Super GT - Super GT Round 8

Super GT Round 8 takes place at Mobility Resort Motegi in Japan as the final race of the 2026 season. This event, officially called the 2026 Autobacs Super GT Round 8, brings the championship to its conclusion at one of Japan's premier motorsports facilities. The venue, previously known as Twin Ring Motegi, hosts the supergt series on its 4.801-kilometer road course.

Circuit Details

Mobility Resort Motegi sits in Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. built the facility in 1997 with the goal of bringing IndyCar racing to Japan. The circuit received its current name on March 1, 2022, marking its 25th anniversary.

Super GT races use the road course, which measures 4.801 kilometers (2.983 miles). The track features 14 corners and runs clockwise. Drivers face a variety of turns and elevation changes. The layout follows a stop-start straight-hairpin style. The facility also contains a 2.493-kilometer oval track, though it remains unused for racing after sustaining damage during a 2011 earthquake. The venue holds FIA Grade 2 certification and has a capacity of 68,156.

GT500 Class Participants

The GT500 class represents the premier category in Super GT. Three Japanese manufacturers compete: Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita of TGR Team au TOM'S enter as the defending drivers' champions. Their team will use car number 36.

Honda Entries

Honda introduces the new Prelude GT chassis for the 2026 season. This car replaces the Civic Type R-GT. Kakunoshin Ohta returns to Super GT and partners with Hiroki Otsu in the #8 ARTA Mugen car. Tomoki Nojiri moves to the #16 ARTA Mugen car alongside Ren Sato. Igor Omura Fraga joins #64 Nakajima Racing, replacing Takuya Izawa. Yuto Nomura steps into the #17 Real Racing Honda with Koudai Tsukakoshi.

Toyota Entries

TGR Team au TOM'S continues with Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita in car #36. Giuliano Alesi and Ukyo Sasahara remain with the #37 Team TOM'S. Rikuto Kobayashi receives a promotion to GT500, joining Toshiki Oyu at TGR Team KeePer Cerumo in car #38. He replaces Hiroaki Ishiura. Nirei Fukuzumi and Kazuya Oshima drive the #14 ENEOS ROOKIE car. Yuji Kunimoto and Sena Sakaguchi continue with #19 Racing Project Bandoh. Yuhi Sekiguchi and Sacha Fenestraz remain with #39 Team SARD.

Nissan Entries

Nissan fields three Nissan Z NISMO GT500 cars. Team Impul, NISMO, and Kondo Racing operate these entries. Tsugio Matsuda transitions from driver to Team Director for NISMO. Atsushi Miyake moves to Kondo Racing to partner Teppei Natori. Kazumasa Chiyo and Mitsunori Takaboshi pilot the #23 NISMO car. Kazuki Hiramine and Bertrand Baguette remain with the #12 Team Impul car.

GT300 Class Participants

The GT300 class offers a diverse grid. Cars built to FIA GT3 regulations compete alongside Japan's GTA-GT300 regulations and the Mother Chassis platform. Togo Suganami and Naoya Gamou of K2 R&D LEON Racing are the defending champions.

The grid includes cars from multiple manufacturers: Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Mercedes-AMG. D'station Racing enters Tomonobu Fujii and Charlie Fagg in the #777 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO. Velorex fields the #6 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo with Niklas Krütten and Yoshiaki Katayama. Team Eneos ROOKIE joins with the #32 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, driven by Hiroaki Ishiura and Tokiya Suzuki. Daniil Kvyat is confirmed for one of JLOC's Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2s. Team Mach operates the #5 Toyota (Dome) 86 MC, the sole remaining GT300 Mother Chassis car.

Multiple tire manufacturers compete in 2026: Yokohama, Bridgestone, Dunlop, and Michelin. The series will switch to a single tire supplier in 2027.

Technical Regulations

The 2026 season brings significant technical regulation changes. GT500 cars now use only one engine per season, reduced from two. This change promotes durability and cost reduction. Teams exceeding this limit receive a 5-second stop penalty.

The standard fuel flow rate for GT500 engines drops from 95 kg/h to 90.2 kg/h. The success weight system has been revised. Cars carrying over 50 kg of success weight face a further fuel flow reduction to 88 kg/h. At 67 kg of success weight, teams must install a "Level 1" refueling restrictor, which increases pit stop times. A smaller "Level 2" restrictor applies at 84 kg. Physical ballast only comes off in the final two rounds of the season.

All GT500 chassis introduced in 2025 must continue until the end of the 2027 season. The GT300 class continues to balance performance across FIA GT3 cars, GTA-GT300 cars, and the Mother Chassis platform. GTA-GT300 cars allow aerodynamic development and manufacturer-specific engines.

No individual can serve as both an active racing driver and team director at the same time. A team director can be nominated as a reserve driver. GT500 cars use GTA-designated fuel, while GT300 cars must use fuel sold by the organizer.

History of Super GT at Motegi

Honda constructed Mobility Resort Motegi in 1997 as a premier motorsports facility. The circuit initially hosted the CART series' inaugural Indy Japan 300 in 1998. Adrian Fernandez won that race. The venue even hosted an exhibition NASCAR race in the same year. Danica Patrick made history at Motegi in 2008 by becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar race. The BAR Formula One Car racing scene for the "Impossible Dream" commercial was filmed at this track in 2005.

Super GT originated as the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) in 1994. The series was rebranded in 2005. Motegi has hosted Super GT since 1998. The series uses a unique two-class system. The faster GT500 cars are effectively silhouette prototypes. These cars often lap the more production-based GT300 cars during races.

Mobility Resort Motegi hosts major events beyond Super GT, including MotoGP, Super Formula, and Super Taikyu. The complex offers various attractions such as the Honda Collection Hall, MOBI PARK, and go-karting. These features make it a comprehensive motorsports destination.

Super GT Round 8 at Mobility Resort Motegi promises a competitive finale to the 2026 season. The championship battle will reach its conclusion on Japan's challenging road course. Fans can witness GT500 and GT300 cars compete across manufacturers and regulations on this historic track.