Two Nissan Zs score points at SUGO as #24 Z rallies from the back to seventh

Round 6 of the 2026 SUPER GT Series held at Sportsland SUGO delivered a dramatic race, with changing conditions, Safety Car interruptions and late-race battles shaping the final outcome.

The #24 Realize Corporation Z (Teppei Natori/Atsushi Miyake) recovered from the back of the grid to finish in 7th place, while the #23 MOTUL Niterra Z (Mitsunori Takaboshi/Daiki Sasaki) finished in 8th place.

Sasaki stepped in as reserve driver after regular driver Katsumasa Chiyo was injured at the circuit on Friday. The #12 TRS IMPUL with SDG Z (Kazuki Hiramine/Bertrand Baguette) was also in contention for a podium before a gearbox problem ended its race.

In the GT300 class, the #56 Realize Nissan Mechanic Challenge GT‑R (Joao Paulo de Oliveira/Iori Kimura) fought back from 19th place on the grid to take second place and extend its championship lead to 21 points.

Race report
 

Race day at Sportsland SUGO began under unsettled skies as a typhoon approached the region on September 20. Intermittent rain left parts of the circuit damp, prompting a Safety Car start at 1:30 p.m., with air and track temperatures of 23°C and 25°C respectively.

When racing began after four laps, Bertrand Baguette quickly moved the #12 Z forward, reaching 7th place by lap 17 and closing on the cars ahead. A second Safety Car on lap 26 compressed the field and opened up a strategic opportunity.

The #12 Z and #24 Zs stopped on lap 32 for driver changes, fuel and tires, with the #23 Z following one lap later. Once the pit cycle was complete, Kazuki Hiramine had taken the #12 Z to 4th place and was challenging for a podium, while Teppei Natori and Daiki Sasaki continued to work their way toward the points.

Hiramine closed in on 3rd place and applied sustained pressure before the #12 Z slowed on lap 57 with a gearbox issue and was consequently forced to retire.

After 84 demanding laps at Sportsland SUGO, the #24 Z completed an impressive recovery from the back of the grid to finish in 7th place, while the #23 Z came home in 8th place to secure a double points finish for Nissan. After a difficult qualifying session, both Nissan Z NISMO GT500 entries left SUGO with valuable championship points.

With three rounds remaining, Nissan and NISMO now turn their attention to Autopolis and the closing stages of the 2026 championship.

Driver comments:

Teppei Natori – #24 Realize Corporation Z
 

“The timing of our pit stop worked well, and I was able to maintain good pace throughout my stint. I felt we were able to put up a strong fight against our rivals. Autopolis is one of the circuits I enjoy the most. Just as at SUGO, I expect tire management to be a key factor there. We’ll need to manage the different demands of the qualifying round and the race effectively and make the most of every opportunity throughout the weekend.”

Atsushi Miyake – #24 Realize Corporation Z
 

“Qualifying didn’t go entirely to plan, but we worked well together in the race, both as drivers and as a team. Finishing 7th place and scoring points was a positive result for us. Success weight will not be reduced at Autopolis this year, so the differences in car weight across the field are likely to have a greater impact on performance*. That could create an opportunity for us, as we’re carrying relatively less weight than some of our rivals. During the break before the next round, we’ll focus on improving our qualifying performance and continue refining our race strategy so we can come back even stronger at Autopolis.”

[*Note: In previous seasons, the Autopolis round was typically the seventh race of the championship, with success weight set at 1 kg per championship point. However, due to the postponement of Round 3, this year's Autopolis event will be the sixth race of the season, and success weight will be applied at 2 kg per championship point.]

GT300 class
 

Four Nissan GT‑R NISMO GT3s and two Fairlady Zs built to GTA GT300 regulations competed in the GT300 class.

Starting in 19th place, the #56 Realize Nissan Mechanic Challenge GT‑R (Joao Paulo de Oliveira/Iori Kimura) used a no-tire-change strategy to charge to 2nd place despite carrying 98 kg of success weight. The podium result extended the team’s championship lead to 21 points. The #11 GAINER TANAX Z (Ryuichiro Tomita/Kazuki Oki) also delivered a strong race to finish 6th, giving Nissan two GT300 entries in the points.