Various vehicles gathered together, and the "JOY TAI" endurance race, which is loved as a race for everyone to enjoy, celebrated its 18th event this year and held its qualifying round on June 30th.

The Kanto region was blessed with good weather from the morning on the day of the qualifying race, as the rainy season had ended the day before. The contrast between the summer-like blue sky and the flowing white clouds created a lively atmosphere, fitting for this race that has become a summer festival event. The qualifying race was filled with the scorching sun and the smell of burnt asphalt, truly embodying the essence of summer.

The official qualifying starts from A driver A group (Class 1, 2, 3, FIT 1.5). In this group, around 13 minutes after the start of the race, driver Kenji Kashiwakura from #81 Pop G Kuribara Tein EP82YH went out on the course and marked 2 minutes 22.720 seconds. He took the lead in this group with a 0.963 second lead over driver Yosuke Morishita from #6 versus racing Brain Express, who had been leading until then.

By the time the following A Driver B group (Class 4-10) began, the temperature had risen to over 30 degrees and the road surface temperature was over 50 degrees, making for challenging driving conditions. However, due to the larger engine sizes in the A group, qualifying times were faster. In the midst of this, #1 MP Racing's Yuichi Yokoo marked the top time with just 4 laps in 2 minutes and 14.685 seconds. In second place was Yuya Nakajima of #246 Yuki & Obocchama Z DC5 with a time of 2 minutes and 15.515 seconds, followed by Tetsuaki Mochizuki of #260 Honda Challenge FK2 with a time of 2 minutes and 16.439 seconds, and Morio Wakabayashi of #84 SEV・ADVAN・2-11 with a time of 2 minutes and 17.320 seconds.

From 14:25, the qualifying for Group A of B Driver will start. In this group, #6 versus racing BrainExpress's Tsubasa Meikari recorded the top time of 2 minutes 23.922 seconds, which was second place earlier. Following that, Shigeo Takenoya of #81 Pop G Kuribara Tein EP82YH recorded 2 minutes 24.036 seconds, and it became a way to retaliate against the result with Group A Driver.

And in the final qualifying B driver B group, former Super GT champion Masami Kageyama from #1 MP Racing Nils R participated. With 10 minutes remaining, he entered the course and recorded an impressive time of 2 minutes 11.671 seconds in just one lap, securing the top time. He was 5.428 seconds ahead of second place #20 M-Racing S2000 driver Koji Matsubara, showcasing his skills as a top driver from the past.

In this "JOY TAI", the starting grid for the final race is determined by the combined time of drivers A and B. As a result, this year's pole position was achieved by #1 MP Racing Nils R with a time of 4 minutes and 26.356 seconds.
"I was able to adjust my schedule, so I decided to challenge the "JOY TAI" for the first time. I have driven on this course in various categories since Twin Ring Motegi opened, so I have many memories here. Recently, I have also participated in endurance races at various events as part of my driving lessons, but I think this "JOY TAI" is a wonderful race that everyone can enjoy. Also, the layout of the course is a typical stop-and-go, making it a great course to learn the basics of driving on a circuit. This time, I will push myself to the limit and see how far I can go, so please support me." Masami Kageyama, who set the Class 10 course record with just one lap in his first challenge at "JOY TAI", said this.

The second place in qualifying was taken by [#260 Honda Challenge FK2] with a time of 4 minutes and 33.543 seconds, followed by [#246 Yuki & Obocchama Z DC5] in third place with a time of 4 minutes and 33.931 seconds, [#20 M-Racing S2000] in fourth place with a time of 4 minutes and 35.213 seconds, [#87 Sunspot Racing Civic] in fifth place with a time of 4 minutes and 35.880 seconds, [#84 SEV・ADVAN・2-11] in sixth place with a time of 4 minutes and 35.981 seconds, and [#999 Fukuso・Eni House BSWMSPMFK] in seventh place with a time of 4 minutes and 37.212 seconds.

Tomorrow, the weather forecast for Utsunomiya on Sunday is sunny with some clouds. The highest temperature will be 34 degrees, and like the qualifying day, it will be blessed with summer-like weather. Endurance races are synonymous with motorsports' summer festival. Among them, the "JOY TAI" race, where the balance between speed and fuel efficiency determines the winner, is an event that can be enjoyed not only by participants but also by spectators. The final race will start at 10:00 am. Which team will win the 18th "JOY TAI" race?