Started in 2001 as a "participatory event" to share the fun of motorsports with many fans, the Motegi KART Endurance Festival "K-TAI". In this endurance event, which lasts for 7 hours on the 4.8013km Motegi Road Course of Mobility Resort Motegi, the overall strength of the team, including pit work such as changing drivers and refueling, is the key, not just the speed of lap times.

The starting position for the final event is determined by a lottery draw during the registration process, which is a unique and enjoyable aspect of K-TAI. Each team can have a maximum of 21 entries, including 3-10 drivers and pit crew or helpers. The fact that everyone can participate together is also a popular aspect of this interactive motorsport.

The eligible machines are divided into three classes, Class I to III, with 4-stroke engine sports karts and the newly established Class E electric karts in 2021, as well as the newly established Class F that runs on next-generation biomass fuel. This year, the 22nd year, we will also take thorough measures against the new coronavirus infection, with a total of 103 entries, including 6 in Class I, 70 in Class II, 22 in Class III, 2 in Class E, and 3 in Class F.

The briefing at 7:20 AM was cloudy at the Motegi sky, but as the grid walk and start progressed, the clouds gradually cleared and it was completely sunny as planned at 9:30 AM. The rolling start, led by the pole position holder [#32 Rosso@GEN], marked the start of the 7-hour event. The first to dive into the first corner on the first lap was [#43 BOO FOO SETSU], who started from the 4th grid. Following behind were [#32 Rosso@GEN] in pole position, [#35 Power Cluster K3 Racing] from the 8th grid, [#55 SEABEES with Kunienti] from the 7th grid, and [#74 ERK Challenge] from the 5th grid. In the second group, which had a split start to avoid confusion, [#6 TOUSUI RS1], [#711 Yoshimune Racing], [#78 SPJ TECORSA with RAC], [#17 Astemo Mario RT], [#57 Nishiiri Racing Team @ SILK], and [#46 SRKT Tall] all rushed into the first corner together.

After finishing the opening lap in first place, the #74 ERK Challenge in Class E, which took advantage of the strength of the electric motor, returned to the top. "We were lucky to start from the 5th grid, but as we had discussed as a team, I stepped on the accelerator as much as possible from the start," said rider Motohumi Miwa. Following closely behind was the #20 U-KART CIRCUIT E90R in Class F, which made a big jump from the 30th grid. Last year, they ran the same number of laps as the top finisher, but did not receive an award due to being in a different class. However, this year they officially participated in the newly established Class F. "To use biomass fuel, the shape of the combustion chamber and the setting of the carburetor are completely different from those of a gasoline engine. Also, the amount of refueling per lap is different from that of a gasoline engine, so it is natural to be able to lead in the early stages. However, there are a specified number of pit stops and a maximum fuel capacity of 40 liters, so fuel consumption calculations are critical and our strategy is to escape as much as possible in the early stages so that we can respond to any accidents in the latter half," said rider Hideaki Utagawa. The #74 ERK Challenge was leading until the second lap, but suddenly went off the course at the second corner of the third lap. "There were no signs at all, but suddenly the tire punctured at the entrance of the second corner, and the steering and brakes didn't work, so I went off the gravel in no time. It's a shame because the feeling was not bad," said Miwa.

The #20 U-KART CIRCUIT E90R, which took the lead, steadily marked laps and completed 41 laps with a 1 lap lead over second place after 2 hours. The second place #11 Scuderia LCT and third place #318 Cyber Formula Sugo Asurada are all Class F vehicles, dominating the top positions with a clearly different strategy from gasoline karts. Although Class F has lap times and top speeds that surpass other classes, the fuel consumption is higher and the number of pit stops is determined compared to gasoline karts, so the interim ranking is only provisional. In short sprint races, a single trouble can decide the outcome, but in the 7-hour long distance race, pit stops and fuel efficiency are important, and it's not a race between the tortoise and the hare, but the strategy throughout the 7 hours is crucial. Not only the drivers, but also the mechanics who refuel and maintain the vehicle, record lap times and laps, and the pit crew who instruct driver changes, all enjoy K-TAI in their respective roles.

After that, the #20 U-KART CIRCUIT E90R continued to run well, building up a lead of 7 laps over the 2nd place #11 Scuderia LCT after 4 hours. In 3rd place was the 3-time defending champion in Class I, #125 BLUE EYES K, followed by Class II's #555 Team supArna@GEN in 4th and Class III leader #35 Power Cluster K3 Racing in 9th overall. However, while the leader was on lap 92, a car in the 3rd corner began leaking oil, resulting in a full course yellow flag and the safety car entering the track. With a long line of over 100 cars, the safety car led the way with 2 cars to organize the field, while the pits became busy with driver changes and refueling. Each team had carefully calculated their fuel consumption during public practice and prepared for the event, but with the pace car out, they had to rethink their strategies for the restart.

At this point, the strategy collapsed, and the #11 Scuderia LCT, which had been running in second place from the beginning, dropped to seventh place. "We had a strategy to make two stops while the safety car was out, but the second stop was released during the stay, so the restart was delayed," causing them to drop to seventh place. In second place is the #125 BLUE EYES K. Although there is an 8-lap gap from the top, Class I has a pit stop time of 5 minutes, which is 1 minute shorter than Class F, and there is no obligation to pit in, so depending on fuel efficiency, they can catch up to the #20 U-KART CIRCUIT E90R, which is aiming for a third consecutive class victory.

After 5 and a half hours since the race start, at the point when 【#20 U-KART CIRCUIT E90R】 completed 107 laps, 【#11 Scuderia LCT】 temporarily dropped to 7th place but has now risen back up to 2nd place. With less than 1 and a half hours remaining, the top two teams in Class F must calculate their pit stops and fuel consumption even more precisely. If the gasoline class chooses to go without refueling for the remaining time, the 6-minute pit stop time will become a major obstacle.

After 6 hours, the intense battle for second place on the leaderboard between #125 BLUE EYES K, #35 Power Cluster K3 Racing, #11 Scuderia LCT, and #510 510club was heating up. Then, with 20 minutes left until the finish, #888 Douraku no Kai & AMEROID-R@SILK jumped into second place. All eyes were on whether they could hold off the fierce pursuit of #11 Scuderia LCT, who had just completed their final pit stop and returned to the track. However, in a surprising turn of events, #11 Scuderia LCT suffered from fuel issues and had to let #888 Douraku no Kai & AMEROID-R@SILK take the lead in the end.

At 4:32 PM, 7 hours after the start, the first to receive the checkered flag was the #20 U-KART CIRCUIT E90R, which dominated the top spot with a solid race performance. "I was a little panicked when the safety car came out, but the lap times were as expected and we were able to achieve our goal of tying the record for the most laps completed at 136 laps, while also managing fuel consumption by having our lightweight female driver take stints. Last year, we completed 134 laps in a non-championship race, so to surpass that and win the award for most laps completed overall is a testament to the team's overall strength," said driver Utagawa upon receiving the checkered flag.

The overall best lap award went to #11 Scuderia LCT, who finished second with an impressive comeback, completing 131 laps. In addition, #125 BLUE EYES K achieved their fourth consecutive victory in Class I, while #70 racer racer ACCEL in Class II and #35 Power Cluster K3 Racing in Class III each completed 130 laps and won the most laps award in their respective classes. #74 ERK Challenge, who led the race at the start and made a strong showing, won the most laps award in Class E with 91 laps.

And the MVP was awarded to [#711 Yoshimune Racing]. They participated in all three public practices, had a large number of registered drivers and pit crew, and had no issues with various procedures, making them the most enjoyable K-TAI experience, which was the key point of evaluation.

Not only can you find your ranking, but also enjoy the same stage with your colleagues at work, motorsports enthusiasts, and young karters in junior high school to veteran drivers over 70 years old. This is the great appeal of K-TAI.
"Once this year's K-TAI is over, I'm already thinking about next year," says the entrant, who is captivated by K-TAI.

Let's enjoy the best summer in 2023!