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"Mote tai (Mote endurance)" Top PageReports & Winners2012 "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" August 26 (Sun) Race Report

2012 "Mote tai (Mote endurance)"
August 26 (Sun) Race Report

With great collaboration between veterans and young talents, [#1 Bulldozer Tagos & Haruman] has reclaimed the "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" throne for the first time in two years!

2012 "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" August 26 (Sun) Race Report The final of the "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" that crowns the Motegi 4 Major Endurance will be held on the 26th, the last Sunday of August. On that day, strong sunlight will mercilessly shine down from the morning, and it is expected to be a harsh race, typical of a summer endurance race with overly favorable weather.

At 10 AM sharp, 77 machines that advanced through the qualifying rounds lined up on the grid, and the Riders rushed forward at the start signal in a Le Mans-style start. The #92 GMD Motostream Mercury, starting from third in qualifying, got off to a good start, but the pole position #812 Takatsuki Racing also held its ground, securing the holeshot and passing the control line in the lead. They continued to lap at a high pace, gradually widening the gap from those in second place and below.

After 40 minutes from the start, teams began to enter the pits, and the leading team, #812 Takatsuki Racing, also made an early pit stop. As the race reached its peak one hour in, more teams started to enter the pits, revealing the differences in race strategies among the teams. Taking the lead in place of the previous leaders was #1 Bulldozer Tagos & Haruman, followed by #65 Power Factory Roadway and #4 Team Penske, forming a leading group.

A significant change occurred in the race as we approached two and a half hours since the start. Despite losing positions due to machine trouble, #812 Takatsuki Racing showed a strong comeback from the back, posting the best time of the day at 2 minutes 15.252 seconds, but crashed near the second underbridge. With the machine left on the course, a safety car was deployed. Additionally, due to the time taken to recover the course, many teams chose to pit at this moment. At this point, #4 Team Penske, which was leading, also pitted, and when the race resumed, #1 Bulldozer Tagos & Haruman took the lead. However, #4 Team Penske returned to the track in fourth place and reclaimed the top position on the first lap after the restart.

At 13:30, the halfway point of the race, the high temperature may have affected concentration, leading to a collision and a fall at the hairpin. On this day, the second safety car was deployed, and many teams took the opportunity to pit. The two safety cars made it difficult for each team to gauge their refueling situation. After four hours, the leader was #1 Bulldozer Tagos & Haruman with 88 laps completed, followed closely by #12 CLUB1.2FK Kushitani Kawaguchi Store and WT class #4 Team Penske, who were engaged in a fierce battle for the top position on the same lap. The first to drop out from this point was #4 Team Penske, which pitted about five and a half hours into the race. Although it seemed like a rider and tire change, a machine trouble occurred, causing them to drop significantly in rank.

With 1 hour and 30 minutes remaining, the leader is [#12 CLUB1.2FK Kushitani Kawaguchi Store] with 134 laps, followed by [#1 Bulldokka Tagos & Haruman] about 1 minute behind. Although there is a 2-lap gap to those in 3rd place and below, in an endurance race where anything can happen, this cannot be considered a safe margin. At this stage, [#12 CLUB1.2FK Kushitani Kawaguchi Store] had 2 pit stops remaining, but [#1 Bulldokka Tagos & Haruman], who had refueled when the safety car came out, managed to finish the race with just 1 pit stop, completing 7 hours and 158 laps, successfully reclaiming the Mote tai championship after 2 years.

The overall champion, [#1 Bulldokka Tagos & Haruman], is a team centered around veteran driver Motegi, who turns 45 this year. This year, they have brought in local middle school mini bike racer Kanayama. It was a surprise that Kanayama, born in 1998 when Mote tai (Mote endurance) was established, won the memorable 15th tournament.

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2012 "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" August 26 (Sun) Race Report 2012 "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" August 26 (Sun) Race Report 2012 "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" August 26 (Sun) Race Report 2012 "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" August 26 (Sun) Race Report 2012 "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" August 26 (Sun) Race Report 2012 "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" August 26 (Sun) Race Report 2012 "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" August 26 (Sun) Race Report 2012 "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" August 26 (Sun) Race Report