Modulo scores first points as Honda takes P2 and P3, STANLEY moves into championship lead
Mobility Resort MotegiOn Saturday 7 November 2026, the replacement race for Round 3 of SUPER GT, originally scheduled to take place in Malaysia, was held at Mobility Resort Motegi in Tochigi Prefecture.
Round 3 Race
The first of the two races at this event, with the championship title at stake, was contested over 53 laps (250 km). The #64 Modulo HRC PRELUDE-GT (Riki Okusa / Igor Omura Fraga) scored its first points of the season with a P2 podium finish, while the #8 ARTA MUGEN (Kakunoshin Ohta / Hiroki Otsu), which started from P13, finished P3 after a pit and tyre strategy combined with a strong charge in the closing stages. The #100 STANLEY (Naoki Yamamoto / Tadasuke Makino) finished P5 to move into the lead of the championship standings.
The Round 3 race started at 2:00pm on Saturday 7 November under clear skies, with the temperature lower than it had been during qualifying that morning. Under the special regulations for this race, cars carried half success weight, calculated at 1 kg per championship point. From pole position, the #64 Modulo (Omura Fraga) safely retained the lead, followed by the P2-starting #16 ARTA MUGEN (Tomoki Nojiri). However, a multi-car incident in the GT300 class brought out the Safety Car (SC). After the stopped cars and oil spilled on the track had been cleared, racing resumed on Lap 8, and the #64 Modulo gradually pulled away from the #16 ARTA MUGEN, which was struggling for pace.
After Lap 18, the #16 ARTA MUGEN made its mandatory pit stop at the earliest permitted opportunity. The following lap, the eighth-placed #100 STANLEY also came in for tyres and a driver change, rejoining ahead of the championship-contending #36 Toyota. Meanwhile, the race-leading #64 Modulo pitted after completing 22 laps, with Okusa taking over while effectively retaining the lead. At that point, the car running at the head of the field on the road was the #8 ARTA MUGEN (Otsu), which had stayed out after starting from P13. The #8 ARTA MUGEN extended its first stint until Lap 35 and changed only the left-front tyre to minimise time lost in the pits, rejoining in P4.
The #64 Modulo (Okusa) continued to lead, but as its pace gradually dropped, it was overtaken by the #12 Nissan on Lap 39 and fell to P2. Behind, the #8 ARTA MUGEN (Ohta) moved into P3 on Lap 40 before also getting ahead of the #64 Modulo on Lap 42. Okusa then lost another position to the #14 Toyota and dropped to P4, but closed back in while the #8 ARTA MUGEN and #14 Toyota battled ahead, setting up an intense three-car fight for the podium places.
With three laps remaining, on Lap 50, the #8 ARTA MUGEN (Ohta) locked a tyre and lost momentum, dropping to P4. The #14 Toyota and #64 Modulo (Okusa) each gained a position and took the chequered flag in that order.
However, the #14 Toyota was subsequently disqualified following post-race scrutineering for a technical infringement, promoting the #64 Modulo to P2 and the #8 ARTA MUGEN to P3 (*).
The #100 STANLEY also finished P5, and with the championship-leading #36 Toyota finishing P10, the points positions were reversed and the #100 moved into the championship lead. The #17 Astemo also remained P3 in the standings and still in contention for the series title heading into the season finale on Sunday 8 November.
*As the official GT500 results have not yet been issued, provisional results are shown.
I’m very happy that we were able to score our first points and also finish on the podium. It had felt like we were the only ones not making progress, which was difficult, but the improvements we introduced at the previous round worked well. Given the characteristics of the tyres, I was concerned about the temperature getting too high, so I was driving hoping the sun would go down as soon as possible. Towards the end, the track temperature finally came into the range that suits us, which allowed me to battle with Ohta. I also have a good feeling heading into tomorrow’s final race, so I want us to focus on our own race without being distracted by what the other cars are doing.
I’m very happy that we were able to score our first points and also finish on the podium. It had felt like we were the only ones not making progress, which was difficult, but the improvements we introduced at the previous round worked well. Given the characteristics of the tyres, I was concerned about the temperature getting too high, so I was driving hoping the sun would go down as soon as possible. Towards the end, the track temperature finally came into the range that suits us, which allowed me to battle with Ohta. I also have a good feeling heading into tomorrow’s final race, so I want us to focus on our own race without being distracted by what the other cars are doing.
The Safety Car period was quite long, so I was only able to push for around ten laps plus a little more. At the previous round at Autopolis, whenever we overtook GT300 cars we picked up rubber, our pace dropped and it sometimes took a full lap for the grip to come back. This time, the drop-off was smaller and the grip returned quickly. That made me feel we had a good chance in the second half of the race as well, and Okusa fought hard right to the end to secure a podium finish. I’m simply very happy with the result. Tomorrow we will have no success weight, so I think we have an opportunity. I want us to make it to the finish again tomorrow and return to the podium.
The Safety Car period was quite long, so I was only able to push for around ten laps plus a little more. At the previous round at Autopolis, whenever we overtook GT300 cars we picked up rubber, our pace dropped and it sometimes took a full lap for the grip to come back. This time, the drop-off was smaller and the grip returned quickly. That made me feel we had a good chance in the second half of the race as well, and Okusa fought hard right to the end to secure a podium finish. I’m simply very happy with the result. Tomorrow we will have no success weight, so I think we have an opportunity. I want us to make it to the finish again tomorrow and return to the podium.
It was very disappointing that the #64, which had been leading the race, was overtaken after its tyre grip dropped, but I’m pleased that we were still able to achieve a podium finish. Considering where the #8 started, it made a significant step forward. It looked as though it might even be able to challenge for the lead, but the tyre lock-up prevented it from getting that far.
For the #100, the important thing was to finish ahead of the #36 Toyota, and it delivered the result we needed. Towards the end it had the pace to challenge the #39 Toyota, but with the championship at stake, Makino appears to have made a calm decision with points in mind.
In the championship standings, the #100 is now in the lead, with the #36 Toyota between it and the #17 in P3. We have not been able to put ourselves in this kind of position for the past few years, so we are determined to finally achieve our long-awaited goal.
It was very disappointing that the #64, which had been leading the race, was overtaken after its tyre grip dropped, but I’m pleased that we were still able to achieve a podium finish. Considering where the #8 started, it made a significant step forward. It looked as though it might even be able to challenge for the lead, but the tyre lock-up prevented it from getting that far.
For the #100, the important thing was to finish ahead of the #36 Toyota, and it delivered the result we needed. Towards the end it had the pace to challenge the #39 Toyota, but with the championship at stake, Makino appears to have made a calm decision with points in mind.
In the championship standings, the #100 is now in the lead, with the #36 Toyota between it and the #17 in P3. We have not been able to put ourselves in this kind of position for the past few years, so we are determined to finally achieve our long-awaited goal.
GT500 Race Result (Provisional)
Pos. | No. | Team | Driver | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12 | TEAM IMPUL | Kazuki Hiramine / Bertrand Baguette | 1:38'20.070 |
2 | 64 | Modulo Nakajima Racing | Riki Okusa / Igor Omura Fraga | +24.076 |
3 | 8 | Team HRC ARTA MUGEN | Kakunoshin Ohta / Hiroki Otsu | +29.255 |
4 | 39 | TGR TEAM SARD | Yuhi Sekiguchi / Sacha Fenestraz | +30.649 |
5 | 100 | STANLEY TEAM KUNIMITSU | Naoki Yamamoto / Tadasuke Makino | +30.801 |
6 | 17 | Astemo REAL RACING | Koudai Tsukakoshi / Yuto Nomura | +35.443 |
8 | 16 | ARTA MUGEN | Tomoki Nojiri / Ren Sato | +42.783 |
