Porsche Carrera Cup Japan 2026 – Round 11 (Fuji)

The grid for Round 11, the final race of the 2026 Porsche Carrera Cup Japan (PCCJ) season, was determined by the drivers’ second-best qualifying times recorded on Friday, September 25. Overall pole position went to #78 Iori KIMURA, while #16 Hiro secured pole position in the Pro-Am class and #17 IKEDA took class pole in the Am class.

Heavy rain fell at Fuji Speedway on Saturday afternoon, forcing the WEC qualifying session to be cancelled. As the rain gradually eased, preparations for the final PCCJ race of the season continued as scheduled, with the formation lap getting underway at 3:55 p.m.

As in the previous round, the race start took place behind the Safety Car. The field completed several laps under caution before the race was restarted on Lap 4.

From pole position, #78 Iori KIMURA led the field through Turn 1. Running second, #99 Taichi WATARAI remained close behind, consistently lapping within around 0.5 seconds of the leader.

On Lap 10, WATARAI made a move on KIMURA in Sector 3, but the two cars made contact. WATARAI spun and went off the circuit, although he was able to rejoin. The incident, however, dropped him to fourth place.

KIMURA emerged from the incident without any damage and continued to set a strong pace. He went on to take the chequered flag to claim his first victory of the season.

“It’s great to finish the season with a win. There were more battles this year than last year, and it was a very rewarding season,” said KIMURA.

Runner-up #60 Reimei ITO reflected on the race: “It’s frustrating that I couldn’t match KIMURA’s pace at the front.”

#66 Lachlan BLOXSOM completed the overall podium, securing his first podium finish in Japan.

“I’m very happy to score my first podium in Japan. If I get the opportunity next year, I would like to compete in PCCJ again,” said BLOXSOM.

In the final overall championship standings, #99 Taichi WATARAI was crowned champion, with #78 Iori KIMURA finishing second and #60 Reimei ITO third.

In the Pro-Am class, #16 Hiro converted pole position into another victory, leading from start to finish to secure the class championship.

“I’ve been working hard in practice, and I believe those efforts led to winning the Am class championship last year and the Pro-Am class championship this year,” said Hiro, reflecting on his second consecutive class title.

#95 Brett BOULTON finished second in the Pro-Am class. “It was my first wet race in a long time, so I’m very happy to be on the podium,” he said.

#88 Tiger WU finished third, followed by #84 Masa TAGA in fourth and #77 Masaru HAMASAKI in fifth.

In the Am class, #17 IKEDA once again took the class victory, bringing his season tally to 10 wins and securing the Am class championship.

“I think completing every race this season without an accident was a key factor in winning the championship,” said IKEDA, looking back on his season.

#83 Makoto HAGA finished second, #27 SOUICHIROU MANO third and #29 Kiyomin fourth.

For Kiyomin, who was competing in his first season of racing, the 2026 campaign was a year of steady progress.

“I felt myself improving with every race. Next year, I will work even harder with the goal of winning,” said Kiyomin.

Held as a support race for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 6 Hours of Fuji, Round 11 brought the curtain down on the 2026 PCCJ season, the 26th season of the championship.

The event also marked the final PCCJ season for the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 992), which was introduced to the series in 2022.

From the 2027 season, PCCJ will introduce the new Porsche 911 Cup (Type 992.2), ushering in a new era of competition in Japan.

Weather: Rain Track Conditions: Wet Air Temperature: 17°C Track Temperature: 19°C (at the start of the session)