The 12th official qualifying round of "JOY TAI" was held on July 14th (Sat).
Concerns about the track conditions arose due to rain starting the day before, but by the briefing before qualifying, the weather had improved with the sun occasionally peeking through, and the track dried, allowing for a safe time attack in dry conditions.

The qualifying round was divided into two groups, Class 1-4 and the 1.5cc class A group, and Class 5-8 and the B group. Each group had separate sessions for A drivers and B drivers.

In Qualifying Group B, Takeo Asano, who competed in Class 9 last year, entered Class 7 with the 【#18 Asano Automobile Integra】. On the second lap, he posted an impressive time of 2 minutes 13.932 seconds. Although Keiichi Inoue of 【#48 Dijon Endless Wako's DC5】 and Akihiro Hasegawa of 【#99 HR Integra】 pursued closely, Asano maintained his lead to hold the provisional top spot. In the following session for B drivers, Yuya Nakajima of 【#18 Asano Automobile Integra】 did not start for over five minutes, raising concerns about a possible issue, but this was part of their strategy. Once the surrounding attacks settled, he went out and on the third lap recorded 2 minutes 14.434 seconds, securing the top position in Group B.
Asano, who said, "I wanted to get it if possible," secured the pole position and commented with confidence and a playful spirit, "I make up for the many pit stops with my lap times. Racing is more enjoyable when you take an aggressive approach, so I want to drive as fast as possible."

In Qualifying Group A, Jun Tsuchiya, an A driver competing in Class 4 with the 【#2 C.K.Eng NB Roadster】, set a Course Record of 2 minutes 19.614 seconds on the second lap. However, Kazuhiro Koizumi of 【#2 wako'S.M-one】 cut nearly 3 seconds off the time on the fifth lap with 2 minutes 16.737 seconds, taking the top spot as the leading A driver in Class 4. In the subsequent B driver session, Hajime Murakami, Tsuchiya’s teammate, took the lead but his time remained at 2 minutes 21.098 seconds, confirming the 【#2 C.K.Eng NB Roadster】 as the Class 4 leader. Additionally, in this Class 4, a high-speed battle unfolded with the top four cars breaking the previous record times. Koizumi calmly analyzed, “I just analyzed the regulations and tried to outperform rival teams, so it naturally happened.” Ahead of the final, he tightened his focus, stating, “Strategy on when to make a move will be crucial.”

The final of the 2012 Motegi Enjoy Endurance Race “JOY TAI” will start at 10:00 a.m. on July 15 (Sun). A heated battle will unfold toward the finish at 5:00 p.m.