The 12th official qualifying round of "JOY TAI" was held on July 14th (Sat).
Concerns about the track conditions arose due to rain starting the day before, but by the briefing before qualifying, the weather had improved with the sun occasionally peeking through, and the track dried, allowing for a safe time attack in dry conditions.

The qualifying round was divided into two groups, Class 1-4 and the 1.5cc class A group, and Class 5-8 and the B group. Each group had separate sessions for A drivers and B drivers.

In Qualifying Group B, Takeo Asano, who competed in Class 9 last year, entered Class 7 with the 【#18 Asano Automobile Integra】. On the second lap, he posted an impressive time of 2 minutes 13.932 seconds. Although Keiichi Inoue of 【#48 Dijon Endless Wako's DC5】 and Akihiro Hasegawa of 【#99 HR Integra】 pursued closely, Asano maintained his lead to hold the provisional top spot. In the following session for B drivers, Yuya Nakajima of 【#18 Asano Automobile Integra】 did not start for over five minutes, raising concerns about a possible issue, but this was part of their strategy. Once the surrounding attacks settled, he went out and on the third lap recorded 2 minutes 14.434 seconds, securing the top position in Group B.
Asano, who said, "I wanted to get it if possible," secured the pole position and commented with confidence and a playful spirit, "I make up for the many pit stops with my lap times. Racing is more enjoyable when you take an aggressive approach, so I want to drive as fast as possible."

In the qualifying round for Group A, driver A, Jun Tsuchiya of #2 C.K.Eng NB Roadster, set a course record of 2 minutes and 19.614 seconds on the second lap. However, driver Kazuhiro Koizumi of #2 wako'S.M-one shortened his time by nearly 3 seconds to 2 minutes and 16.737 seconds on the fifth lap, taking the top spot and securing the top position for Class 4 A drivers. In the following session for B drivers, Jun Tsuchiya's teammate So Murakami took the top spot, but his time of 2 minutes and 21.098 seconds was not enough to beat the #2 C.K.Eng NB Roadster's Class 4 top spot. It should be noted that in this Class 4, the top 4 cars all updated the previous record time in a high-speed battle. However, Koizumi calmly analyzed, "It was inevitable if we wanted to surpass our rival teams by analyzing the regulations." As he prepares for the final race, he is focused on the strategy of "where to make a move" and knows it will be crucial.

The final of the 2012 Motegi Enjoy Endurance Race "Joy Tai" will start at 10:00 on Sunday, July 15th. A heated battle will unfold towards the 17:00 finish line.