Nissan stalwart Tsugio Matsuda will spearhead Team Daishin’s late entry for the 2026 Suzuka 1000km, strengthening the Japanese manufacturer’s presence for the 50th running of the endurance race.
The 47-year-old will share the team’s Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 with Kiyoto Fujinami and Ryuichiro Ohyagi in the Bronze class. GTNET Motorsports will operate the car as part of its existing collaboration with Team Daishin, which already campaigns the GT-R in Super Taikyu.
Daishin’s addition provisionally increases the Suzuka field to 29 cars ahead of the 11–13 September event, which forms the fourth and penultimate round of the 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge season. It also takes Nissan’s representation to three GT-Rs for one of Japan’s most significant endurance races.
Matsuda brings extensive Nissan experience to Suzuka
Few drivers possess a stronger association with Nissan than Matsuda, whose career with the manufacturer spans more than two decades.
He became one of the defining drivers of Nissan’s modern Super GT programme and holds the championship’s outright record for race victories. Matsuda also won the GT500 title twice and previously triumphed in the Suzuka 1000km when the event formed part of the domestic championship in 2008.
Beyond Super GT, the Japanese driver won two Formula Nippon titles and has represented Nissan across several international sportscar programmes, including FIA WEC and Intercontinental GT Challenge competition.
Matsuda stepped away from full-time Super GT competition at the end of 2025 but remains involved with Nissan through its factory-supported GT4 programme in Super Taikyu. His Suzuka appearance therefore provides another opportunity to compete in top-level GT machinery while returning to an event where he already has significant history.
He last raced the GT-R NISMO GT3 at Suzuka in the 2019 Suzuka 10 Hours, finishing sixth for KCMG alongside Katsumasa Chiyo and Josh Burdon.
Fujinami adds two GT300 titles to Daishin line-up
Fujinami gives Team Daishin another driver with considerable success in Nissan machinery.
The 31-year-old won the Super GT GT300 championship in 2020 and 2022 at the wheel of a GT-R, establishing himself as one of the strongest drivers in the category during that period.
His recent programmes have increasingly involved Porsche machinery through Seven x Seven, which has competed across the Asian Le Mans Series, Japan Cup and Super GT. However, Fujinami remains familiar with Team Daishin and the GT-R through his Super Taikyu appearances.
That combination of current GT experience and extensive knowledge of Nissan machinery should make him a valuable part of Daishin’s Bronze-class challenge.
Fujinami has also already helped the team secure strong results during the 2026 Super Taikyu campaign. Team Daishin finished second overall at the Fuji 24 Hours and third at the five-hour Autopolis round, demonstrating the underlying competitiveness of the GTNET-operated car.
Ohyagi completes experienced Bronze-class crew
Ohyagi completes the line-up and provides the Bronze driver required for the team’s class classification.
He is a regular part of Team Daishin’s Super Taikyu programme and has also previously raced the GT-R in Japan Cup competition. That familiarity gives the crew three drivers who already understand the car rather than requiring a substantial adaptation during the Suzuka weekend.
The entry combines Ohyagi’s Bronze status with Silver-rated Fujinami and Platinum-rated Matsuda. Team Daishin has made clear that its ambitions extend beyond simply completing the race, with the squad targeting the Bronze victory and a strong overall result.
The Bronze class has developed into one of the largest categories on the provisional grid. Team Daishin’s late addition brings another strong local combination into a field containing several internationally established teams and drivers.
Daishin brings Super Taikyu momentum to Suzuka
Team Daishin enters the event after demonstrating considerable speed during its regular domestic campaign.
The squad has partnered with GTNET Motorsports to run the GT-R NISMO GT3 in Super Taikyu this season and has already recorded two overall podiums. Its runner-up finish at the Fuji 24 Hours was followed by third overall at Autopolis, giving the team a strong endurance-racing foundation before stepping onto the international stage.
The driver combination will differ from its usual Super Taikyu roster, but the technical operation remains familiar. That continuity should help Daishin focus on adapting to the sporting requirements of the Suzuka 1000km rather than learning the car itself.
The event carries particular significance for the Japanese team because the 2026 edition marks the 50th running of the race. First held in 1966, the Suzuka endurance classic has formed part of several different championships during its history, including Japan’s prototype and GT series.
Three Nissan GT-Rs now set for Suzuka
Team Daishin’s addition raises Nissan’s provisional representation to three cars.
Team 5ZIGEN will carry the manufacturer’s strongest outright ambitions with its GT-R, while Daishin adds a serious Bronze-class contender. A third Nissan is also set to compete, giving the ageing but still competitive GT-R NISMO GT3 a notable presence against newer-generation machinery.
For Nissan, the three-car contingent provides several opportunities to feature prominently at one of its home endurance events. Team 5ZIGEN will focus on the overall classification, while Daishin’s experienced driver combination gives the marque another realistic route to class honours.
The GT-R remains one of the most recognisable cars in Japanese GT racing despite no longer representing the newest generation of Nissan competition machinery. Suzuka therefore provides another high-profile opportunity for the platform to compete against machinery from Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, BMW, Ferrari and other manufacturers.
Matsuda returns to race with special personal significance
Matsuda’s involvement gives the late entry additional profile beyond its class prospects.
His Super GT record and long association with Nissan make him one of the manufacturer’s most recognisable racing figures, while his previous Suzuka 1000km victory connects him directly to the event’s history.
Although he retired from full-time Super GT competition only last year, Matsuda has remained active and now returns to the circuit for another major endurance appearance. The combination of his experience with Fujinami’s GT300 success and Ohyagi’s familiarity with Daishin creates one of the more experienced Bronze crews on the grid.
The Suzuka 1000km takes place from 11–13 September and forms Round 4 of five in the 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge. Porsche currently leads the Manufacturers’ Championship ahead of Mercedes-AMG, with Indianapolis set to host the finale in October.
For Team Daishin, championship points are not the central objective. Instead, the late entry gives the squad an opportunity to challenge for Bronze honours and a strong overall result in the 50th edition of one of Japan’s most historic endurance races.
