Malaysia’s Kegani Racing Academy (KRA) announced the launch of the SKILLDRVN Swift Pro-cup in 2026 and its first international franchise in Japan for driver development.
SKILLDRVN SWIFT PRO-CUP
2026 will mark the debut of the SKILLDRVN Swift Pro-cup, a national status championship featuring five rounds. This new series will complement the SKILLDRVN One Make Race Series. To compete, racers must complete KRA’s SKILLDRVN Driver Development Program (DDP) and finish three rounds of the SKILLDRVN Swift OMR race, alongside accumulating race wins and championship points. Successful candidates will be eligible for a pro team draft in January 2026.
KRA Principal and Chief Coach Kenny Lee emphasized that the SKILLDRVN Swift Pro-cup offers an affordable racing opportunity while fostering competitive racing environments despite the use of older model cars. It is geared towards promoting team representation and brand involvement in motorsports.
The series will feature 10 exclusive teams, with three already signed: Team Bendix Malaysia, Team Profimax, and Team Ultra Racing. Brands are encouraged to join KRA’s Supporting Partners program and can expand from a one-car to a two-car entry as the series develops.
KRA IN JAPAN
The official launch of KRA Japan took place on 13 August, in collaboration with Fujii Engineering. This franchise provides a summer training program focused on grassroot racing, incorporating classroom sessions, simulator practice, and on-track training, designed to accelerate learning for students.
KRA Japan offers short courses like Track Day preparation for newbie and young drivers. The academy will introduce the SKILLDRVN Driver Development Program, aligning with established race series in Japan that prioritize fair competition and good racing manners. This program aims to guide beginners through the circuit, ensuring mentorship as they begin their racing careers.
Lee noted that KRA Japan’s establishment will foster two-way cooperation to enhance the standards of Malaysian racers.
“With KRA Japan, it will help to connect Malaysian talents to Japan. It is the dream of many racers to compete in the historic circuits across Japan. Japan is highly regarded as the leading motorsports country in Asia and from my own personal experience competing in Japanese Super Endurance races between 2017 – 2019, it had helped to expose me to not only their racing culture, technical and sporting standard but also enhanced racing ethics.”
KRA Japan wants to grow its academy in Mie, near Suzuka (just 10 minutes from the circuit), and expand to other racing circuits in Japan in the coming years. They also plan to open more franchises in Asia and are focusing on improving their Malaysian academy with Train the Trainer programs.
Mitsuru Fujii, Director of Fujii Engineering, mentioned that many young Japanese drivers have a lot of potential but often run out of money because of poor practices, which stops their careers from progressing.
“I believe that the KRA program offers a more structured and efficient approach to training. It helps young drivers build a clearer and more effective career path — enabling more of them to reach higher levels of success in the sport.
“In 2024, I met Kenny from KRA. I was deeply impressed by their activities and concept, which I found to be extremely beneficial for drivers who are just starting out in motorsports. Since this style of driver development does not yet exist in Japan, I strongly felt that it should be introduced here — and that’s what led me to establish KRA in Japan.”
Fujii said grassroots motorsports in Japan are relatively well-developed compared to other Asian countries with races such as karting, junior formula, and touring car events being held every week at circuits across the country.
“However, Japan is facing an aging and declining population, and the excitement seen in the 1990s — with over 100 entries in a single race — is no longer the norm. KRA Japan’s vision and objective is to create an ecosystem. Motorsports is generally a game where money is spent — and unfortunately, in most cases, that money does not return. However, the concept behind KRA — building and nurturing an ecosystem — offers a fundamentally different and more sustainable approach.
“By providing aspiring drivers and engineers with proper guidance and efficient pathways, this ecosystem helps them develop into professionals who can actually learn through motorsports. As these individuals grow within the system and then pass their knowledge and opportunities on to the next generation, a positive and sustainable cycle is created. Creating that kind of cycle — that ecosystem — is my ultimate goal!”
To join the SKILLDRVN One Make Race Series, enquire about the SKILLDRVN SWIFT PRO-CUP, or any of the Academy’s programs, kindly contact/whatsapp Kenny Lee at 012-614 4141, Ju at 012-6866177 or visit Kegani Racing Academy’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/skilldrvn. You can also pay us a visit at Kegani Racing Services, No: 7, Jalan Serindit 2, Puchong Jaya 47100 Puchong, Selangor.