UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Kunihiko Bando and the B-A-R RSC300 return for WTAC 2026
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In the world of time attack, legends aren't defined by their setbacks, but by their comeback and there's no bigger comeback to Sydney than this! We are thrilled to confirm that Japanese time attack hero Kunihiko Bando is returning to the Emtron Pro Class for the 2026 Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge Sydney on September 4-5!
If there was one heartbreak that resonated through the pits at Sydney Motorsport Park last year, it was the sight of the B-A-R Joyo Real Estate RSC300 returning to its pit garage on practice day. After years of development and a monumental effort to get the car to Australia, a practice-session incident four laps into his warm-up lap forced Bando-san, into an early retirement before the main event had even begun.
The Resurrection of the RSC300
Since that difficult weekend in Sydney, Bando-san has been anything but idle. Back at his workshop in Ibaraki, the master fabricator has meticulously repaired and refined the RSC300. A lot of the custom carbon fibre work was being laid as soon as Bando-san returned to Japan, before the car had even left Australia for its voyage back. We saw it completed again as a centrepiece of the Yokohama Tyres stand at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon, and the car made its competitive return at various time attack events in Japan in the early months of the year, proving that the carbon-clad monster is back to full health and ready to hunt for records.
A Carbon-Clad Engineering Marvel
For those who missed it last year, the RSC300 is one of the most extreme Lexus SC/Toyota Soarer builds ever conceived. Bando-san has pushed the JZZ30 chassis to its absolute limit, replacing almost every panel with high-grade dry carbon fibre to bring the weight down to a lean 1160kg.
Under the hood sits a 3.1-liter 2JZ "hybrid" engine, utilizing a naturally aspirated GE head for superior flow and a Garrett G42-1450 turbocharger. Pushing over 1,200hp through an Australian-made Albins ST6-i paddle-shift sequential gearbox, the RSC300 was built with one goal in mind: shattering the 300 km/h barrier on the SMSP main straight.
The Hunt for the Podium
Bando-san is no stranger to success in Sydney, having secured a podium on his debut in 2019 with a 1:29.272. However, the RSC300 is a completely different animal. With a 50.086-second lap already under its belt at Tsukuba from January 2026, the RSC300 is the best it's ever been and the potential for this car to disrupt the Pro Class hierarchy this year is immense.
With a point to prove and unfinished business on the tarmac of Sydney Motorsport Park, Kunihiko Bando and his RSC300 is an entrant you cannot afford to take your eyes off in 2026.
Will the RSC300 finally claim its rightful place on the WTAC Sydney podium? Join us at the 2026 Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge. 4 & 5 September, to find out!
Tickets are on sale now. Don't miss the return of Japan’s top time attack contender right here in Sydney! Get in quick to secure your tickets online, VIP tickets selling fast!
World Time Attack Challenge is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
