TEAM UPGARAGE celebrated a historic achievement at Sepang: the team’s first-ever pole-to-win in SUPER GT competition. It marks four years since our last pole position – earned at Motegi in 2021 – and our very first with the AMG GT3 platform.
A Long-Awaited Shot from Pole Position
The team arrived at race day still energized by the excitement of securing pole with the AMG GT3 for the very first time. During official practice, our long-run pace looked promising, and the ideal scenario was to pull away early in the race.
However, the tire allocation draw after qualifying meant we had to start the race on the Q2 tires – tires that had already completed three attack laps instead of the usual two during qualifying. This brought a slight concern heading into the start.
Race Start – A Fierce Battle from Lap One
Starting duties were handed to the in-form Hayato Nomura, who led the field through an unusual three-lap formation procedure before the green flag finally waved.
Nomura defended hard into Turn 1, holding the lead despite heavy pressure from the #52 car. But by the final corner of Lap 1, the #52 had fully closed the gap and managed to take the lead. Shortly after, the #0 car also began attacking aggressively, forcing Nomura into a defensive race from the opening laps.
Despite the pressure, Nomura showed exceptional composure -unbelievable for a rookie driver – holding onto P2 all the way into the planned pit window around Lap 20.
As nearly every team completed their driver swaps, the #18 UPGARAGE car remained on track, capitalizing on Nomura’s strong pace before timing the pit stop with precision. The stop came on Lap 29, one lap after the race-leading #52 car had boxed.
The Turning Point – A Perfect Pit Stop
A stroke of opportunity arrived when the #52 car suffered a pit delay, allowing UPGARAGE to rejoin with a massive 14-second advantage -roughly a full straight’s length.
Taking over the car, Takashi Kobayashi immediately pushed to stabilize the gap, bringing the tires up to temperature while restoring the car to full race pace. He held a margin of around seven seconds for much of the stint.
In the final stages around Lap 40, traffic compressed the gap to the four-second range, and with tire grip fading, Kobayashi was forced to dig deep – using every ounce of his veteran skill to keep the car ahead.
Final Lap – Holding on Under Maximum Pressure
As the race entered its dramatic final lap, onboard cameras captured the #52 car looming directly behind the UPGARAGE AMG GT3. The tension was palpable.
But Kobayashi remained ice-cold. With a clean and stable exit out of the final corner, he held off the charging #52 and crossed the line to take the team’s first-ever pole-to-win finish.
A Victory Built by the Entire TEAM UPGARAGE Family
This result was made possible not only by our two outstanding drivers, but also by:
- Mechanics who executed a flawless pit stop
- Engineers who constructed a perfect race strategy
- Team staff and supporters who stayed committed through difficult races this season
After several frustrating rounds where the car had potential but results slipped away, the team finally delivered a performance that repaid the unwavering support of our fans – achieved on international soil in Malaysia.
Thank you, as always, for your incredible support.
Driver Comments
Hayato Nomura
“Right after the start, I struggled to bring the tires up to temperature and got overtaken by the #52 car. But I managed to keep the #0 car behind me and stay in contention until the pit stop, so reversing the position through strategy felt amazing.”
Takashi Kobayashi
“I’m incredibly happy to achieve back-to-back pole-to-win results at Sepang, 12 years apart. Even though we lost the lead on Lap 1, Nomura kept pushing and didn’t let the leaders escape.
The #52 had a pit error, but I pushed hard on the out-lap to retake P1.
The car was fantastic thanks to everyone’s hard work, and despite the tires being on the limit at the end, their performance was strong enough to secure the win.
I’m just really proud and grateful.”
Team Director – Makoto Ishida
“The AMG GT3 has shown strong potential since the start of the season, but mistakes in the first two rounds prevented us from achieving results.
We wanted to deliver a proper race for our fans, and I believe yesterday’s pole and today’s victory finally showed what this team is capable of.
Winning here in Malaysia – one of my favorite places – means a lot to me.”
Good mobility, Happy life!
Leave a Reply