasizing improved responsiveness and a solid setup.

Session 2 Notes:
The newly introduced #9 Pacific Umamusume NAC BMW M4 GT3 EVO topped the afternoon session with a time of 1:25.798, with tight competition following closely.

• GT300 Session 2 Results:

1. Yusuke Tomibayashi (Pacific NAC BMW M4 GT3 EVO): 1:25.798
2. Hibiki Taira (apr Toyota GR86): 1:25.805
3. Tokiya Suzuki (Eneos Mercedes-AMG): 1:25.818

The day concluded with a clean test for the GT500 teams, while the GT300 competition faced some challenges, including a late venue scratch of the #11 Gainer Tanax Nissan Fairlady Z due to technical issues.

Next Steps: The teams will regroup for further tests at Fuji Speedway in preparation for the upcoming season, refining their strategies and car setups based on today’s outcomes.