#23 MOTUL Niterra Z finishes 3rd; Nissan Z NISMO secures consecutive podium finishes at Fuji

• #23 MOTUL Niterra Z delivers strong run to finish 3rd in three-hour race

• All three Nissan Z NISMO GT500 entries score points in demanding three-hour races; secures consecutive podium finishes

• #56 Realize Nissan Mechanic Challenge GT‑R claims GT300 class victory

The second round of the 2026 SUPER GT series, held at Fuji Speedway during Japan’s Golden Week holiday period, saw the #23 MOTUL Niterra Z secure a 3rd-place podium finish. All three Nissan Z NISMO GT500 entries finished with points in the demanding three-hour race, marking consecutive podium finishes.

Starting from 3rd on the grid, the #23 MOTUL Niterra Z, driven by Katsumasa Chiyo and Mitsunori Takaboshi, delivered a consistent performance throughout the race to finish in 3rd place. Despite being involved in an early-race incident, the #23 Z recovered quickly and maintained a competitive pace to secure a second consecutive podium finish for the Nissan Z NISMO GT500. The #24 Realize Corporation Z (Teppei Natori / Atsushi Miyake) finished in 6th place, while the #12 TRS IMPUL with SDG Z (Kazuki Hiramine / Bertrand Baguette) completed the race in 7th place, improving on their starting positions in the three-hour race.

The race began at 2:00 p.m. under sunny conditions and strong winds, with an ambient temperature of 24°C and a track temperature of 43°C. Following two formation laps behind the safety car, the race got underway.

Takaboshi, driving the #23 Z in the opening stint, held 3rd place off the start and maintained a steady pace in the early laps. Baguette in the #12 Z made a strong start from 10th, moving up to 8th by the end of the first lap. However, contact with another car on lap 5 pushed the car down the order with damage. The #24 Z, driven by Natori, also lost positions in the opening lap but recovered steadily, climbing back into the top group with consistent lap times.

On lap 14, the #23 Z was hit from behind at the final corner and spun, briefly stopping on track. Although it dropped to 4th place, a subsequent penalty for the other car involved allowed the #23 Z to regain 3rd place and continue its race without significant damage.

The first round of pit stops began after lap 25, with the #12 Z and #24 Z pitting on laps 31 and 32, respectively, both taking on fuel and tires without a driver change. The #23 Z followed on lap 40, where Katsumasa Chiyo took over driving duties. After the completion of the first pit cycle, the #23 Z held 3rd place, followed by the #24 Z in 5th and the #12 Z in 9th.

On lap 47, an incident involving another GT500 car triggered a Full Course Yellow (FCY). At this point, Nissan entries improved positions and the race moved into its second half.

The second round of pit stops began after lap 70, with all three Nissan Z entries pitting in close succession. The #23 Z retained Chiyo for the final stint, while the #24 Z and #12 Z completed driver changes to Atsushi Miyake and Kazuki Hiramine, respectively.

After all cars completed the two mandatory pit stops, the #23 Z maintained 3rd place, while the #24 Z ran in 6th place and the #12 Z held 7th place heading into the final stages of the race.

In the closing laps of the 3-hour race, the #23 Z successfully defended its position under pressure from behind, while the #24 Z fought closely for 5th place.

At the checkered flag, the #23 MOTUL Niterra Z finished in 3rd place. The #24 Realize Corporation Z finished in 6th place, just 0.470 seconds behind the 5th, and the #12 TRS IMPUL with SDG Z finished in 7th place. All three Nissan Z NISMO GT500 entries scored points, demonstrating both speed and consistency in challenging race conditions.

Driver comments

Katsumasa Chiyo (#23 MOTUL Niterra Z)
“I pushed hard after taking over, aiming to close the gap to the cars ahead, but our rivals too were very fast. In the closing stages, I was battling with the #39 car, and I’m pleased we were able to hold position until the end. In the final two or three laps, I was pushing flat out, using everything the tires had left, and it was an all-out battle. The next race will be at the same circuit but in a different season, so we’ll take what we learned here and continue our preparations as a team.”

Mitsunori Takaboshi (#23 MOTUL Niterra Z)
“After a difficult race in Okayama, we came into this weekend determined to secure a podium finish. We had contact during the first stint, but toward the end we managed to maintain our pace and stay with our rivals. While finishing on the podium is a positive result, we know we cannot be fully satisfied. We’ll take this result seriously and work closely as a team to identify what’s needed to keep improving ahead of the next race at Fuji.”

GT300 class

In the GT300 class, the #56 Realize Nissan Mechanic Challenge GT‑R, driven by Joao Paulo de Oliveira and Iori Kimura, claimed victory after taking the lead on lap 33 and maintaining it to the finish. Additional Nissan entries finishing in the points included HELM MOTORSPORTS GT‑R in 13th place, GAINER TANAX Z in 14th place, and the Kenko K's Frontier WM NILZZ GT‑R in 15th place.