FlowGlow’s New Era Meets Honda’s Reign at Fuji Night Races This Week

Shizuoka, 20 February — The 2026 Hololive GT3 Japan Series resumes this Friday and Saturday with the Ridin’ On Dreams 500 @ Fuji, Round 2 of the championship, as the grid prepares for a double-header under the lights at 10pm JST on both nights. With testing earlier this week confirming tight parity across manufacturers and FlowGlow set to debut a new batch of GT3 machinery, Fuji could mark a pivotal turning point in the early title fight.

Pre-event testing showed encouraging balance of performance across the field, with competitive lap times separated by less than four seconds and the benchmark dipping into the mid-1:38 range. While the margins are tight, Honda arrive as favorites to extend their status as the most successful manufacturer in series history in this circuit, boasting seven wins from 15 races. Multiple Honda NSXs featured prominently in the top ten of the timing sheets, reinforcing the marque’s reputation for consistency over long runs.

Championship leader Raijin Kacyznski returns in the #74 Lexus representing Yuzuki Choco, holding a slender 34-point advantage after a dominant showing at the season opener. Close behind sits Callum Gibbens in the #64 Lexus for Roboco, who will look to overturn that deficit with stronger race management across the two 500-format contests.

Nissan’s highest-placed entry comes from Rustim Kurashio in the #39 La+ Darknesss machine, currently third overall, while Mohamed Khashiu in the #3 Lexus for Tsunomaki Watame continues to hover within striking range in fourth. Honda’s lead title hope remains Jake Goodwin in the #30 Ookami Mio NSX, the 2025 GT3 frontrunner eager to convert testing pace into race victories after a measured start to the campaign.

One of the biggest narratives this weekend surrounds FlowGlow’s technical reset. The squad will debut new GT3 machinery across most of its entries, signalling a clear statement of intent for 2026. The lone exception is Ri Liu in the #78 Lexus representing Rindo Chihaya, who retains her existing Lexus platform but unveils a refreshed livery package. The team’s adaptation to the new cars over a full-distance double-header will be closely watched, particularly given how tightly matched the field appears.

Notably absent from this round onward are Amane Kanata and Tyler Williams, following Kanata’s graduation from Hololive on December 27. Their Nissan #57 entry had been sixth in the standings, and its removal reshapes the competitive order, particularly among Nissan’s manufacturer tally.

Elsewhere, Misaki Sakura in the #12 Honda for AZKi and Danilo Goyena in the #11 Honda for Usada Pekora represent further strength in depth for Honda, while Lexus fields a dense cluster of contenders including Joey in the #67 Juufuutei Raden car and Vladislav Domaschnev in the #19 Aki Rosenthal entry. Ferrari, BMW, McLaren, Mercedes, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, and Audi machinery round out one of the most diverse GT3 grids in series history, each separated by tenths rather than seconds in race trim.

With two races scheduled and full championship points on offer across the weekend, consistency will be just as valuable as outright speed. Fuji’s long straight places emphasis on top-end power and braking stability into Turn 1, while the technical final sector will reward drivers who can preserve tyre life over extended stints.

Round 2 arrives with the championship finely poised, manufacturer bragging rights intensifying, and FlowGlow entering a new competitive chapter. If testing is any indication, the Ridin’ On Dreams 500 may deliver the closest GT3 battles the series has seen — and under the lights at Fuji, even the smallest margin could decide who leaves Shizuoka with momentum firmly on their side.