Super GT: STANLEY HRC PRELUDE-GT Wins Endurance Thriller at Autopolis

Super GT: STANLEY HRC PRELUDE-GT Wins Endurance Thriller at Autopolis

Round 7 of the AUTOBACS SUPER GT 2026 series brought sunny skies and dry track conditions to the challenging mountain circuit of Autopolis for a demanding 3-hour endurance contest. The 98-lap race delivered intense strategy battles across both classes, concluding with a hard-fought victory for STANLEY TEAM KUNIMITSU in GT500 and a commanding win for K-tunes Racing in GT300.

Event Overview

Class Winners

  • GT500: #100 STANLEY TEAM KUNIMITSU (STANLEY HRC PRELUDE-GT) - Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino
  • GT300: #96 K-tunes Racing (K-tunes RC F GT3) - Morio Nitta and Shinichi Takagi

Highlights

  • KUNIMITSU Victorious in GT500: Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino executed a flawless 98-lap drive aboard the #100 STANLEY HRC PRELUDE-GT on Bridgestone tyres. They crossed the line just 1.363 seconds ahead of the chasing #38 KeePer CERUMO GR Supra (Toshiki Oyu / Rikuto Kobayashi) to secure a dramatic GT500 victory.
  • Podium Diversity: NISMO's #23 MOTUL Niterra Z driven by Katsumasa Chiyo and Mitsunori Takaboshi completed the GT500 podium in third position (+7.972s), ensuring all three major manufacturers (Honda, Toyota, Nissan) were represented on the top three steps.
  • K-tunes Dominates GT300: In GT300, veteran pairing Morio Nitta and Shinichi Takagi produced a masterclass in the #96 K-tunes RC F GT3. Running on Bridgestone rubber, they completed 93 laps to take a dominant victory with a 25.828-second margin over the #360 RUNUP x SOL GT-R. The #65 LEON PYRAMID AMG rounded out the GT300 podium in third (+39.934s).

Photo credits: Honda Racing Corporation