ARD at Attack Tsukuba 2026
This February, ARD took to the Tsukuba Circuit in Japan for our first-ever Tsukuba Time Attack — running our GR Supra fitted with a prototype of what we're developing. The schedule was simple: practice on February 13, the official event sessions on February 14.
Day 1 — Practice
Conditions were actually better on the practice day. Ambient temperatures sat around 12°C and traffic was light, giving us a clean track to work with. On our very first practice day, in the very first session, the car put down a 59.2-second lap already under the magic 60s target that most people aim for at Tsukuba. A great result considering the stock engine, turbo and brakes we were using.
Day 2 — Official
The official day of the event unfortunately had a few incidents that resulted in oil and subsequent sand and sawdust around vast sections of the track. Temperatures climbed to roughly 17°C and the morning session was compromised by the track issues. By the afternoon we were on used tyres with the track still far from clean. Even so, the Supra delivered a respectable 59.4-second lap after dialing in the balance a bit further.
Breaking into Sub-1 territory at the Tsukuba Time Attack event on our first attempt, with a single day of practice, is a significant result. More than the number itself, it's what the car showed us: predictable, confidence-inspiring behavior exactly when commitment matters most. That's precisely what we set out to develop.
And 59.2 isn't the end of the story. What this car is capable of on clean tarmac with fresh rubber is the conversation we're really interested in having and we're planning to see just what this platform can deliver when we move away from the stock engine and brakes, and add some more aero into the mix.
