The 2022 JOY TAI will be held on May 7 (Sat) and 8 (Sun)! Many were hoping for clear skies during this pleasant season of fresh greenery, but on Saturday, when the official qualifying and Mote tai took place, it rained until the morning, resulting in wet conditions. Although there were occasional light showers during the day, the temperature was comfortable under the cloudy sky.

In the second year of the Mote gi JOY TAI Challenge, 19 cars entered. The official qualifying session, which lasted for 20 minutes starting at 8:00, was contested by A drivers. It had been raining right up until just before the start of the qualifying, resulting in wet conditions. Takahiro Suzuki from the #241 Lotus Club 86kai team led the session throughout, securing pole position with a time of 2 minutes 28.846 seconds. The second place was taken by Haruhiko Matsumoto from the #312 Saitama Automobile University MS86 team with a time of 2 minutes 33.175 seconds, giving a significant gap of over 4 seconds. In third place was Masami Wakabayashi from the #986 Toyota Motor Corporation NextGen team with a time of 2 minutes 35.802 seconds, making it a top three dominated by the 86.

The official qualifying for JOY TAI was contested as usual with the combined times of A drivers and B drivers. The #1 NILZZ Racing driving the Class 10 Audi RS3LMS dominated both sessions. A driver Keiichi Inoue marked a time of 2 minutes 06.510, setting a new Course Record. B driver Kunihiro Iwatsuki also recorded a time of 2 minutes 08.623. The combined time was 4 minutes 15.133, an overwhelming time that was more than 13 seconds ahead of second place.

"The qualifying went very smoothly, and the machine is in good condition, so we were able to secure pole position as planned. This time, I can say that I participated to start at the front and have my picture taken as I enter the first corner, to be featured on the cover of next year's official program. For that reason, I chose a fast machine. Since it's turbocharged, the fuel efficiency is quite tough, so I will drive while reading the surrounding air." said Tomioka Kei, the driver of PUTO who secured pole position.

In second place, the top of Class 6, #83 Martensite WM Integra, recorded 4 minutes 28.145 seconds, in third place, the top of Class 8, #55 TOYOTA Motor Corporation GR Yaris, recorded 4 minutes 30.632 seconds, in fourth place, #82 Poor Man's R Lia DC5, recorded 4 minutes 31.260 seconds, and in fifth place, #84 SEV ADVAN 2-11, recorded 4 minutes 31.319 seconds.

The Motegi Joy TAI Challenge started with a rolling start in a beautiful formation, almost on schedule at 13:59:58. First, the pole position 【#241 Lotus Club 86kai Kyodo】 entered the first corner, followed by 【#312 Saitama Automobile University MS86】, 【#986 Toyota Motor Club NextGen】, 【#182 AutoKuril☆NB】, 【#482 MIEKO86 Inafoto】, and 【#2 Summit & Midland 86】 in qualifying order. 【#241 Lotus Club 86kai Kyodo】 actively increased the pace from the opening lap and led the race. 【#986 Toyota Motor Club NextGen】 moved up to second place, followed by 【#2 Summit & Midland 86】 in third, 【#482 MIEKO86 Inafoto】 in fourth, 【#601 Saitama Subaru Falcon BRZ】 in fifth, and 【#182 AutoKuril☆NB】 in sixth. 【#312 Saitama Automobile University MS86】 entered the pit on the first lap, executing an early first driver change strategy.

Many teams enter for refueling around the halfway mark of one and a half hours, leading to active changes in rankings during pit stops. At this point, the leader was the 312 Saitama Automobile University MS86, having completed 36 laps. Following them by about a 45-second gap was the 46 CTM Supply Roadster, with 182 AutoKuril☆NB and 628 Inafoto & Team Lavitz one lap behind.

As the remaining time decreases, teams that are struggling with fuel efficiency begin to emerge. Furthermore, with just 13 minutes left, the team in third place, #241 Lotus Club 86kai Kyodo, made an emergency pit stop due to machine trouble. They were leading at the start of the race and had marked the fastest lap, updating the Course Records, just as they entered the final stages...

Leading the pack, #2 Summit & Midland 86 checked the gap to the following cars while being mindful of fuel efficiency. They completed 68 laps and received the checkered flag, winning the JOY TAI Challenge 3-hour race and securing victory in the 86/BRZ class.

"Thanks to the team, I was able to run with peace of mind. The fuel consumption calculation was perfect, and the warning light came on during the cool-down lap (laughs). If there had been one more lap, I might have had to stop," said Toshiyuki Ito, driver of the BATTO #2 SUMMIT & MIDLAND 86, after receiving the checkered flag.

In 2nd place overall, #312 Saitama Automobile College MS86 followed with a gap of 21 seconds and 434, and in 3rd place overall, the top of the ALL Others class is #182 AutoKuril☆NB. The winner of the Roadster class is #16 Kamishin Logistics Roadster in 4th place overall, the winner of the Vitz class is #628 Inafoto & Team Lavitz in 9th place overall, and the winner of the Yaris class is #510 GR Tsukuba Dragon Yaris in 11th place overall.