Song Hyung-jin wins finale; Kang Chang-won takes season championship

Potenza RE-71RS supplied since class launch

Circuit-by-circuit tire fitting and service support provided

Song Hyung-jin of Upper Speed (center), winner of the final round of the O-NE Superrace Championship Prius PHEV class, stands on the podium alongside second-place finisher Kang Chang-won (left) of Busan University of Science and Technology and third-place finisher Lee Yul (right) of L&T Lexus. [Bridgestone Tire Sales Korea]
Song Hyung-jin of Upper Speed (center), winner of the final round of the O-NE Superrace Championship Prius PHEV class, stands on the podium alongside second-place finisher Kang Chang-won (left) of Busan University of Science and Technology and third-place finisher Lee Yul (right) of L&T Lexus. [Bridgestone Tire Sales Korea]

Bridgestone Tire Sales Korea announced Monday that the final round of the 2026 O-NE Superrace Championship Prius PHEV class — in which it served as official tire sponsor — was held Sunday at Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

Song Hyung-jin of Upper Speed, who claimed pole position in qualifying, led from start to finish in the final race, crossing the line in 24 minutes 27.321 seconds to complete a pole-to-win. Kang Chang-won of Busan University of Science and Technology finished second in 24:28.166, while Lee Yul of L&T Lexus took third in 24:30.900.

Although Kang finished 0.845 seconds behind Song, he had accumulated enough points over the season to claim the 2026 Prius PHEV class overall championship. Song, who scored only three points after retiring from the fourth round, fell short in the standings despite winning the finale and missed out on the title.

The final round also marked the conclusion of a three-year sponsorship program that began in 2024. Bridgestone Tire supplied its high-performance Potenza RE-71RS as the official race tire since the Prius PHEV class launched that year, and provided on-site tire fitting and related services at every round across circuits in Yongin, Inje and Yeongam.

Because the Prius PHEV class is a one-make race in which all drivers compete in identical cars, tire condition and management strategy are as important as driver skill. Bridgestone Tire said its on-site service support allowed drivers and teams to focus on racing.

"Being part of the Prius PHEV class from its very first race to its last has been a meaningful experience for Bridgestone," said Kim Heon-young, chief executive of Bridgestone Tire Sales Korea. "We will continue a range of activities to share the value of motorsport with more customers."

Meanwhile, Bridgestone Tire Sales Korea has been expanding its customer touchpoints through various marketing initiatives, including the launch of an official online store for truck and bus tires in July.


eyre@heraldcorp.com