September 28, 2026

This Year's MFJ Grand Prix Is Not to Be Missed!
Top All Japan Riders Face Off Against World-Class Wildcard Entrants

The final round of the 2026 All Japan Road Race Championship, the 58th MFJ Grand Prix Superbike Race in Suzuka, will be held from Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, October 25. This year’s JSB1000 class features a star-studded lineup of wildcard entrants including Takumi Takahashi, Osamu Uramoto, Shin Atsumi, and John McPhee. These riders, who electrified the Suzuka 8 Hours, will now clash in Japan’s premier sprint race. This event is a must-watch, especially for fans who have been away from All Japan racing for a while.
Unlike the 8-hour endurance race where multiple riders take turns, in the JSB1000 class a single rider runs from start to checkered flag. Because the race is over a short distance with fierce battles for position, a single qualifying lap, the positioning right after the start, and strategic moves at critical moments carry even greater weight. How will the riders who received cheers in the 8-hour race perform against the top contenders in the All Japan Championship? Let’s explore that excitement based on each rider’s achievements.

Record 8 Wins at the Suzuka 8 Hours. Takumi Takahashi Challenges with Honda’s Test Team

First to watch is Takumi Takahashi, who is participating with the Honda HRC test team.
Takahashi has achieved numerous accomplishments both domestically and internationally, but his strength at Suzuka is in a league of its own. In this July’s Suzuka 8 Hours, he contributed to Honda HRC’s fifth consecutive victory and extended his personal record for most wins to a total of eight. At the press conference at that time, he expressed his desire to compete in the MFJ Grand Prix, and his wish came true as he returns to the MFJ Grand Prix for the first time in two years.

Takahashi, who has accumulated victories at Suzuka over many years, is truly a familiar figure to 8-hour endurance race fans, but he also has ample achievements in sprint races. In 2017, he won the JSB1000 class championship, and the stage where he secured the title was here at the Suzuka MFJ Grand Prix.

How far will the rider with the most wins in the Suzuka 8 Hours, who knows Suzuka inside and out, be able to demonstrate his speed on the All Japan stage where he once stood at the top? On his favored Suzuka stage, he aims to be a leading figure even in the short-distance battle.

Takumi Takahashi / Honda HRC test team

Osamu Uramoto, who ventured onto the world stage, returns once again to the All Japan stage

Challenging with BMW is Osamu Uramoto of the Auto Race Ube Racing Team.
He won the All Japan J-GP2 championship in 2016. Since then, he has gained extensive experience in the Spanish Championship over many years. After joining the same team last year, he won both races at the Motegi event and secured 3rd place in the overall season ranking. He has already proven that he can win at the highest level domestically.

This season, together with the team, he has been fully participating in the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) and showed a strong presence at this year's Suzuka 8 Hours as well. Uramoto, who was entrusted with the start in the rainy final, quickly moved up from 9th place and passed the first lap in the lead. It was the first time in the history of the Suzuka 8 Hours that a machine from an overseas manufacturer was recorded as the race leader, and his leading the race against factory teams from Honda and Yamaha left a vivid impression.

How far the Auto Race Ube Racing Team, which continues to challenge the World Endurance Championship, can break into the top ranks in the MFJ Grand Prix sprint race remains to be seen. Their performance will also serve as a major indicator of the team’s current standing.

Osamu Uramoto / Auto Race Ube Racing Team

Shin Atsumi, Responsible for Yoshimura's Development, Aiming for His First MFJ Victory

Fans looking forward to Yoshimura's performance will surely be interested in Shin Atsumi of Yoshimura SERT Motul. For fans who have long followed the All Japan series and the Suzuka 8 Hours, the sight of Yoshimura’s machine competing closely with Honda and Yamaha holds a special appeal.

After winning the SST class at the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours, Atsumi volunteered to race overseas and moved his battleground to the EWC. This season, while supporting a top endurance team as the team's reserve and development rider, he also participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the sister team, Junior Team LMS Suzuki. Although he finished 6th in this year's 8 Hours, he completed the challenging rainy race and reflected that he himself gained confidence in his wet-weather riding.

He has made spot appearances in the MFJ Grand Prix in the past, but his best finish is 4th place, falling short of the podium. It will be interesting to see how he combines the stability required for endurance racing with the sharpness needed to gain positions in sprints.

Kokoro Atsumi / Yoshimura SERT Motul

Moto3™ 4 Wins: John McPhee Makes His Debut in All Japan

And the one likely to draw the attention of fans who have followed the World GP is John McPhee of F.C.C. TSR Honda France.
McPhee, from Scotland, is a Grand Prix winner with a total of four victories in the Moto3™ World Championship. He has also competed in the World Supersport Championship and the British Superbike Championship, and this season he is racing in the EWC as a member of TSR.

McPhee brings with him the braking skills and close-quarters strength honed in the World Grand Prix, experience with large-displacement machines gained in the British Superbike Championship, and a deep understanding of the Honda CBR1000RR-R refined through the EWC. How he will assert his presence in his first All Japan Road Race is highly anticipated. This entry embodies the true essence of the MFJ Grand Prix, where top overseas talents and Japan’s leading riders compete on equal terms.

John McPhee / F.C.C. TSR Honda France

Facing them are Ryo Mizuno, who is on the verge of becoming the first-time champion, Tetsuta Nagashima aiming for a dramatic comeback, and Katsuyuki Nakasuga challenging his final Suzuka

Among the All Japan riders taking on the luxurious spot entrants, Ryo Mizuno (SDG DUCATI Team KAGAYAMA), who has shown overwhelming performance this season and leads the rankings, stands as a major obstacle. In 2017, the same year Takumi Takahashi became the JSB1000 champion, Mizuno competed in J-GP2 from the same Hulk Pro team and won the title. This year, Mizuno rides a Ducati and challenges the Final Round for his first JSB1000 crown. The dynamic of former teammates, senior and junior, competing head-to-head representing different manufacturers is also intriguing.

Ryo Mizuno / SDG DUCATI Team KAGAYAMA

The rider who has pushed Mizuno the most this season is Tetta Nagashima, ranked second (DUNLOP Racing Team with YAHAGI). The three-year tire development project with DUNLOP has now reached its final year. Although there were struggles with the tires in the first year, this season they have steadily increased their competitiveness, engaging in a fierce battle with Mizuno until the final lap at the Motegi race. They came within just 0.1 seconds of the team’s first victory.

The title battle remains undecided even after the Okayama round, and although the points gap is large, Nagashima still has a chance for a dramatic comeback championship at Suzuka. In the final round, which is the culmination of three years of development, can he seize victory against Mizuno and the spot entrants and surge to the series championship with a great comeback? For Nagashima and his team, this will be a race where everything is on the line.

Tetta Nagashima / DUNLOP Racing Team with YAHAGI

Furthermore, the showdown with Katsuyuki Nakasuga (YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEAM), who is retiring from All Japan Road Race at the end of this season, cannot be missed. He has been rivals with Takahashi both in All Japan and the Suzuka 8 Hours, and this will be their last chance to face each other in All Japan. As Nakasuga aims for victory in his final Suzuka, it will be interesting to see how he influences the title battle between Mizuno and Nagashima. Adding to this, strong wildcard entrants such as Takahashi, Uramoto, Atsumi, and McPhee join the fray, making the outcome of the final round even more unpredictable.

An MFJ Grand Prix with so many highlights coming together like this is not something that happens often.
In a battle where regular competitors and spot entrants clash with their speed and unyielding pride, who will take center stage?
It looks like it will be a weekend you won’t want to take your eyes off, from qualifying through to the final.

On October 24 (Sat) and 25 (Sun) at Suzuka, we hope you will witness the battles of your favorite Riders and the moment the 2026 season is decided.