James Racing Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture / President
; CEO: James Bungo) announces the 2026 racing program of AutoRace Ube Racing Team.
Entering its fifth year of activity, AutoRace Ube Racing Team will compete fulltime
in the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) with the BMW M 1000 RR in
2026.The team will contest the championship in the Formula EWC class, the premier
category of the series.
From this season onward, AutoRace Ube Racing Team will officially operate as a BMW
Motorrad Motorsport Official Team Japan. Following our victory in the JSB1000 of
the MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship, as well as our strong performances at
the Suzuka 8 Hours and the Bol d’Or 24 Hours, we were honored to receive an
invitation to compete as an Official Team from Japan.This is a tremendous honor
for our team, and in 2026, we will race as Japan’s first BMW Motorrad Motorsport
Official Team Japan.
For the 2026 rider lineup, the team will field Naomichi Uramoto, who finished third
overall in the JSB1000 last season, alongside BMW Motorrad Motorsport factory
riders Sylvain Guintoli (France) and Hannes Soomer (Estonia), forming a powerful
three-rider squad.
Former FIM Superbike World Championship (WSBK) and FIM Endurance World Championship
titleholder Sylvain Guintoli, together with Hannes Soomer, who claimed SST class
victories at the Spa 8 Hours and Bol d’Or last season, are expected to
significantly elevate the team’s overall potential. Meanwhile, Naomichi
Uramoto’s speed and consistency are already highly regarded throughout the EWC
paddock. With these three riders, AutoRace Ube Racing Team will challenge for the
World Championship title in the FIM EWC.
In 2026 season, Team Manager will be Tsunetaka Igami, who will lead the team’s
on-track operations and race strategy.