Porsche Carrera Cup Japan 2026 – Round 7 (Sugo)

The starting grid for Round 7 was determined by the second-fastest qualifying times recorded on Saturday, August 8. As in Round 6, overall pole position went to #66 Robert de Haan, the 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany champion. In the Pro-Am class, #88 Tiger Wu secured class pole, while #27 SOUICHIROU MANO took pole position in the Am class.

After completing the formation lap, all cars returned to their grid positions. With the lights going from all red to blackout, the race got underway. Pole-sitter #66 de Haan made another strong start, just as he had the previous day, and immediately showed his pace. At the end of the opening lap, he returned to the home straight with a 2.163-second advantage over the field. Second-placed #99 Taichi Watarai also made a good start, but was forced to focus on defending his position from the cars behind, allowing the gap to the leader to grow.

Meanwhile, starting from fifth, #78 Iori Kimura watched the battle for third between #12 Lachlan Bloxham and #60 Reimei Ito from behind. Spotting a momentary opening, Kimura made his move and jumped straight into third place. After one lap, the order was #66 de Haan, #99 Watarai, #78 Kimura, #12 Bloxham, and #60 Ito.

On Lap 2, #66 de Haan set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:22.442 and continued to lap consistently in the 1:22s thereafter. Although #99 Watarai maintained a solid pace, some laps in the 1:23s allowed the gap between the two to grow to four seconds. By the end of the 18-lap race, the gap had extended to 5.352 seconds, giving #66 de Haan his fifth victory of the season.

“I’m very happy that today’s win means I’ve maintained a 100% winning record in PCCJ. It seems I have a good affinity with Japanese circuits. I’ll do my best to achieve pole-to-win results in all four remaining races,” said de Haan, expressing his delight after the victory.

Runner-up #99 Watarai said, “I was aiming to make a move at the start, but the pressure from behind was really strong... Still, I’m glad I was able to maintain my position. I’ll keep working hard so that I can beat de Haan in the remaining four races.”

The battle for third saw #78 Kimura and #12 Bloxham running virtually nose-to-tail. However, Kimura, who knows SUGO inside and out, successfully defended his position all the way to the final lap to claim his second consecutive podium finish of the weekend.

“Finishing on the podium in both races at SUGO is a big result for us. At the next round in Suzuka, I’m aiming for a pole-to-win,” said last year’s champion #78 Kimura, vowing to make up ground in the second half of the season.

Meanwhile, #12 Bloxham, who was involved in a battle with #78 Kimura and was deemed to have exceeded track limits on multiple occasions, was handed a five-second time penalty, dropping him to fifth place. As a result, #60 Ito was classified fourth.

Following the completion of Round 7, the overall championship standings are led by #99 Watarai with 134 points, followed by #66 de Haan with 112.5 points and #60 Ito with 108 points.

In the Pro-Am class, pole-sitter #88 Tiger Wu held onto the lead from start to finish to claim his fifth victory of the season.

“The car was working really well today, and taking two wins here is very important for the championship battle. I’ll continue to give it my best as a challenger in the remaining races,” said Wu, who has his sights set firmly on the Pro-Am class championship.

Following Round 7, #88 Tiger Wu leads the Pro-Am standings with 132.5 points, while #16 Hiro is second with 115 points.

In the Am class, #17 IKEDA, who started from the back of the grid, overtook pole-sitter #27 SOUICHIROU MANO at Turn 1 on Lap 5 to take the lead. He then pulled away to secure his sixth consecutive victory.

“I was exhausted after reaching my limit with the heat this weekend, so I’m really happy to have won. I’ll keep doing my best in the remaining races and hopefully continue this winning streak,” said #17 IKEDA with a smile.

After Round 7, #17 IKEDA leads the Am class standings with 158.5 points, followed by #29 Kiyomin with 108 points.

The next event will be the Suzuka round, featuring PCCJ Rounds 8 and 9, scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13, at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture.

With only two events and four races remaining this season, including the Suzuka round, the upcoming event will be a crucial one in determining the outcome of the championship standings.

Weather: Cloudy Track Conditions: Dry Air Temperature: 28°C Track Temperature: 35°C (at race start)