Maaya Orido returns to Kyojo Cup for season finale with New'z Racing Club
After a last-minute withdrawal ahead of the 2026 season, Maaya Orido returns to Japan's premiere all-female single-seater championship with series newcomers New'z Racing Club in her signature #59 car.
Heading into 2026, Maaya Orido, the daughter of Japanese motorsport icon Manabu Orido, was set to enter her fifth season of Kyojo Cup competition and her second with TGM Grand Prix. On the eve of the season however, both she and the team pulled out of the series, as Orido moved to the All-Japan EV Championship.
In her rookie year in the series, Orido currently sits fourth in the overall championship and third in the EV-1 class with one round left, with a best result of second on debut at Motegi. In parallel, Orido has also competed in Pop Race's Mercedes-AMG GT4 in the SRO Japan Cup, in which she clinched the GT4 Am title with three wins to her name alongside Kelvin Ho.
Following her first major title in car racing, Orido will make a surprise return to Kyojo Cup with new team New'z Racing Club at the end of this month, on October 31-November 1. Japanese sneaker brand Sangacio is behind the team, and while the organization is new to racing, its owner Kazuki Maeda is a racing driver himself, competing in Ferrari Challenge Japan under the pseudonym "Bamboo Maeda".
