K-tunes Racing has been unveiled as Corvette Racing’s first customer GT3 team in Japan, and will debut its new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the 2026 SRO Japan Cup.
The racing division of the Okayama Toyopet automotive dealership group will field GT3 cars from three different manufacturers in two series as the team announced its plans for the upcoming Autobacs SUPER GT Series and Japan Cup seasons.
In Japan Cup, the new #96 K-tunes Corvette will feature a driver rotation of two Toyota Gazoo Racing factory drivers, Nirei Fukuzumi and Sena Sakaguchi. Fukuzumi, who drove K-tunes’ Lexus RC F GT3 in Japan Cup last season, will drive at Fuji Speedway and Okayama International Circuit, while Sakaguchi, who won on his SUPER GT debut with K-tunes in 2019, will drive at Sportsland Sugo and Suzuka Circuit. Their co-driver will be named at a later date.
The Japan Cup programme will be completed by the return of the 2024 title-winning #98 Ferrari 296 GT3, now upgraded to the Evo package. Taiwanese driver Betty Chen (Yinyu) will co-drive alongside 2024 series champion Shinichi Takagi.
In SUPER GT, a new red and black livery and a return to Bridgestone tyres has been revealed for the team’s upcoming GT300 campaign with the veteran duo of two-time GT300 Champion Takagi and three-time champion Morio Nitta, who will begin their 17th season as a driver pairing.
K-tunes Racing first used Bridgestone tyres in GT300 from 2018, when it began racing in partnership with LM corsa, to 2019, when the team established its independent operation for the first time.
Operationally, Toshihiro Ichise will remain with the team as its Chief Engineer, now joined by Kaito Tsuji, another ex-ARTA engineer now serving as Performance Engineer of the #96 Lexus.
As for the other Lexus RC F GT3 that raced in Japan Cup the last two years, it will be entered in the 50th annual Suzuka 1000km on 13 September. This will mark the first entry from a Lexus/Toyota customer team in the event since it became part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge in 2018, and it’ll come in what will likely be the RC F’s last season before being replaced by Toyota’s new GR GT3 for 2027.
Sakaguchi has been confirmed as one of three drivers for the 1000km, with his two co-drivers to be announced later.
Images © Chevrolet, GTA, SRO
