Porsche Carrera Cup Japan 2026 – Round 4 (Fuji) Race Report
The starting grid for the Round 4 MICHELIN Challenge was determined by the fastest laps set during the official qualifying session held on the morning of July 18. Overall pole position was claimed by #60 Reimei Ito, the 2024 PCCJ Champion. Alongside him on the front rows were #78 Iori Kimura, the 2025 PCCJ Champion, and #99 Taichi Watarai, the 2025–2026 Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East Overall Champion, bringing together three championship-winning drivers at the front of the grid.
Qualifying had been exceptionally close, with just 0.070 seconds separating Ito and Kimura, while only 0.158 seconds covered Kimura and Watarai, setting the stage for an exciting race. Pole position in the Pro-Am class went to #16 Hiro, the 2025 Am Class Champion making his first season in Pro-Am, while #17 IKEDA secured pole in the Am class.
The formation lap for Round 4 of the 2026 PCCJ MICHELIN Challenge began at 2:15 p.m. After bringing the tires up to temperature and checking track conditions, the field returned to the grid for the race start.
Pole-sitter #60 Reimei Ito maintained the lead through Turn 1, but second-place starter #78 Iori Kimura made contact with #16 Hiro, who had made an excellent launch from fourth on the grid. #99 Taichi Watarai, starting third, avoided the incident despite a slightly slower getaway and moved into second place behind Ito.
Further back, the order was significantly reshuffled, with #17 IKEDA, #27 SOUICHIROU MANO, #29 Kiyomin, #84 Masa TAGA, #78 Iori Kimura, and #77 Dai Hamasaki running in close succession.
At the end of the opening lap, Ito held a 2.243-second advantage over Watarai. Although Ito attempted to pull away, Watarai—running on two new tires—gradually closed the gap. By Lap 6 the margin had fallen to 0.737 seconds, and by Lap 8 it was down to just 0.399 seconds.
Ito defended firmly as Watarai remained glued to his rear bumper, searching for an opportunity. It appeared the leader might hold on for victory, but on the final lap, Watarai made his decisive move into Turn 1, taking the lead for the first time.
Watarai then successfully resisted Ito's final challenge to claim his first victory of the 2026 season, crossing the finish line just 0.085 seconds ahead.
"I'm really happy that I was able to make the move at Turn 1 on the final lap and complete the pass. My tires were struggling by the end, but Ito was dealing with the same situation. Hopefully I can carry this momentum into another win tomorrow."
Second-place finisher #60 Reimei Ito said:
"I thought I could defend the lead until the end, but he got past me under braking. Tomorrow I'll be aiming for a pole-to-win victory to make up for today's disappointment."
After dropping well down the order following the opening-lap incident, #78 Iori Kimura produced a remarkable recovery drive to finish third overall.
In the early stages of the race, #17 IKEDA, competing in the Am class, held off the Pro-Am competitors despite the opening-lap confusion. However, during the second half of the race he was overtaken by #84 Masa TAGA and #77 Dai Hamasaki in the Pro-Am class.
As a result, #84 Masa TAGA finished fourth overall and claimed his maiden Pro-Am class victory, while #17 IKEDA finished sixth overall to record his third consecutive Am class victory.
Reflecting on his first Pro-Am win, #84 Masa TAGA said:
"The team made significant setup changes after qualifying, and the car was much easier to drive. I honestly didn't think I could win, so I'm glad I never gave up."
Am-class winner #17 IKEDA commented:
"It was great fun battling with the Pro-Am drivers today. I'll do my best again tomorrow."
Second place in the Am class went to #27 SOUICHIROU MANO, who normally competes in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Japan and was making a guest appearance in PCCJ, while #29 Kiyomin completed the class podium in third.
The starting grid for the Round 5 Mobil 1 Challenge, to be held on Sunday, July 19, was determined by the second-fastest qualifying laps set on Saturday.
Overall pole position again went to #60 Reimei Ito, with #99 Taichi Watarai lining up second and #78 Iori Kimura third. #16 Hiro secured pole position in the Pro-Am class, while #17 IKEDA started from pole in the Am class.
The Round 5 Mobil 1 Challenge is scheduled to start at 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, July 19, and will run for 15 laps or 30 minutes plus one lap. The race will be streamed live on the official Porsche Japan YouTube channel.
Round 5 Mobil 1 Challenge Live Stream Streaming begins: July 19, 8:10 a.m. (JST)
Weather: Cloudy Track Conditions: Dry Air Temperature: 27°C Track Temperature: 32°C (at race start)
