Motorsports
MENU CLOSE

REPORT Report & Award Winners

"JOY TAI" Top PageReports & Winners2010 "JOY TAI" July 11 (Sun) 7-Hour Endurance Race Report

2010 "JOY TAI" July 11 (Sun)
7-Hour Endurance Race Report

#85 DEEPM1MR2TBS wins with a race according to plan!

2010 "JOY TAI" July 11 (Sun) 7-Hour Endurance Race Report In stark contrast to the scorching heat of July 10 (Sat), the final day was overcast. Just before the start, sunlight broke through the clouds, but afterwards, the clouds thickened. Although the humidity remained high, the temperature did not rise, making for more comfortable conditions compared to July 10 (Sat).

The rolling start will complete two formation laps, and when the safety car enters the pit, the signal will turn green, marking the start of the 10th memorable "JOY TAI" 7-hour endurance race.

First, the pole position car, #2 Shiden Team's Lotus 2-11, enters the first corner in the lead, but #83 HONDA NSX follows closely and quickly takes the lead. The opening lap is dominated by #83 HONDA NSX, which marks the fastest lap of the race at 2 minutes 13 seconds 627 on the second lap, leading the race. However, after 30 minutes, they make their first pit stop and drop in position. Up to this point, the race unfolded similarly to 2009, but after one hour, a safety car was introduced for the first time in three years during the JOY TAI due to a car remaining on the track. Following that, a second safety car was deployed, making the early stages of the race somewhat chaotic. Many teams that pitted for fuel during the safety car period lost time due to congestion in the fueling area.

At the point when 2 hours had passed, the car that was in the lead was the A2 class car #92 Lofty Chiji Sōdai P Heart EP82 that started from the 60th grid, but teams from the B3 class, which were faster, began to move ahead. After 4 hours had passed, #31 Cyber SPM Takagake Manufacturing EF9 rose to the top and took the lead in the race. When the third safety car was deployed for oil treatment at the Victory Corner, the rankings began to change.

As the remaining time reached 1 hour, the car in the lead, #61 Verity Mecca DL Civic, pitted for refueling. In its place, #44 Green System DLWMEG6 took the lead, but pitted immediately after. At this point, #85 DEEPM1MR2TBS, which had been eyeing the top positions from the 22nd grid, was running strongly in the lead.

In the afternoon, the rain began to fall lightly, but it did not become heavy, and the race continued. However, after 30 minutes had passed, the rain intensified, leading to wet conditions. Some teams lost control and went off the course due to the rain. With 20 minutes remaining, a crash occurred involving two cars at the final corner. On this day, the fourth safety car was introduced, making it a race with the most safety cars in the history of JOY TAI.

The #85 DEEPM1MR2TBS had one less pit stop than other B3 class teams, with a total of 4, but everything went according to plan. "(Fuel efficiency) was sufficient. In 2009, we ended up with incomplete combustion due to drive shaft troubles, so we came back in 2010 to repay that debt. The timing of the safety car also worked in our favor. I'm glad we won," said A driver Hiroshi Kikuchi.
The MR2 of #85 DEEPM1MR2TBS completed 148 laps and won the memorable 10th tournament.

The Civic of #31 Cyber SPM Takadake Manufacturing EF9 came in 2nd place, followed by #5 Mizuho Pharmacy WIND Pal Grandpa City in 3rd place, both one lap behind.

※Click on the photo to view the enlarged image.

2010 "JOY TAI" July 11 (Sun) 7-Hour Endurance Race Report 2010 "JOY TAI" July 11 (Sun) 7-Hour Endurance Race Report 2010 "JOY TAI" July 11 (Sun) 7-Hour Endurance Race Report 2010 "JOY TAI" July 11 (Sun) 7-Hour Endurance Race Report 2010 "JOY TAI" July 11 (Sun) 7-Hour Endurance Race Report 2010 "JOY TAI" July 11 (Sun) 7-Hour Endurance Race Report 2010 "JOY TAI" July 11 (Sun) 7-Hour Endurance Race Report 2010 "JOY TAI" July 11 (Sun) 7-Hour Endurance Race Report