On May 10, 2026, the opening round and Round 1 Final of the 2026 KYOJO CUP season were held at Fuji Speedway. nat team KCMG fielded four drivers, with #10 Joanne Chikonte securing a second-place finish on the podium. #7 Miki Oonaga also finished in fourth place, giving the team a strong start to the season right from the opening round.
Under clear skies, all 18 cars completed the 15-lap race, with #39 Rio Tomishita (OPTIMUS CERUMO·INGING) taking the win. Chikonte maintained a steady pace from the start to hold onto second place. Ohnaga also made a perfect start and surged into third place early on, but ultimately finished in fourth. The team demonstrated its high level of competitiveness right from the season opener.
#8 Aisa Sasaki finished in 10th place after receiving a 5-second time penalty for running off the track. #9 Kelsey Pinkowski finished the race in 18th place. We look forward to seeing them make even greater strides in the next race.
nat team KCMG Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | #10 | Joanne Ciconte | 26:26.532 |
| 4 | #7 | Miki Onaga | 26:32.364 |
| 10 | #8 | Rami Sasaki *5-second time penalty added (for driving off the course multiple times) | 26:40.779 |
| 18 | #9 | Kelsey Pinkowski | 27.01944 |
Fastest lap: 1:45.265 (156.052 km/h) — #36 Manami Saito / SCS TOM’S
Drivers' Championship — After Round 1
| Ranking | Driver | Team | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riona Tomishita | OPTIMUS CERUMO·INGING | 33 |
| 2 | Joanne Ciconte ★ | nat team KCMG | 25 |
| 3 | Aimi Saito | SCS TOM’S | 16 |
| 4 | Miki Onaga ★ | nat team KCMG | 13 |
| 9 | Rami Sasaki ★ | nat team KCMG | 2 |
★ nat team KCMG ／ Chikonte sits in second place in the series, eight points behind the leader
Driver Comments
The effects of the mechanical issues that arose during the final pre-season test carried over into race week, forcing us to compete with the test car.We had maintained a positive feeling through Friday, but on qualifying day, aiming to take advantage of improving track conditions, we started our run in the final 10 minutes of the session. We struggled to improve our lap time and ended up with the sixth-fastest time. Ultimately, it was easier to set a fast lap during the first half of the session when temperatures were lower, and because we were unable to fully increase tire pressure, the result fell far short of our goal of pole position.
In the sprint race, I got caught up in the chaos after the start and fell behind the leading pack. I managed to close in on the driver in third place but couldn’t quite catch up, and the race ended with me just behind him. In the main race, I started in third place and held that position early on, but I lacked speed and was gradually overtaken by the faster cars behind me, ultimately dropping out of podium contention.
While conditions changed from the smooth testing sessions leading up to this race, forcing us to do our best under the circumstances, the organizers and the entire team did everything they could. It’s a frustrating result, as I wasn’t able to perform to my full potential. I’ll work to identify the reasons for the lack of speed, thoroughly review our preparation and processes leading up to the race, and do my best to aim for pole position and victory again. I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to all our sponsors for their support, to the fans for their encouragement, and to the entire team.
This race provided me with many valuable lessons for the future. Although the results weren’t great and there are areas I need to reflect on—which is very frustrating—I want to view this positively as an opportunity for growth. The penalties I received in qualifying and the final race were my own mistakes, so I’ll do my best to keep these lessons in mind during practice so I can improve my speed.
This was the race where I had to think the hardest while driving, so I feel I lacked that instinctive feel for the car. To prevent this from happening again, I’m going to take a fresh look at my driving style, mindset, and preparation methods from the ground up as I gear up for Round 2. I’m truly grateful to everyone for their support and cooperation, which has made it possible for me to race this season. I look forward to your continued strict guidance and warm support.
