Last year marked the 20th edition of JOY TAI. This year, it was held in early May. Although there were no concerns about typhoons, it rained until the early morning on Saturday, and although it became cloudy afterward, the weather was still not quite clear. On Sunday, in contrast, the sky opened up from the morning, and we were blessed with refreshing clear weather.

Under such clear skies, the 21st JOY TAI began with a rolling start divided into two groups. The #1 NILZZ Racing, which secured pole position with an overwhelming time in the qualifying round, entered the first corner in the lead. Following them was the #83 MALTENSITE WM Integra, and at the exit of the second corner, the #55 TOYOTA Motor GR Yaris was side by side.

#1 NILZZ Racing, which excels in speed, took the lead in the opening lap. #246 Yuki & Obocchama's DC5 moved up to second place, followed closely by #82 Poor Man's R☆Lia☆DC5, #55 TOYOTA Motor GR Yaris, and #84 SEV・ADVAN・2-11. #1 NILZZ Racing was running smoothly in the lead, but after completing 31 laps, they encountered a problem and had to pit.

At the 2-hour mark, #75 ACELINES137EG6 was in the lead. In second place was #12 kobannyannel Levin, followed by #5 POTENZA WAKO'S MART MR2 in third, #63 K+UPSEEKERMVFIT in fourth, and #6 versus Urawa Kousan FIT in fifth. However, at the 3-hour mark, #7 versus racing FIT took the lead, with #32 BS Repro & RSF Stage in second, and #14 K2 Racing Starlet in third. There were also various classes mixing in and changing positions, along with pit stop timings.

With one hour remaining, the #55 TOYOTA Motor Corporation GR Yaris was in the lead after completing 132 laps, followed by #7 versus racing FIT in second place, one lap down, and #6 versus Urawa Kousan FIT in third place. About 10 minutes later, the #55 TOYOTA Motor Corporation GR Yaris pitted. It moved to the refueling area, and at this point, the #55 TOYOTA Motor Corporation GR Yaris fell out of the race for victory.

Emerging at the top was #6 versus Urawa Kousan FIT, but they had to enter the pit one more time. In the early stages, due to a misunderstanding of the display, driver Morishita thought it was a penalty and made a pit stop, resulting in a loss of time...

Then, with less than 40 minutes remaining, BATTO #6 versus Urawa Kousan FIT made a pit stop. This was just a driver change, and they returned to the course in the lead. Behind them, BATTO #5 POTENZA WAKO'S MART MR2, which passed BATTO #7 versus racing FIT, is closing in. The gap is gradually narrowing, and with 15 minutes left, it is under 10 seconds.

However, the top runner, Tsuyoshi Meikara from #6 versus Urawa Kousan FIT, remained calm.
"I knew that #5 would come into the pit again, and since I had enough fuel efficiency, I was just aiming for the checkered flag."

#5 POTENZA WAKO'S MART MR2 shows determination by closing the gap to the leader to 8 seconds and 636 milliseconds, but pits with less than 10 minutes remaining. After a driver change, it returns to the track in 2nd place, but closely behind are #75 ACELINES137EG6 and #32 BS Ripro & RSF Stage, battling for 3rd place, resulting in a three-way fight for 2nd. #75 ACELINES137EG6 shows a performance that updates its personal best and temporarily rises to 2nd place, but ultimately experiences fuel starvation symptoms, slowing down and dropping to 4th place.

Leading the pack, #6 versus Urawa Kousan FIT crossed the finish line with more than a minute's lead over 2nd place. This marks their second overall victory since 2018.

"It's a victory for everyone's teamwork. Last year, we faced disappointment as we aimed to win again, so we came together this year for revenge. I want to thank everyone, starting with Mr. Ebizawa from versus, who provided us with a car that balances speed and fuel efficiency, allowing us to attack with confidence," said driver Tetsuo Sano.

The #6 versus Urawa Kousan FIT completed 156 laps. This result matched the record for the most laps set in 2009.

The battle for 2nd place was won by #5 POTENZA WAKO'S MART MR2, with #32 BS Repro & RSF Stage finishing in 3rd place, and #75 ACELINES137EG6, which slowed down at the end, finishing in 4th place. The top 4 recorded 156 laps.

In 5th place was #7 versus racing FIT, followed by #77 WINIX★FIT in 6th place, and in 7th place was the Class 8 winner #55 TOYOTA Motor Sports GR Yaris. The Class 2 winner was #14 K2 Racing Starlet in 13th place, the Class 6 winner was #83 Malten Site WM Integra in 16th place, and the Class 10 winner was #45 RAID Racing EK9 in 27th place.

The 21st JOY TAI had penalties and contacts, but the safety car was never deployed. This is a result of all the entrants respecting each other while racing. Moving forward, the staff at Mobility Resort Motegi will continue to strive to make JOY TAI enjoyable for everyone. We look forward to seeing you again next year.