Team Japan Needs24’s owner-driver Kenko Miura announced his plans to compete in EuroNASCAR V8GP “as much as possible” in 2026.
Kenko Miura (三浦健光) last did a full season NASCAR Euro Series campaign in 2019, when he raced the full Elite 1 championship with Alex Caffi Motorsport.
However, Miura is planning to change that for the 2026 season. The Japanese driver announced on 3 April 2026 that he will “pursue the [V8GP] championship as much as possible” with his self-owned team Team Japan Needs24.
Miura’s full-season plans represents a major step forward for the Tokyo-born driver, who only got the chance to do part-time appearances ever since his 2020 season plans were curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The post-pandemic world – with its increased traveling prices – has made it difficult for Miura to make full season commitments, but he has made the best of the opportunities that were given in the last four seasons.
Miura ran EuroNASCAR whenever he got the chance to do so. 2025 saw a major breakthrough for Miura as he returned to the podium positions in EuroNASCAR OPEN during the season opener at Valencia.
The podium was the first for Team Japan Needs24, showcasing that Miura still has the speed to keep up against EuroNASCAR’s newer crop of talents.
While podiums in EuroNASCAR V8GP will be hard to come by, stellar results from Thomas Toffel and Fabrizio Armetta in the last three seasons showed that it is not impossible for the so-called “elite amateur” like Miura to perform well in EuroNASCAR’s top division.
“I have been competing since 2017 as the only Asian and Japanese driver and during that time, I have won the Challenger Trophy,” Miura said to nascar.eu.
“However in recent years I haven’t been able to compete in a full season and have been unable to follow the championship.”
“This year, I want to pursue the championship as much as possible and once again make my presence felt in the V8GP division.”
“The technical skills of my technical partner RDV Competition are very high, and our relationship is excellent. I want to do my best to get off to a good start from the opening race in Spain.”
During his part-time stint, Miura also got the chance to make two appearances in the United States.
He successfully qualified to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Mid-Ohio in 2022, but failed to repeat the feat in Xfinity Series when he competed at Chicago in 2024.
However, these up-and-down results did not deter Miura’s motivation.
Coinciding with the recent NASCAR exhibition at Fuji Speedway to coincide with the 2025 Super Taikyu season finale starring Jimmie Johnson, John Hunter Nemechek, Kamui Kobayashi, Takuma Koga, Toshiki Oyu and Kazuto Kotaka, Miura hopes to make a return to the States as early as this year.
“I’m also aiming to compete in NASCAR in the United States again this year,” Miura adds. “I want to continue taking on this challenge and help bridge the gap between Japan and other countries.”
“NASCAR is not very well known in Japan, mainly because it has never been broadcast on television. However, several drivers, including myself, are competing in NASCAR in America and in Europe. I hope to gradually increase awareness of NASCAR in Japan.”
Disclaimer: Credits for all photos are listed underneath each image.