Super GT Preview: SUGO GT300KM
Super GT returns to the calendar for the sixth round of the season, this time at Sportsland SUGO.
Track overview
The Yamaha-owned circuit, located on the outskirts of the Miyabi prefecture, spans 12 corners and 2.302 miles (3.704 km).
The track starts with a technical uphill section from Turns 1 through 8. The section from Turn 1 to 4 serves as the prime overtaking spots, but it is not uncommon for the opportune drivers of Super GT to make moves on the turns that follow.
After Turn 8, it’s a gradual downhill slope into the Horseback Corner and a couple of medium-speed corners into a slightly banked long right-hander, the 110R, before reaching the start/finish straight.
GT500
The rapid performances showcased by championship leaders, the No.36 au Team TOM’S so far this season, ultimately mean they have to face the maximum success BoP this round and the next. That includes a SW of 100KG, a fuel flow restriction of 88 kg/h, and the highest refuelling restrictor, only 19 mm in diameter.
If they can find themselves in the points again, the duo of Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita will find themselves in a solid spot for their historic title bid.
Fellow Toyota crews, the ROOKIE Racing and the KeePer Cerumo in particular, have had a strong season as well and could bag some decent points.
The other Team TOM’S car, the Deloitte No.37, has had a nightmarish season so far, but the second Fuji round was plenty of proof that they can be on the podium if things go their way, and with one of the lowest SWs, they have a great chance to capitalise on their peers’ harsher BoPs this weekend.
Following mid-season updates, Honda’s new challenger, the Prelude, has proven to be a formidable competitor, winning the prior two events in Fuji and Suzuka.
The two ARTA Mugens, the #8 and the #16, and the Stanley Kunimitsu will be the Hondas to keep an eye on. The Astemo Real Racing crew could also make it two podiums in a row following a solid performance at Suzuka.
The Modulo Nakajima Racing team had an impressive opening stint and qualifying at Suzuka, but a slow pit stop and disappointing pace in the second stint saw them finish outside the points.
They are the only team with no SW, and with the BoP’s severity reducing in the races that follow, this could be the only chance for Dunlop to score points in the final year of the tyre war.
Nissan remains the only manufacturer yet to win a race this year; they have shown solid pace so far this season, and could be contenders for some high points paying positions, or even a podium.
GT300
The BoP remains largely unchanged for this round from the last, with only the GR86 and the Mother Chassis facing major changes, the former being made heavier and the latter becoming lighter.
The championship fight heading into Sportsland SUGO is as tight as ever, with the top nine separated by just 13 points; the title fight could swing in anyone’s favour come Sunday afternoon.
It is, as always, hard to predict who could come out on top in a class like GT300, which seems to have no shortage of surprises. Practice would be the only indicator of how the race on Sunday could pan out.
The weather
Rain is on the radar for the weekend, with thunderstorms expected on Sunday. These conditions could make for closer racing, with the ill effects of SWs being somewhat negated.
This should bring teams like the Dunlop-clad Modulo Nakajima Racing and the au Team TOM’S cars into the picture on Saturday and Sunday.
Timings for the weekend
Practice starts on Saturday, 19 September 2026, at 10:30 JST (02:30 BST), with Qualifying taking place later that afternoon at 14:30 JST (06:30 BST). The race will go green on Sunday, 20 September 2026, at 13:30 JST (05:30 BST).
Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
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