Super GT Motegi: Okusa on pole, third in a row for Nakajima Honda
The newsroomUpdated on November 7, 20264 minKevin Decherf from France · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At Motegi, the penultimate round of the 2026 Super GT season, Riki Okusa (Honda) takes GT500 pole and Ryuichiro Tomita (Nissan Z) the GT300 pole.
Key point
At Motegi, Riki Okusa (Honda No. 64) took GT500 pole with a 1:36.572, Nakajima Racing's third in a row; in GT300, Ryuichiro Tomita (Nissan Z No. 11) starts first with a 1:45.418.
Super GT is at Motegi for the penultimate round of its 2026 season. In GT500, Riki Okusa starts from pole in the No. 64 Nakajima Racing Honda Prelude-GT; in GT300, Ryuichiro Tomita set the best time in Gainer's No. 11 Nissan Z.
GT500: a third straight pole for Nakajima Honda
Riki Okusa lapped in 1:36.572, giving Nakajima Racing its third consecutive pole. Tomoki Nojiri (ARTA Honda No. 16) completes the front row, 0.345 s back, ahead of Nirei Fukuzumi (Toyota GR Supra No. 14), a further 0.025 s behind. Sena Sakaguchi (Bandoh Toyota) is fourth, the only car on Yokohama tyres in the class, and Atsushi Miyake fifth in the best Nissan Z. Bertrand Baguette (Impul Nissan Z) is sixth.
In the title fight, Kenta Yamashita (Toyota No. 36) starts seventh and his chaser Tadasuke Makino (Honda No. 100) eighth. Yamashita and Sho Tsuboi lead Makino and Naoki Yamamoto by 3 points. Yuto Nomura (Honda No. 17) could have been higher: he had the best first and second sectors before a puncture, and starts 14th.
GT300: Gainer's first pole with the Nissan Z
In GT300, Ryuichiro Tomita lapped in 1:45.418, 0.368 s ahead of Shinichi Takagi (Lexus RC F GT3 No. 96), whose co-driver Morio Nitta has announced his retirement. It is Gainer's first pole since the 2022 season and its first with the Nissan Z. Takashi Kogure (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 No. 88) is third, Hideki Yamauchi (Subaru BRZ) fourth and Kazuto Kotaka (Lexus LC500h) fifth.
Charlie Fagg (Aston Martin Vantage GT3) is eighth and Ritomo Miyata (Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo) ninth: they are the best-placed challengers on the grid. Championship leader João Paulo de Oliveira (Nissan GT-R GT3) starts only 17th. Five teams are within 25 points of him. Toyota's GR GT3 Concept, on its worldwide debut, qualified 27th with a 1:48.105, 2.687 s off pole.
Key takeaway
The first of the two 250 km races starts on Saturday at 2 p.m. local time. It could weigh heavily: in GT500 only 3 points separate the top two pairings, and in GT300 the leader has to climb up from mid-grid.
Frequently asked questions
Who is on GT500 pole at Motegi?
Riki Okusa, in the No. 64 Nakajima Racing Honda Prelude-GT, with a 1:36.572. Tomoki Nojiri (ARTA, No. 16) starts second, 0.345 s behind.
Who is on GT300 pole?
Ryuichiro Tomita, in Gainer's No. 11 Nissan Z shared with Kazuki Oki, with a 1:45.418, 0.368 s ahead of Shinichi Takagi's Lexus RC F GT3.
Where does the GT500 title fight stand?
Kenta Yamashita and Sho Tsuboi lead, 3 points ahead of Tadasuke Makino and Naoki Yamamoto.
When does the first race start?
The first of the two 250 km races starts on Saturday at 2 p.m. local time.
Sources
- Sportscar365 — Nakajima Honda scores third consecutive pole at Motegi
- DailySportsCar — Okusa, Nakajima Racing score qualifying hat-trick in Motegi
Written by the Karrazmotorsport newsroom, proofread before publication. For settings, always refer to your vehicle's manual. Our charter.
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