Okayama completes 2026 GTWC Asia calendar

While the presentation during the 24 Hours of Spa weekend made most of the details clear, GT World Challenge Asia still had a void in the calendar, with a second Japanese event confirmed but without a venue, and in the end, SRO decided on returning to Okayama, while the dates of the final portion of the season were clarified.
 
Okayama will be kept along with Fuji to form the SRO GT Powertour, when GTWC Asia visits Japan for back to back rounds, but these circuits only got together in the calendar thanks to the reduction of Japanese rounds as the competition gradually returned to more countries. Both circuits are also part of the current Japan Cup calendar, being the half of the season where national and continental competitions share the same tracks as SUGO and Suzuka eventually became standalone Japan Cup rounds.
 
Fuji was set to be held in July, and the final decision was to go there near the middle of the month, while Okayama will be held in late August, which might sound strange when taking in consideration the back to back events in the same country, but it still stays around the same interval between races established for the rest of the calendar, which is roughly a month.
 
Another event that was without a complete date was the season finale at the Beijing Street Circuit, with the final two races of the 2026 season set for mid October, with roughly the same interval to Okayama as it is from Fuji to Okayama, which will be the longest in the calendar.
 
Despite losing a country in the calendar for 2026, as Thailand’s Chang International Circuit gave place to Shanghai, GTWC Asia will still visit four countries next season, although still keeping the same number of six double header sprints since its inception, with endurance races still being away from the schedule despite the inclusion of the Suzuka 1000km to the Intercontinental GT Challenge calendar.
 
2026 GT World Challenge Asia calendar:
 
4-5 April - Sepang
2-3 May - Mandalika
5-6 June - Shanghai
11-12 July - Fuji
29-30 August - Okayama
17-18 October - Beijing
 
PHOTO: SRO