【KYOJO CUP Round 2 Report｜Fujisan Shizuoka Racing】
From July 18 (Sat) to 19 (Sun), 2026, Fujisan Shizuoka Racing competed in “KYOJO CUP Round 2” held at Fuji Speedway, with drivers Paige Raddatz and Rina Ito.
KYOJO CUP is a race series competed exclusively by female drivers, featuring two races per event: a Sprint Race and a Final Race.
On the morning of the first day, drivers take part in a time‑attack session called Official Qualifying, and the recorded lap times determine the starting grid for the afternoon Sprint Race.
Furthermore, the results of the Sprint Race set the starting grid for the Final Race held on the following day. In other words, each event is structured through three sessions: Saturday morning qualifying, Saturday afternoon sprint, and Sunday’s final race.
【Official Qualifying Report】Results: Car #11 – 7th / Car #12 – 12th
On July 18, the official qualifying session for Round 2 of the 2026 KYOJO CUP took place at Fuji Speedway.
The session began with a wet track, with all cars running on wet-weather tires. Over the 20-minute session, drivers competed to set their fastest lap while adapting to the changing track conditions. As the session progressed, lap times continued to improve, creating a tense qualifying session in which the order remained in flux until the very end.
Tire selection was also a key factor in the session, as the changing track conditions demanded careful judgment. The most suitable wet-weather tires can vary depending on rainfall and the amount of water on the track, making it essential to anticipate how conditions will evolve.
In these challenging conditions, the team opted to use used wet-weather tires with shallower tread rather than a fresh set. This strategic decision proved beneficial and contributed to the team’s strong qualifying results.
Fuji Shizuoka Racing fielded two cars for the event: No. 11, driven by Paige Raddatz, and No. 12, driven by Rina Ito.
Both drivers put the results of their testing sessions and simulator training since the season opener to good use, achieving personal-best qualifying positions.
No. 11 Paige Raddatz delivered a strong performance in the latter half of the session, recording her fastest lap of 1:52.994 on lap 11. Finishing seventh, just 0.517 seconds off the pace of the overall leader, she secured the team’s best-ever qualifying result.
No. 12 Rina Ito also steadily improved her lap times as the track conditions evolved, setting her fastest lap of 1:53.549 on lap 11. She finished 12th, 1.072 seconds behind the overall leader, achieving her personal-best qualifying position and improving on her result from the previous round.
Despite the challenging wet conditions, the team’s strategic decisions, including tire selection, aligned with both drivers’ performances, allowing both cars to achieve their best-ever qualifying positions. The results demonstrated the progress made since the season opener and provided the team with valuable confidence heading into the afternoon’s sprint race.
【Sprint Race Report】#11 Paige Raddatz – Sprint Race Result: Car #11 Finishes 11th
Recovered from an early setback with a series of aggressive overtakes, demonstrating strong pace in the battle at the front of the field.
The Round 2 sprint race of the 2026 KYOJO CUP took place at Fuji Speedway on the afternoon of July 18.
Under cloudy skies and in dry conditions, all cars ran on dry tires for the 10-lap sprint race, setting the stage for a short but intense battle.
Fuji Shizuoka Racing’s No. 11 car, driven by Paige Raddatz, started from seventh on the grid. She lost two positions by Turn 1 immediately after the start, but quickly fought back.
At the ADVAN Corner on the opening lap, she made a move down the inside to regain one position. She then dived down the inside of another car just before the final corner, gaining another place and completing the first lap in seventh, the same position from which she had started.
Paige maintained a consistent pace throughout the remainder of the race, holding seventh place all the way to the checkered flag. Following her strong qualifying performance, she once again demonstrated her speed and competitiveness in the race.
However, an incident during the race was judged to have involved forcing another car off the track, resulting in a five-second time penalty. The penalty dropped her four positions in the final classification, leaving her in 11th place.
Although the final result left some disappointment, the race highlighted her determination and aggressive driving. After losing positions at the start, she recovered with two overtakes on the opening lap and continued to hold a competitive position near the front of the field. Her performance demonstrated the pace and fighting spirit she had shown in qualifying, providing valuable momentum heading into the next race.
【Sprint Race Report】#12 Rina Ito – Sprint Race Result: Car #12 Finishes 16th
Fought fiercely in a tightly packed field, showing determination and resilience to finish 16th.
No. 12 Rina Ito started the sprint race from 12th on the grid.
On the opening lap, she won a side-by-side battle with a car ahead to move up to 11th, making an aggressive start to the race.
As the race progressed, Rina came under pressure from the cars behind and became involved in intense position battles within a tightly packed group.
On lap 4, she lost one position before becoming embroiled in a four-car battle. From the final corner onto the main straight, she immediately fought back after being overtaken, with three cars running side by side in a fierce contest. Despite her determined efforts to fight back, she lost three positions during this challenging sequence.
On lap 5, Rina narrowly avoided a spinning car ahead, recovering one position in the process. On the following lap, she continued to defend tenaciously as a rival drew alongside, successfully holding her position.
Another intense battle with multiple cars on lap 7 saw her drop two more positions. Nevertheless, Rina continued to withstand pressure from the cars behind through the closing laps, eventually crossing the finish line in 16th place.
Although the final result was 16th, Rina demonstrated an aggressive approach from the opening lap, fighting hard in intense wheel-to-wheel battles involving multiple cars and refusing to give up positions easily. She also showed quick judgment by narrowly avoiding a spinning car and displayed impressive determination in defending her position under pressure until the very end. The sprint race provided valuable experience in both attacking and defensive racecraft.
【Final Race Report】#11 Paige Ladadts – Final Race Result: Car #11 Finishes 6th
Climbed through the field with a series of early overtakes to secure the team’s best-ever finish of 6th place.
The final race of Round 2 of the 2026 KYOJO CUP took place at Fuji Speedway on July 19. Under cloudy skies and in dry conditions, the drivers competed over 15 laps.
No. 11 Paige Raddatz started from 11th on the grid following the results of the sprint race.
She gained one position immediately after the start, then overtook another car at the Coca-Cola Corner on the opening lap to move up to ninth. Continuing her charge, she made another move down the inside at the ADVAN Corner, climbing to eighth place after gaining three positions on the opening lap alone.
Paige then continued to race within the leading group. Although she was overtaken by Tomishita at Turn 1 on lap 9, she maintained ninth place as the race entered its closing stages.
On lap 11, as the race approached its conclusion, two cars ahead made contact at Turn 1. Reacting calmly to the incident, Paige avoided the chaos and gained two positions to move up to seventh. The safety car was deployed to allow the recovery of the involved cars, and the race remained under safety car conditions until the checkered flag.
In the closing stages, a five-second time penalty was applied to the car running in second place. As a result, Paige gained another position, securing a final classification of sixth.
Starting from 11th, Paige climbed five positions to achieve the team’s best-ever finish of sixth place. Her performance was highlighted by a series of overtakes on the opening lap, as well as her ability to assess the situation calmly and capitalize on opportunities during the late-race incident. The final race demonstrated both her pace and composure under pressure.
【Final Race Report】#12 Rina Ito – Final Race Result: Car #12 Finishes 12th
Made an outstanding start to gain four positions, fought tenaciously throughout the race, and secured a 12th-place finish.
No. 12 Rina Ito started the final race from 16th on the grid.
Making an outstanding start, Rina overtook four cars before reaching Turn 1, immediately climbing to 12th place.
She continued to fight aggressively for position with the cars ahead, demonstrating strong pace and determination throughout the race.
In the early stages, Rina became involved in intense battles within a tightly packed group. She lost three positions during wheel-to-wheel fights with other competitors on laps 2 and 3. Despite the setbacks, she remained close to the cars ahead and continued to fight tenaciously.
On lap 7, Rina engaged in another fierce battle from the main straight into Turn 1. She fought hard to defend her position but was ultimately overtaken by a rival who made a move down the inside at Turn 1.
The safety car was deployed on lap 11 to allow the recovery of cars involved in a collision, and the race finished under safety car conditions. Following the race, two cars that had crossed the finish line ahead of Rina were each handed five-second time penalties.
The revised classification came down to a narrow time difference between Rina and one of the penalized cars. Rina finished 0.7 seconds ahead after the penalties were applied, gaining two positions to secure a final result of 12th place.
Despite starting from 16th, Rina made an impressive start to gain four positions immediately and continued to engage in determined battles throughout the race. Even amid intense competition and challenging position fights, she never stopped pushing forward, demonstrating resilience and a fighting spirit all the way to the finish.
Team Owner & Driver Messages
【Message from Fujisan Shizuoka Racing Team Owner, Takahito Kojima】
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone for your continued support and encouragement of Fuji Shizuoka Racing.
Thanks to your generous support, we have successfully completed the second event of the 2026 KYOJO CUP.
Following the opening round, the entire team worked diligently to address the challenges we had identified. We steadily strengthened our preparations through multiple private testing sessions for our drivers, as well as extensive training using driving simulators.
Furthermore, beginning with this event, we welcomed experienced driving coach Yuki Nakayama to our team to further develop our drivers and strengthen our overall team performance.
These efforts paid off, with both Paige Raddatz and Rina Ito delivering significantly improved performances compared to the opening round. Their results demonstrated clear progress, and we are confident that the team is moving forward in the right direction.
In the lead-up to Round 3, we will continue to prepare thoroughly and address each challenge with dedication and determination. As a united team, we will keep pushing forward to show everyone an even stronger and more competitive Fuji Shizuoka Racing.
We sincerely appreciate your continued support and encouragement, and we look forward to sharing the next stage of our journey with you.
【Comments from Car #11 Driver, Paige Raddatz】
Round 2 was a significant step forward for both myself and the team.
We showed strong pace from the very first practice session and secured 7th place in qualifying.
Although a penalty dropped us down the order in the sprint race, we bounced back with a 6th-place finish in the final race, giving us a real confidence boost heading into Round 3.
A huge thank you to everyone who continues to support us. I’m truly grateful to my family, our sponsors, and every member of the team for all their hard work and dedication.
We’re determined to carry this positive momentum into the next round and continue making progress. I’m already looking forward to the next event.
【Comments from Car #12 Driver, Rina Ito】
Thank you all so much for your continued support.
Compared to the previous round, I felt much more comfortable in the car during Round 2, and my confidence has continued to grow.
I also managed to make a good standing start in the final race. This time, I was able to show more determination and aggression as I pushed forward and fought for positions.
I still have a lot of work to do to improve my lap times, so I’ll keep working hard to get faster and put on an even stronger performance at the next round.
I’d love to see you all at the circuit again, so please continue to come out and cheer us on.
Thank you for your continued support.
