Tokachi Turns Brutal as Ricci, Joey Open HoloProto JP Season With Statement Wins

Sarabetsu, 14 August — The 2026 HoloProto JP Tsuyo/Zako Series did not waste any time making its intentions clear. Round 1 of four at Tokachi delivered two 40-lap races, two very different battles at the front, and enough mechanical misery to make the opening weekend feel considerably longer than two days.

Saturday's Zako race belonged to Joey, driving the Ligier JSP217 representing Juufutei Raden, while Sunday's Tsuyo race was taken by Lorenzo Ricci, behind the wheel of the Oreca 07 representing Houshou Marine. Both races began at 10 a.m. JST, but while the Tsuyo field produced a tactical fight for the win, the Zako race quickly became a test of who could keep the machinery alive.

Joey's victory was arguably the cleaner of the two. Starting second, he launched superbly and immediately converted the lighter-feeling Ligier into track position, taking the lead before the opening lap had properly settled. With ballast removed from all Ligier JSP217s going forward, the DEV-class machines arrived at Tokachi with something to prove, and Joey wasted no time proving it.

Once ahead, he refused to give the opposition a meaningful opportunity. Apart from the brief interruption caused by the pit cycle, Joey remained in control all the way to the chequered flag. The result gives him the maximum 200 points and an early advantage in the Zako championship, with Rudy second on 175 and Dag Patterson third on 150.

Rey-Mark Rosales' nightmare continued almost immediately. Driving the Oreca 07 representing Shiranui Flare, Rosales struggled throughout the opening stages to find grip and control. His race unravelled on Lap 11 when he went wide at Turn 12 and, while attempting to rejoin, collided with Rustim Kurashio's Oreca 07 representing La+ Darknesss. Rosales eventually retired after 31 laps following another excursion, but escaped an additional penalty after race control determined that compounding a DNF with a further sporting penalty was unnecessary.

Vladislav Domaschnev suffered another Turn 12 disaster on Lap 16. The Oreca 07 representing Aki Rosenthal went wide, and the car could not be restarted. Three laps later, Shawn Goh's race ended with an engine failure, adding another name to what was rapidly becoming a reliability-heavy retirement list.

Then came Aqua Azurii. The Oreca 07 representing Oozora Subaru locked up at Turn 11 on Lap 22, went off and suffered the same fate as Domaschnev: the engine would not restart. Tokachi's message was becoming difficult to ignore. Speed was useful, but survival was everything.

Sunday's Tsuyo race saw a different outcome, as Lexi Boan, driving the Oreca 07 representing Shirogane Noel, and Hanami Kiriko representing Himemori Luna, spent the opening portion of the 40-lapper trading the lead from the front row. Neither was willing to concede the initiative, and for much of the early race it looked like Tokachi would produce a straight fight between the two.

Kiriko's car lost some of its handling after the stop and gradually slipped down the order, while Lorenzo Ricci quietly executed the kind of race that usually goes down into racing folklore. Starting all the way back in 14th, the Houshou Marine driver carved through the field and built his strategy around extending his first stint.

Ricci pitted later than Boan and emerged with the advantage of fresher rubber at exactly the moment it mattered. On Lap 39 of 40, he finally made the decisive move, taking the lead over Boan at Turn 10, with one lap remaining. From there, there was no drama: Ricci brought the Oreca 07 home to claim the opening Tsuyo victory and 200 championship points.

Boan settled for second on 175, while Mohamed Shaqif Redza took third for Momosuzu Nene. Daniel Barguer and Hoshizono Ryo completed the top five, leaving the early championship picture remarkably tight behind the winner.

Chaka Labradores suffered an engine failure only three laps into the race, while Yukihara Touka encountered the same problem three laps later. Mohamed Khashiu then went off at Turn 11 while leading and stalled the engine three laps after that. One lap later, Callum Gibbens' Oreca 07 representing Roboco joined the retirement list with an engine failure.

Even after all that, Tokachi saved one final sting for the last lap. Sammy Ake, running sixth for Shirakami Fubuki, went off at Turn 1 on the final lap and retired from a points-paying position. It was the sort of ending that perfectly summarized the weekend: nobody was safe until the chequered flag had actually fallen.

The opening championship tables now have a distinctly different look. Joey leads the Zako standings on 200 points from Rudy on 175 and Dag Patterson on 150, while Ricci holds the Tsuyo lead with 200, ahead of Boan on 175 and Shaqif Redza on 150. The margins are already significant, but with three rounds still to come, neither championship is remotely settled.

More importantly, Tokachi established the central question for the rest of the season. Can the Ligiers exploit their newfound freedom from ballast, or will the Oreca 07s' consistency eventually win the war? Joey has already provided one answer. Ricci has provided another.