DEV_IS Steals Golden Week Spotlight as Kurashio Tightens Grip on GT3 Crown at Okayama

Okayama, 8 May — The 2026 Hololive GT3 Japan Series delivered another dramatic weekend during last week's Golden Week, as the Okayama 400 reshaped the championship fight and elevated the DEV_IS contingent into the spotlight. Across two 54-lap races held on Saturday and Sunday at Okayama International Circuit, emerging talents stunned the established order while championship leader Rustim Kurashio strengthened his position at the top of the standings.

By the conclusion of Round 3, only the top 18 drivers in the championship remained mathematically capable of winning the title. Everyone from 19th downward now sits more than 800 points behind Kurashio, eliminating them from championship contention heading into the Suzuka finale.

Saturday’s opening race belonged to Shawn Goh, representing Ichijou Ririka in the #66 Aston Martin GT3. Starting from pole position, Goh committed to an audacious no-stop strategy by fully fueling the car before the start, allowing him to maintain track position throughout the race despite carrying extra weight early on. The gamble paid off spectacularly, as Goh claimed his first victory since Yeongnam in last year’s HoloGT3 season.

The race, however, was far from straightforward. Midway through the event, contact with Seo Byeong-Eun, driving the #29 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Koganei Niko, left the Aston Martin with visible front-end damage. Despite the compromised aerodynamics, Goh managed the pace expertly while resisting relentless pressure from Rustim Kurashio in the #39 Nissan GT3 representing La+ Darknesss.

Kurashio ultimately settled for second place, but the result further reinforced his reputation as the most consistent driver in the field this season. While many rivals endured difficult races, Kurashio once again emerged with a substantial points haul that extended his championship lead.

Third place went to Mohamed Shaqif Redza in the #77 Nissan GT3 for Momosuzu Nene, delivering one of his strongest performances of the campaign. Behind him, Allie Jay produced arguably the drive of the race in the #51 Lamborghini GT3 representing Kikirara Vivi. Starting from 22nd on the grid, Jay carved through the field to finish fourth, continuing an increasingly impressive run of form for the DEV_IS class entries.

Sammy Ake, representing Shirakami Fubuki in the #22 Nissan GT3, completed the top five after another competitive showing that kept the Nissan entry firmly inside the championship top five overall.

Further back, the race’s most dramatic incident came six laps from the finish when Vladislav Domaschnev, driving the #19 Lexus GT3 for Aki Rosenthal, launched into a violent rollover after aggressively attacking the Turn 4 kerbs. While Domaschnev escaped unharmed, the accident ended what had been a promising run and severely damaged his championship momentum.

Race 1 also proved disastrous for Saerin in the #59 Ferrari GT3 representing Otonose Kanade. After entering the weekend second in the standings and only two points behind Kurashio, Saerin struggled throughout the race and finished a distant 21st, losing critical ground in the title fight.

Sunday’s Race 2 then produced an even more extraordinary performance, this time from Rudy in the #45 Audi R8 GT3 representing Mizumiya Su. After stunning the paddock with a blistering 1:29.464 qualifying lap — nearly a full second faster than Sammy Ake in second — Rudy converted pole position into complete domination.

Like Goh the previous day, Rudy opted for a fully fueled no-stop strategy. Unlike Goh, however, the Audi possessed overwhelming outright pace. Rudy consistently lapped at qualifying-level speeds throughout the race and gradually annihilated the field, eventually crossing the finish line one minute and twenty-seven seconds ahead of second place.

The victory marked the first win of the season for the Audi entry and instantly transformed Rudy into one of the breakout names of the championship.

Second place went to Danilo Goyena in the #11 Honda GT3 representing Usada Pekora, salvaging a crucial result after a disappointing opening race on Saturday. Yet the standout recovery drive once again came from Allie Jay, who stormed from 35th on the grid to finish third and secure a second consecutive top-four finish for the Lamborghini entry.

Hanami Kiriko in the #31 Honda GT3 representing Himemori Luna claimed fourth, while Sammy Ake continued his excellent weekend form with another fifth-place finish.

The second race was not without chaos. Chaka Labradores, driving the #7 Lexus GT3 for Natsuiro Matsuri, suffered a dramatic rollover at Turn 11 before even completing the opening lap after striking the kerbs too aggressively. The incident immediately ended his race and dealt a severe blow to his championship hopes.

Kurashio’s nineteenth-place finish in Race 2 was far from ideal, but with Saerin only recovering to thirteenth and several rivals suffering poor weekends, the Nissan driver emerged from Okayama with an even stronger hold on the championship lead. His total now stands at 1421 points, 253 clear of Saerin.

Behind the leading pair, the championship picture has changed dramatically. Goyena now climbs to third overall, while Allie Jay’s extraordinary Golden Week weekend has propelled the Kikirara Vivi Lamborghini to fourth in the standings. Sammy Ake’s consistency similarly elevated the Shirakami Fubuki Nissan into fifth.

The emergence of DEV_IS-affiliated entries as major protagonists was unquestionably the defining narrative of the weekend. Victories for Shawn Goh and Rudy, combined with Allie Jay’s sensational charge through the field across both races, signaled a changing competitive order inside HoloGT3.

With only Suzuka remaining, the championship enters its decisive phase. Kurashio may hold the advantage, but after the chaos and unpredictability of Okayama, few inside the paddock are prepared to call the title race over just yet.