Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team announces its entry structure for 2026! Iwato, Yaei, and Nakayama to Challenge for the Suzuka 8 Hours and the Top of All Japan!

Kawasaki Motors Japan, Inc. has announced the entry structure of the Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team for the 2026 season. The team will continue to field riders Ryosuke Iwato and Yaegun Iwato in the All Japan Road Race Championship and the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race. In addition, Yosuke Nakayama will join the team for the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, and the team is aiming for a class win and the All-Japan title.

The new season with three talented riders and the matured Ninja ZX-10R!

Kawasaki Motors Japan has decided on the 2026 entry structure for the Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team, which represents the nationwide Kawasaki Plaza network. The team will be led by Osamu Nishijima, who will continue to serve as the team's director. Two riders will be selected: Ryosuke Iwato, who will continue to steer the team from last season, and Yayeong-gun, who will be entering his third year with the team. In addition, Yosuke Nakayama has been invited as the third rider for the SST class of the "FIM World Endurance Championship Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race," known as a midsummer festival, for the second time in 2025. The machine to be used will be the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, Kawasaki's proud supersport machine. The riders, who have improved their physical and mental strength based on last year's disappointment, will head into the new season with even stronger solidarity.

With the expectations of Kawasaki fans on their shoulders, the team aims to win the Suzuka 8 Hours class championship and the All-Japan title.

Since its inauguration in 2022, this team has been working to share the excitement of motorsports with Kawasaki Plaza stores and fans nationwide, and in 2026, the team will continue to fulfill this mission by taking on the challenge of racing in the ST1000 class of the All Japan Road Race Championship and the SST class of the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race. The team will be challenging with all its might in these two categories. Ryosuke Iwato expressed his determination to continue challenging toward his goal with the new machine. Yayoung-gun has been making his mark since the opening round of the season, showing his commitment and dedication to the results of the race. Yosuke Nakayama, the third rider, has no hesitation in his determination to drive through the hot summer as a team in pursuit of the top step of the podium. Manager Nishijima has set his sights on winning a class championship and an All-Japan championship, while building on the strengths of the team. With the enthusiastic support of the Kawasaki fans on their backs, the battle for the best possible result at the traditional venue of Suzuka is about to begin.

Team Profile

Team name: Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team ・Team manager: Osamu Nishijima ・Riders: Ryosuke Iwato, Gun Mie, Yosuke Nakayama ・Machine: Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R ・Class: FIM World Endurance Championship "Coca-Cola" Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race SST Class, All Japan Road Race Championship ST1000 Class

Osamu Nishijima Director

I am very grateful to everyone involved for allowing me to continue as a director this season. The riders are getting stronger and stronger, both physically and mentally, to make up for last year's disappointment.

The riders and the team will work as one to improve each other's strengths, and we will do our best to win the 8 Hours class championship and the All-Japan championship.

Ryosuke Iwato

I would like to thank everyone involved and everyone who supports us for allowing us to continue racing this season.

I believe that my experience last year has made me stronger. I will continue to challenge for the goals I have yet to achieve. I will do my best with the new Ninja ZX-10R! I hope you will support me!

Yaeng Gun, driver

I am very happy to announce that I will be racing for the Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team again in the 2026 season. This will be my third season with the team, and I will make every effort to make a head start and achieve results from the opening round this year.

I will do my best to compete with all Kawasaki fans this season, and I look forward to your enthusiastic support!

Yosuke Nakayama Player

I am very happy to be able to participate in the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race again this year as I did last year with the Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team. Last year we finished with a disappointing result, but this year we will work together as a team to get on the top step of the podium and drive through the hot summer.

I look forward to racing through the 8 hours in Suzuka with all of you who support us, and I ask for your continued support for the Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team.

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