Pekora and Fubuki End Four-Year Waits as Chaos and Comebacks Define Fuji 500

Shizuoka, 1 March — Round 2 of the 2026 Hololive GT3 Japan Series delivered one of the most emotionally charged and unpredictable race weekends in recent ARO history, as the 2026 Ridin’ On Dreams 500 saw a red flag restart, the competitive debut of FlowGlow’s new GT3 machinery, long-awaited victories and a record-setting comeback.

Friday night’s Race 1, which began at 10pm JST under the lights, marked a historic return to victory lane for Usada Pekora with Danilo Goyena representing her in the #11 Honda. Controlling the race from the front, Goyena secured Pekora’s first win since May 20, 2022, when she last triumphed at Buriram in Split B Race 1. The victory was as much about composure as pace, with Goyena fending off sustained pressure in the closing laps from opponents and lapped cars to seal a long-overdue breakthrough.

Finishing second was Airi Nakamura in the #81 Honda representing Akai Haato, continuing Honda’s strong showing at Fuji, while Chaka Labradores brought the #7 Lexus for Natsuiro Matsuri home in third to complete the podium.

The drive of the night, however, belonged to Allie Jay in the #51 Lamborghini representing Kikirara Vivi. Starting a distant 38th, Jay carved through the field in what has now been confirmed as the largest positional comeback in ARO history, gaining 34 positions to finish fourth. The performance instantly elevated Vivi’s Lamborghini into serious championship contention and cemented Jay’s reputation as one of the grid’s most aggressive overtakers.

Jake Goodwin in the #30 Honda for Ookami Mio rounded out the top five, while Lexus and Nissan entries filled much of the top ten, including Rustim Kurashio in the #39 Nissan for La+ Darknesss and a somewhat dejected Saerin in the #59 Ferrari for Otonose Kanade after being in contention to win, only to lose out after a loss in late race pace. Mohamed Khashiu in the #3 Lexus representing Tsunomaki Watame endured a quieter evening, finishing 17th — a result that would prove costly in the championship picture.

Saturday’s Race 2, again starting at 10pm JST, quickly descended into chaos. An administrative bug on Lap 17 forced race control to red flag the event. With 20 laps remaining, officials ordered a restart, but with a controversial twist: grid positions from 28th onward were randomized. Khashiu did not take the restart due to his DNF before the red flag due to parts failure, compounding Watame’s difficult weekend.

When racing resumed, it was Sammy Ake in the #22 Nissan representing Shirakami Fubuki who seized the moment. Ake drove flawlessly in the shortened final segment to secure Fubuki’s first win since the same Buriram weekend in May 2022 — remarkably mirroring Pekora’s drought-breaking success from the night before. The Nissan’s straight-line speed proved decisive in defending against repeated challenges.

Saerin vindicated her loss in Race 1 with a clinical second-place finish for Kanade’s Ferrari in this race, vaulting further into championship relevance, while Vladislav Domaschnev in the #19 Lexus for Aki Rosenthal took third, adding another strong Fuji result to his growing campaign.

Ed Skye in the #16 Nissan representing Kazama Iroha and Jace Kinsai in the #61 Nissan for Takane Lui completed a Nissan-heavy top five in the disrupted race. Rudy, debuting FlowGlow’s new Audi GT3 for Mizumiya Su in the #45 Audi, impressed with a sixth-place finish — a marked step forward for the new package while Dag Patterson in the new McLaren brought his car bearing Isaki Riona's colors to a respectable 9th.

FlowGlow’s machinery overhaul was one of the weekend’s major storylines. With the exception of Ri Liu representing Rindo Chihaya — who retained her Lexus from the previous round but unveiled a new livery — the rest of the FlowGlow stable debuted fresh GT3 platforms. The immediate pace shown by Rudy’s Audi and the competitive midfield presence of the Nissan and Lamborghini entries suggest the technical reset may pay dividends in the coming rounds.

In the championship standings, Rustim Kurashio’s consistency in the #39 Nissan keeps La+ Darknesss narrowly ahead on 982 points, just two clear of Saerin and Kanade on 980. Domaschnev’s Lexus for Aki Rosenthal sits third on 890, while Goyena’s emotional Race 1 win propels Pekora’s Honda up to fourth overall.

Fuji ultimately delivered exactly what Round 2 needed: redemption arcs, strategic controversy, and a tightening championship fight. With two different winners breaking multi-year droughts and FlowGlow’s new era underway, the 2026 Hololive GT3 Japan Series' intrigue expand as the series heads into the second half.