Former Super GT500 champion Tadasuke Makino will spearhead Ponos Racing’s all-pro Ferrari line-up when the Japanese team contests the Suzuka 1000km in September.
Makino will share the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo with current Super GT300 championship leader Seita Nonaka and Ponos regular Takuro Shinohara. The trio brings considerable experience of Japanese motorsport to the entry as the Kyoto-based team prepares for the penultimate round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
Ponos will also arrive with recent experience of both Suzuka and its Ferrari package after contesting the event in the Pro-Am category last season. Furthermore, its regular participation in SRO’s Japan Cup means the team already races on the same Pirelli tyres that IGTC will mandate for the 1000km.
The team has strengthened its operation further through a technical partnership with D’station Racing. With its revised structure and all-pro driver combination, Ponos has set its sights beyond simply completing the demanding endurance race and will instead target the overall victory.
Ponos builds on lessons from 2025 Suzuka appearance
Ponos enters its second consecutive Suzuka 1000km with considerably greater experience than it possessed before last year’s race.
The team already understands the demands of the event after competing with the Ferrari 296 in 2025. Although that programme ran in the Pro-Am category, the experience gave Ponos valuable information about preparing the car and managing the race at one of Japan’s most technically demanding circuits.
Now, the team has moved into the Pro category and assembled three leading Japanese drivers as it attempts to make a significant step forward.
Team director Yori Tsuji believes last season established an important foundation for the renewed programme.
“Last year, Ponos Racing took on the Suzuka 1000km for the first time, and we gained valuable lessons along with a real sense of progress,” said team director Yori Tsuji. “Building on that experience, this year we’re welcoming three outstanding, top-tier drivers from Japan – Makino, Nonaka, and Shinohara – and the entire team is moving forward with thorough, race-ready preparations.
“In addition, with the support of D’station Racing, we’ve put a structure in place to back up vehicle operations and race engineering. It’s a demanding race with elite competitors from around the world, but we’re not just aiming for a strong finish – we’re seriously setting our sights on the win beyond that.”
That ambition reflects the team’s stronger package for 2026. Rather than relying only on its previous knowledge, Ponos has combined a fully professional driver line-up with additional technical support as it prepares to challenge international GT3 opposition.
Makino brings Super GT500 title-winning experience
Makino provides the most prominent name within the three-driver crew after establishing himself as one of Super GT’s leading competitors.
The Honda works driver won the senior GT500 championship with Team Kunimatsu in 2020. More recently, he finished second in the standings in both 2024 and 2025, underlining his continued competitiveness at the top level of Japanese GT racing.
Makino currently occupies third in the Super GT standings after three completed events in 2026. Alongside his GT experience, he has also won races in Super Formula and Formula 2, giving Ponos a driver with experience across both single-seaters and sportscars.
His participation therefore adds considerable strength to the team’s first Pro-class Suzuka 1000km attempt. Although the Ferrari will present a different challenge from his regular GT500 machinery, Makino’s familiarity with Suzuka and experience in high-level Japanese competition should provide an important advantage.
Nonaka arrives as Super GT300 championship leader
Nonaka joins the programme while leading the Super GT300 championship, giving Ponos another driver in strong domestic form.
His current championship position further strengthens an entry built around competitors who understand Japanese circuits and the demands of multi-class GT racing. Moreover, his experience complements Makino’s GT500 background while giving the team another driver accustomed to competing for major results.
Shinohara completes the line-up and provides direct continuity with Ponos. He already represents the team in Super GT300, allowing him to bring established knowledge of the organisation into the Suzuka programme.
Together, the three drivers form an all-Japanese combination with experience across both Super GT categories. That familiarity could prove particularly useful during an event that combines international IGTC contenders with teams and drivers who regularly compete in the region.
Japan Cup experience provides useful Pirelli knowledge
Ponos also competes regularly in SRO’s domestic Japan Cup, giving the team relevant experience beyond its previous Suzuka 1000km participation.
Crucially, the Japan Cup uses the same Pirelli tyres that teams will run during the IGTC event. Therefore, Ponos already possesses information about tyre behaviour, preparation and degradation with its Ferrari package.
That knowledge should reduce the adaptation required when the team begins its Suzuka programme. Instead, engineers can concentrate on refining the 296 GT3 Evo for the circuit’s specific characteristics and the demands of a 1000km race.
Suzuka places significant emphasis on aerodynamic stability through the opening Esses, while Degner, Spoon and the high-speed 130R section require confidence and precision. At the same time, teams must manage traffic and tyre performance across repeated stints.
Ponos’ existing familiarity with both the car and tyre therefore gives it a stronger starting point as it moves from Pro-Am into the Pro field.
D’station partnership strengthens technical operation
Ponos has also expanded its support structure by entering a technical partnership with D’station Racing for the event.
D’station will assist with vehicle operations and race engineering, giving Ponos additional expertise as it tackles one of the largest races on the Japanese GT calendar.
The arrangement should prove particularly valuable over the extended Suzuka weekend, where teams must manage set-up development, driver feedback and strategic preparation before the race begins.
Furthermore, the partnership brings together two Japanese organisations with significant GT racing experience. Ponos can retain the knowledge built through its own programmes while drawing on D’station’s technical resources during the 1000km.
The team has consequently made its objective clear. Rather than treating its second appearance as another learning exercise, Ponos intends to fight against the leading international entries.
Ferrari gains another points-scoring opportunity
The #296 GT3 Evo shared by Makino, Nonaka and Shinohara will also remain eligible to score points for Ferrari in the IGTC Manufacturers’ Championship.
That gives the Ponos entry additional significance beyond its pursuit of an outright result. A strong finish could contribute directly to Ferrari’s campaign during the penultimate round of the season.
Suzuka therefore offers the team an opportunity to make an impact at both race and championship level. While Ponos itself enters the event with local experience, it will compete against a field featuring leading GT3 manufacturers, factory-supported teams and international professional drivers.
Nevertheless, its combination of a strengthened technical structure, current machinery and three accomplished Japanese drivers gives the team reason to approach the weekend confidently.
Ponos sets victory as its Suzuka target
The 2026 Suzuka 1000km marks an important progression in Ponos Racing’s endurance programme.
Last season gave the team its first experience of the event in Pro-Am. Twelve months later, it returns with an all-pro line-up, additional technical support and a clear intention to challenge at the front.
Makino brings GT500 championship-winning pedigree, Nonaka arrives while leading Super GT300 and Shinohara contributes direct experience from Ponos’ domestic programme. Meanwhile, the team’s Japan Cup participation gives it valuable knowledge of the Pirelli tyres that will play a crucial role throughout the race.
With D’station Racing strengthening the operation behind the scenes, Ponos has assembled a more complete package for its second Suzuka attempt. The team will now try to convert that preparation into an overall challenge when the Intercontinental GT Challenge reaches Japan from September 11-13.
