On May 10, 2026, the season opener—Round 1 Final—of the KYOJO CUP 2026 season was held at Fuji Speedway. The nat team KCMG fielded four drivers, with #10 Joanne Chiconte securing second place 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.
In the 15-lap race, which saw all 18 cars complete the course under clear skies, #39 Rio Tomishita (OPTIMUS CERUMO·INGING) took the victory. Chikonte maintained a steady pace from the start and held onto second place. Oona 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 received a 5-second time penalty for running off the track and finished in 10th place. #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 | 27.01.944 |
Fastest Lap: 1'45.265 (156.052 km/h) — #36 Manami Saito / SCS TOM’S
Drivers' Championship — Standings 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 | Aisa Sasaki (Rami Sasaki) ★ | nat Team KCMG | 2 |
★ nat Team KCMG ／ Chikonte is in second place in the series, 8 points behind the leader
Driver Comments
The effects of the mechanical issues that arose during the final test before the season opener carried over into race week, forcing us to compete with the test car.We had maintained a positive feel through Friday, but on qualifying day, aiming to take advantage of improving track conditions, we began our run in the final 10 minutes of the session. We struggled to improve our time and ultimately finished with the sixth-fastest lap. As it turned out, it was easier to set fast times during the first half of the session when temperatures were lower, and because we were unable to fully increase the tire pressure, the result fell far short of our goal of pole position.
In the sprint race, I got separated from the leading pack amid the chaos right after the start. I managed to close in on the driver in third place but couldn’t quite catch up, and that’s how the race ended. In the main race, I was able to hold third place from the start, but I lacked speed and was gradually overtaken by the fast cars behind me, ultimately falling out of podium contention.
Although conditions for this race were different from our smooth testing sessions, and we ended up doing the best we could under the circumstances, the organizers and the team all did their very best. It was a disappointing result because I wasn’t quite up to the task. While I continue to investigate the reasons for my lack of speed, I will thoroughly review our preparation and processes leading up to the race, and I’ll keep working hard to secure pole position and the victory again. I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to all our sponsors for their support, to all the fans for their encouragement, and to everyone on the team.
I gained a lot of valuable insights from this race that will help me moving forward. Although the results weren’t great and there are things 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 become faster.
This was the race where I had to think the hardest while driving, so I feel I lacked that instinctive sense of driving. To prevent this from happening again, I’ll be reevaluating my driving style, mindset, and preparation process from the ground up as I gear up for Round 2. I’m truly grateful that I’m able to race this season thanks to the support and cooperation of so many people. I look forward to your continued strict guidance and warm support.
