Japan

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 5, 2025 – On a cool November weekend at Fuji Speedway, the air above Mount Fuji filled with the deep roar of NASCAR stock cars – and for thousands of Japanese fans, it felt like a piece of American motorsport had landed right in their backyard. The special showrun during the Super Taikyu season finale wasn’t just about noise and speed; it was about “cultural exchange between the U.S. and Japan through motorsports” and a new chapter in the relationship between the two car-loving nations.

NASCAR thunder over Mount Fuji

On November 16, day two of the Super Taikyu finale in Shizuoka Prefecture, six NASCAR machines shipped over from the United States took to the track. Behind the wheel were top drivers from both countries, including Kamui Kobayashi, trading their usual machinery for the raw, big-hearted character that makes American stock cars so addictive to watch.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 5, 2025 – When Akio Toyoda says his dream is for people to say “cars are our culture,” he’s not just talking about Japan – he’s talking about the shared, emotional bond drivers feel around the world. That’s why his recent Lifetime Achievement Golden Steering Wheel award in Berlin is more than a trophy; it’s a moment where German car culture tipped its hat to a Japanese “car guy” who lives and breathes motorsport, road cars and the joy of driving.

What makes the Golden Steering Wheel such a big deal?

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – December 5, 2025 – In a heart-stopping desert finale at Rally Saudi Arabia, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing star Sébastien Ogier clinched a record-equalling ninth FIA World Rally Championship title, outpacing teammate Elfyn Evans in a last-day points shootout that kept fans guessing right up to the final stage.

Desert showdown for the crown

The brand-new Saudi Arabian round delivered everything you’d expect from a season decider: soft and sandy desert tracks, rough mountain roads, scorching temperatures – and three title contenders all wearing the same Toyota badge. Ogier, Evans and Kalle Rovanperä headed into the rally knowing the championship would be settled here, but the loose surfaces and brutal puncture risk meant they were fighting two battles: each other and the elements.