K-tunes Racing has confirmed Hideki Yamauchi and Takamitsu Matsui alongside Sena Sakaguchi for the Suzuka 1000km, completing an all-Pro line-up in the No. 96 Lexus RC F GT3.
The move promotes K-tunes into the Pro category for the 11-13 September event and gives Lexus a genuine outright contender at the 50th anniversary Summer Endurance Race.
Furthermore, Yamauchi brings extensive SUPER GT experience and arrives as the all-time GT300 pole position record holder, while Matsui adds another former class champion to a line-up already featuring Toyota GT500 driver Sakaguchi.
Yamauchi takes on new Lexus challenge at 2026 Suzuka 1000km with K-tunes racing
Yamauchi will make his first competitive appearance in the Lexus RC F GT3 and his first race outing with K-tunes Racing. The Subaru factory driver has been a central figure in R&D Sport’s GT300 programme since 2015 and won the championship in 2021.
However, Suzuka will place him in unfamiliar machinery and a different team environment.
“I’m really happy to have this opportunity,” said Yamauchi. “It will be my first time driving the RCF GT3 and driving with K-tunes, so I’m looking forward to it.”
The opportunity also marks a return to full GT3 competition for Yamauchi. His most recent full season in GT3 machinery came in 2018, when he raced a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 for Endless Sports in Super Taikyu.
Yamauchi targets strong result on debut
Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, Yamauchi has set a clear objective for the weekend. He wants to repay the opportunity by maximising his contribution across every session and helping K-tunes challenge at the front.
“It’s a new challenge for me, I want to return this favor of having such an opportunity by giving it my utmost to deliver the best result possible.”
His inclusion significantly strengthens the team’s line-up. Yamauchi has built his reputation around qualifying speed and consistency in GT300, while his experience in Japanese competition should prove valuable at a circuit he knows well.
That local knowledge could become particularly important as K-tunes steps into a deeper Pro field than it contested in 2025.
Matsui adds further GT300 pedigree to K-tunes Racing’s 2026 Suzuka 1000km line-up
Matsui joins Yamauchi and Sakaguchi as another driver with extensive experience in Japanese GT racing. The 2016 GT300 champion currently competes for Tsuchiya Engineering in a GTA GT300-spec Toyota Supra GR GT3. He also retains more recent GT3 experience after racing a Porsche 911 GT3 R with the same team during 2020 and 2021.
For Matsui, the Suzuka 1000km represents both a major opportunity and a demanding challenge.
“The Suzuka 1000km is a very tough, top-level race, but I’m grateful to have such an opportunity to challenge myself in a race like this,” Matsui said. “A big thanks to K-tunes Racing and all the sponsors involved.”
The long-distance format will require more than outright pace, with consistency and adaptability likely to play key roles throughout the weekend.
Matsui plans full commitment across the weekend
Matsui expects the team to build towards its strongest form session by session. That approach will be particularly important for a line-up combining different recent racing backgrounds and a car that Yamauchi has not previously driven.
“I want to do my best and improve as I drive in each session. We’ll go full throttle until the very end without giving up, so we ask for your support.”
K-tunes will therefore rely on gradual refinement as it prepares for the race. The team has already shown its willingness to compete at Suzuka, but the move into Pro raises the performance benchmark considerably.
Sakaguchi completes all-Pro Lexus line-up
Sakaguchi was already confirmed before K-tunes announced Yamauchi and Matsui. The Toyota factory driver competes in SUPER GT’s GT500 class and also has an existing relationship with K-tunes through the SRO Japan Cup.
However, his only scheduled appearance of the season at Sportsland Sugo ended before the race began after the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R he was due to share with Kazunori Suenaga was withdrawn.
Suzuka will therefore give Sakaguchi a more substantial opportunity with the team. His GT500 experience also provides another layer of professional pedigree alongside Yamauchi and Matsui.
Lexus becomes seventh Pro-class manufacturer
K-tunes’ decision to field an all-Pro line-up also expands the manufacturer battle at Suzuka. Lexus becomes the seventh marque with a car capable of fighting for overall victory, joining Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, Corvette, Nissan and Ford.
That variety gives the Pro field considerable depth and further strengthens the home manufacturer presence.
For Lexus, the No. 96 entry offers a rare opportunity to fight directly against the established IGTC contenders despite the marque not competing as a registered championship manufacturer. The focus will therefore remain firmly on the race result itself.
K-tunes steps up after 2025 Bronze campaign
K-tunes contested last year’s Suzuka 1000km in the Bronze category with a Ferrari 296 GT3. Shinichi Takagi, Sean Walkinshaw and Daisuke Yamawaki formed that line-up.
The move to an all-Pro Lexus entry marks a significant change in ambition for 2026.
Rather than targeting class honours, the team now joins the fight for outright victory with three drivers who bring substantial experience from Japanese GT racing. Yamauchi’s GT300 title and qualifying record, Matsui’s championship pedigree and Sakaguchi’s GT500 background give K-tunes a strong foundation.
Suzuka will now show whether that combination can translate into a genuine challenge against one of the deepest Pro fields of the event.
