24H Dubai: Shimono, Onaga, Sato, Saito, Sasaki complete first 24 Hour race with TC podium
- RACERS
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Toyota-backed Kyojo Cup drivers Rio Shimono, Miki Onaga, Kokoro Satom Aimi Saito and Rami Sasaki fought back from early technical issues to finish second in the TC class on their first-ever international 24-hour race at the Dubai 24 Hours.
Among the 66-car field and 12 female drivers entered for the 2026 Dubai 24 Hours, the season-opening endurance classic was also a highlight moment for the only all-female team on the grid, lined up in the TC class. Backed by Toyota and formed around the five leading protagonists from Japan’s all-female Kyojo Cup, the TG-RR squad took on their first international race and first-ever 24-hour event at Dubai Autodrome, turning the race into a major learning experience and bringing home a class podium.
Series champion Rio Shimono was joined by Miki Onaga, Kokoro Sato, Aimi Saito and Rami Sasaki in the Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo B-Spec, with the quartet also receiving coaching support from fellow Japanese racer Miki Koyama. The step into international endurance racing represented a steep challenge, but one the Japanese manufacturer was keen to embrace as part of its driver development pathway.
The all-female line-up made an immediate impact in qualifying. Aimi Saito opened proceedings in Q1 and delivered a breakthrough lap of 2:14.040, a major improvement from practice and enough to place the Toyota at the top of the TC class. Miki Onaga took over for Q2 and continued the upward trend, lowering the benchmark to 2:13.446 and keeping the team in class-leading contention. Rio Shimono then completed the session with an even stronger effort in Q3, posting a 2:13.009 to secure pole position in TC on combined times and second in the broader TCE order.
Shimono was entrusted with starting the 21st edition of the Dubai 24 Hours from class pole. In the hectic opening phase, which quickly saw a Code 60 intervention after multiple incidents on the crowded first lap, the Japanese driver initially held the TC class lead and ran third within TCE. However, the early promise was soon interrupted by technical issues that struck the Toyota Supra, forcing the team into lengthy pit lane repairs. During the first round of stops, the #107 machine lost significant time in the garage and rejoined 11 laps down.
Another Code 60 followed shortly afterwards, and further pit work was required as the team attempted to stabilise the car. Two hours into the race, as a RedAnt Racing Mercedes suffered an engine failure, the all-female Toyota returned to green-flag running, with Miki Onaga now at the wheel. At that stage, the class-leading sister Toyota also encountered trouble, briefly reducing the gap between the two TC contenders. Onaga steadily closed back in, which meant the #107 entry remained just a lap behind its main rival as the sun began to set.
Rami Sasaki took over during the next sequence of stops and settled into second place in TC, circulating consistently while the team focused on preserving the car. However, further technical complications soon followed. During the busy pit cycle around the six-hour mark, Sasaki was forced back into the garage after two separate incidents, triggering another extended repair that saw the mechanics disassemble parts of the Toyota. Aimi Saito eventually returned the car to the track, but now almost 60 laps down, shifting the team’s target toward reaching the finish.
From that point onward, the race became an exercise in resilience. Rio Shimono climbed back aboard after further Code 60 interruptions and continued to log steady laps deep into the night. With 11 hours to go, Miki Onaga resumed driving duties, followed by further stints from Sasaki and Saito as the team worked through a demanding overnight schedule. As dawn broke over Dubai Autodrome and the field settled into its final phase, Shimono returned once more for the closing stretch, maintaining consistent pace despite the setbacks endured.
The final hours brought further neutralisations, including heavy accidents involving the Rossa GT and the #777 Ferrari, but the Toyota crew remained focused on bringing their car home: Onaga and Sasaki shared the final rotations before the team prepared for the run to the flag. In the closing minutes, Kokoro Sato took the wheel of the #107 Supra and guided the all-female entry through the final Code 60 and the last green-flag sprint to the chequered flag.
After 24 demanding hours, the TG-RR Toyota completed the race second in the TC class and sixth in TCE, a hard-earned result shaped by determination and teamwork. Despite early technical problems that derailed their initial class-leading pace, the all-female Kyojo Cup quartet refused to give in, completing their first 24-hour race on the international stage.