RIO SHIMONO & KYOJO CUP Squad Battle Back for Dubai 24 Hours TC Class Podium

January 20, 2026

• The only all-female squad in the 66-car Dubai 24 Hours field delivered what we love to see – qualifying brilliance followed by championship-level grit. AIMI SAITO, MIKI ONAGA, and RIO SHIMONO combined for pole position in TC class, with Shimono’s 2:13.009 proving these women belong at the sharp end of international endurance racing from day one.
• When early technical gremlins struck their Toyota GR Supra GT4 and dropped them 11 laps down just two hours in, this crew showed exactly why we’re backing them. Instead of parking it like lesser teams might, MIKI ONAGA, RAMI SASAKI, and the squad kept grinding through overnight repairs, proving that resilience isn’t gender-specific – it’s championship DNA.
• The final result speaks volumes about what happens when you give women proper support and machinery. Despite losing nearly 60 laps to technical issues, the Toyota-backed Kyojo Cup graduates still managed second in TC class and sixth overall in TCE. KOKORO SATO brought it home in the final stint, capping off a debut that announces these drivers as serious international contenders, not just inspiring stories.

dubai 24 hours, kyojo cup, tc class, toyota gr supra gt4