This has been a very busy news week for the next round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC), the Suzuka 1000km in September. You already know about the “Bushi Rex” collab. But there were other announcements regarding the event. So let’s bring you up to speed on as we approach the 50th anniversary of the Japanese endurance classic.
Bringing The Band Back Together
JMR, Corvette’s entrant in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, confirmed a two-car presence again on Monday. Highlighting the announcement is the return of Scott McLaughlin to the team’s Pro class entry. The Kiwi, fresh off the Indycar season, reunites with Corvette factory drivers Alexander Sims and Nicky Catsburg in the No. 2 Corvette. The trio teamed up to finish third in last year’s race, revived after a five-year hiatus.
In addition to their Pro class entry, the team will also enter their No. 99 in the Pro-Am class. Princes Jefri & Abu Bakar Ibrahim will share driving duties with factory driver Ben Green. The trio, along with Jordan Love, scored the Pro-Am class victory in June at the Spa 24 Hours.
Super GT Returns…Kinda Sorta
SRO, IGTC organizers, and GTA, organizers of Super GT, unveiled an agreement Monday that will see the race be a points paying round for the GT300 class in 2027. The class was last part of the event in 2017, when it was ran as the Suzuka 10 Hours – also in collaboration with the SRO and the IGTC.
The announcement confirmed manufacturers competing in GT300 will be allowed to score IGTC points if their manufacturer is declared for the championship. The series will also make an exemption for the second-tier class of Japan’s domestic sportscar championship to use their Dunlop tires, as opposed to Pirelli – the tender tire for the IGTC.
Lastly, it was confirmed the full GT300 field will not be able to compete in the race due to grid capacity. The GTA is devising a plan to determine which teams will be eligible to race in the event.
A Collaboration Effort
Super GT regulars PONOS Racing confirmed Friday their return with the Ferrari 296 Evo in the Pro class. Heading the lineup is Honda factory driver and former Super GT GT500 champion Tadasuke Makino. Makino is joined by Seita Nonaka, who regularly drives for Toyota – and against PONOS in GT300 competition. Rounding out the lineup is the team’s regular driver Takuro Shinohara.
Following the theme of collaboration with regular competitors, the team will have a technical partnership with D’Station Racing for Suzuka. The team entered the race in Pro-Am last year with Kei Cozzolino, Yorikatsu Tsujiko and Yusuke Yamasaki. The team qualified nineteenth overall and second in Pro-Am. Unfortunately, their race ended prematurely with suspension trouble after 104 laps.
Nissan Steps Up
The Japanese fans will have one of the homegrown Big 3 to cheer for in the top class. Team 5ZIGEN, who campaigns the Nissan GTR GT3 in GT World Challenge Asia, announced a Pro class entry Saturday. The all-factory driver lineup consist of Katsumasa Chiyo, Kazuki Hiramine and Atsushi Miyake. All three currently compete for Nissan in the GT500 class of the domestic Super GT series. Miyake also competes with 5ZIGEN in GT World Challenge Asia, although he did miss the second weekend in Indonesia due to Super GT taking priority.
The Nissan GT-R GT3 is another car that will not die. While it does not compete internationally, with only Team 5ZIGEN campaigning the car in Asia, the car still remains competitive. In addition to scoring numerous class wins, the car scored an overall win in Race 1 of last season’s GT World Challenge Asia finale weekend in Beijing. This win came during the car’s FIFTEENTH season in operation! Safe to say this car still has some sting.
5ZIGEN entered the race last year in the Silver class with Takayuki Aoki, Yu Kanamaru and Yuya Motojima. The car started seventh overall and won the Silver class with a fifteenth place finish overall. Wouldn’t it be something if “Godzilla” could spurn a surprise this year?
Stay tuned for more news as we approach the 2026 Suzuka 1000km, September 11-13.
Headline Photo: 2025 Suzuka 1000km Ambiance Photo Courtesy: Gruppe C Photography/SRO Motorsports Group
