Nakamura and Martinez Shine in 2025 Autopolis 400 Qualifiers as New Manufacturers Win This Season

Autopolis, Kyushu - 1 February, The Autopolis 400 qualifier races for this season's Hololive GT3 Japan Series were nothing short of thrilling, as Splits A and B delivered exciting performances and historic victories for two rising stars in the series.

The Split A qualifier saw Jake Martinez clinching an incredible victory in his Ford Mustang GT3, marking Ford’s first win in the Hololive GT3 series, as well as the first ARO victory for Hiodoshi Ao, in addition to this being ReGloss' first win of the season. This was also Martinez’s first-ever win in ARO competitions, further solidifying his breakout performance. He finished with a commanding total gap of 50 seconds, setting the pace for the field.

Lexus driver Johan Sinful and Honda’s Misaki Sakura rounded out the podium, both putting in competitive drives to secure second and third, respectively. Sinful’s solid run helped bolster Natsuiro Matsuri’s hopes to qualify for the Tsuyo, while Sakura’s performance kept Himemori Luna in the fight for critical Tsuyo Series positions.

Nissan endured a disastrous performance in Split A, failing to place any of their drivers in the top 10. This result highlights their struggle to compete with more consistent manufacturers like Honda and Lexus, who dominated the front end of the grid.

A major incident occurred midway through the race when Ed Skye for Kazama Iroha spun at Turn 17 after going wide, ultimately finishing outside the points in 19th place.|

Meanwhile in Split B, Airi Nakamura piloted her Honda NSX GT3 to victory, earning her first-ever win in ARO competitions and becoming the third driver to secure a win for Akai Haato since 2022. Nakamura joined the ranks of greats who represented Haachama like John Mead and Kizuhara Leo, contributing to Haato’s fourth overall win in the Hololive GT3 series.

Nakamura’s flawless drive saw her cross the line with a total gap of fifteen seconds, comfortably ahead of Lexus driver and Marine driver Lorenzo Ricci, who took second place. Ricci’s podium helped Houshou Marine maintain their strong season standings. Meanwhile, 2023 Autopolis winner, Honda’s Isekaijin Mikolev rounded out the top three after a strong drive from the midfield.

Nissan had a challenging weekend at the Autopolis 400, with results varying significantly between Split A and Split B. While Split A turned out to be a major disappointment with no finishes in the top 10, Split B provided some hope, thanks to Hoshiyomi Daniel Barguer's 5th place finish. This result provided some much-needed points and a morale boost for the team.

Championship leader Tyler Williams could only muster 9th and as a result, lost his lead to Ricci.

Adding to the drama, Raijin Kaczynski for Yuzuki Choco received a 30-second time penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Kaczynski caused a collision from more than one car length back to Watame's Mohamed Khashiu, leading to a DNF for the affected driver. Despite the driver being able to continue, the penalty relegated Kaczynski from an original finish of 17th to 18th place in the race order and he remains in 17th for Split B.

The Split A standings saw La+ Darknesss’s driver Rustim Kurashio continue to lead with 400 points, while Jake Martinez’s victory moved him into 8th place, just outside the cutline for the prestigious Tsuyo Series. Meanwhile, Misaki Sakura’s podium helped her close the gap in the standings, keeping her team’s hopes alive.

The midfield battle in Split A was as intense as ever, with a razor-thin margin separating drivers in contention for the Tsuyo Series cutoff. Martinez’s victory propelled him into 8th place overall, a major leap forward for the Ford Mustang GT3 driver. His first win now places him just on the edge of Tsuyo Series qualification, making him a dark horse for future rounds. Sakura’s consistent performances have sent her into the cutoff zone, now sitting in 10th place overall, with her podium at Autopolis boosting her momentum.

The battle for the Tsuyo Series cutoff is incredibly tight. Currently, the top 9 in Split A and the best 10th placed driver will secure a spot. Tamoyuki Aoki, currently in 6th, is relatively safe, with a comfortable margin of 93 points to 10th. However, the next drivers in line, Sean Poly in 7th and recent winner Jake Martinez in 8th, are within striking distance of the cutoff.

Michael Turner, in 9th place, holds a relatively slim 15-point lead over Misaki Sakura in 10th. With just one race remaining, every point matters, and the final battle could see these positions shuffle dramatically.

In Split B, Lorenzo Ricci maintained his commanding position atop the leaderboard with 407 points, while Airi Nakamura’s win vaulted her into sixth place, securing a Tsuyo Series slot for Akai Haato’s team.

In Split B, the positions from 6th to 10th are similarly tightly contested. Akai Haato holds onto 6th place with a modest 236 points, but Momosuzu Nene in 7th and Tsunomaki Watame in 8th are both pushing hard, sitting just 25 and 47 points behind respectively. The positions from 6th to 10th are similarly tightly contested. Nakamura holds onto 6th place with a modest 236 points, but Mohd Shaqif Redza in 7th and Khashiu in 8th are both pushing hard, sitting just 25 and 47 points behind respectively.

The fight for the 9th and 10th positions is particularly intense. Joshu Asahi in 9th place has only a 5-point advantage over Jake Goodwin in 10th. With a difference of just 0-90 points between these positions, the final race at Fuji will be the deciding factor in which drivers advance to the Tsuyo Series.

In addition, both Kurashio and Ricci's huge gaps from each cutoffs would mean that the two Split leaders would already be mathematically qualified for the Tsuyo Series.

The Autopolis 400 qualifiers have set the stage for what promises to be an action-packed continuation of the 2024-25 Hololive GT3 Japan Series. The drama of the final qualifier race at Fuji race will undoubtedly be at an all-time high, as drivers know that their fate is now in their hands. Any slip-up, or a solid finish could mean the difference between qualifying for the Tsuyo Series or being left behind in the Zako.