Two Nissan Zs score points at SUGO as #24 Z rallies from the back to seventh
Two Nissan Z cars rallied from the back to finish seventh and eighth in a wet and Safety Car-interrupted SUPER GT race at Sportsland SUGO, while a Nissan GT-R claimed second in GT300 to extend its championship lead.
Round 6 of the 2026 SUPER GT Series at Sportsland SUGO featured changing weather, multiple Safety Car periods and late-race battles that shaped the final results. The #24 Realize Corporation Z, driven by Teppei Natori and Atsushi Miyake, recovered from a low grid position to finish seventh. The #23 MOTUL Niterra Z, with Mitsunori Takaboshi and Daiki Sasaki, completed the points in eighth after Sasaki replaced the injured Katsumasa Chiyo. The #12 TRS IMPUL Z, led by Kazuki Hiramine and Bertrand Baguette, ran strongly before retiring with a gearbox issue on lap 57.
Race day began under unsettled conditions as a typhoon approached, with intermittent rain forcing a Safety Car start at 1:30 p.m. Temperatures were 23°C in the air and 25°C on the track. After the Safety Car period, Bertrand Baguette advanced the #12 Z to seventh by lap 17, while a second Safety Car on lap 26 tightened the field. The #12 and #24 cars pitted on lap 32, followed by the #23 on lap 33, resuming in fourth and midfield positions respectively.
Hiramine pushed the #12 Z toward a podium finish before the gearbox failure, while Natori and Sasaki steadily climbed the order from the rear. The #24 Z’s recovery earned Nissan a double points finish in GT500, with both cars benefiting from strategic pit stops and tire management in damp conditions. The challenging race concluded after 84 laps, leaving Nissan’s championship contenders focused on the next round.
In GT300, the #56 Realize Nissan Mechanic Challenge GT-R, starting 19th, used a no-tire-change strategy to charge to second place despite carrying 98 kg of success weight. The result extended the team’s championship lead to 21 points. The #11 GAINER TANAX Z also scored points in sixth, giving Nissan two GT300 entries in the top ten.