Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the JOY TAI. This year, it was held in early May and there was no worry of typhoons. However, it rained until the early morning on Saturday and then became cloudy, making for less than ideal weather. On Sunday, the weather changed completely and we were blessed with a refreshing, sunny day.

Under such clear skies, the 21st Joy Tai began with two groups starting in a rolling start. In qualifying, 【#1 NILZZ Racing】 took pole position with an overwhelming time and entered the first corner in the lead. Following behind was 【#83 Martensite WM Integra】, with 【#55 TOYOTA Motor Department GR Yaris】 catching up in the second corner.

【#1 NILZZ Racing】, which excels in speed, took the lead in the opening lap and led the race. 【#246 Yuki & Obocchama's DC5】 rose to second place, followed by 【#82 Pumanz R☆Rai☆DC5】, 【#55 TOYOTA Automobile Department GR Yaris】, and 【#84 SEV・ADVAN・2-11】 working together as one. 【#1 NILZZ Racing】 continued to dominate the top spot, but after completing 31 laps, they encountered a problem and had to enter the 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. With pit stops also factoring in, various classes were jumbled and positions were constantly changing.

And with 1 hour remaining, the #55 TOYOTA Racing GR Yaris, which had completed 132 laps, was in the lead, followed by the #7 versus racing FIT, one lap behind, and the #6 versus Urawa Kogyo FIT in third place. About 10 minutes later, the #55 TOYOTA Racing GR Yaris pitted. It entered the refueling area, and at this point, the #55 TOYOTA Racing GR Yaris dropped out of the battle for victory.

Taking over the lead was 【#6 versus Urawa Kogyo FIT】, but they had to make one more pit stop. Early on, driver Morishita mistakenly thought there was a penalty due to a display error and made a pit-through, resulting in a loss of time...

And with 40 minutes remaining, 【#6 versus Urawa Kosei FIT】pits in. Only a driver change is made, and they return to the track in first place. Behind them, 【#7 versus racing FIT】is being chased by 【#5 POTENZA WAKO'S MART MR2】. The gap between them gradually closes, and with 15 minutes remaining, it is less than 10 seconds.

However, Tsubasa Mekaru, the driver of the leading #6 versus Urawa Kosei FIT, remained calm.
"I knew #5 would pit once more, and since we had enough fuel, we just aimed for the checkered flag."

[#5 POTENZA WAKO'S MART MR2] showed determination to close the gap to the top by 8.636 seconds, but pitted with less than 10 minutes remaining. After a driver change, they returned to the track in second place, but were soon followed by [#75 ACELINES137EG6] and [#32 BS REPRO & RSF STAGE] who were battling for third place, creating a three-way fight for second. [#75 ACELINES137EG6] briefly moved up to second place with an improved personal best, but ultimately suffered from fuel issues and dropped down to fourth place.

The #6 versus Urawa Kogyo FIT, who ran at the top, took the checker with a difference of over 1 minute to second place. This is their second overall victory since 2018.

"It's a victory for everyone's teamwork. Last year, we challenged to win again and felt frustrated, so this year we came together for revenge. I want to thank everyone, including Mr. Ebisawa, who provided us with a car that can balance speed and fuel efficiency and allows us to attack with confidence," said player Tetsuo Sano.

【#6 vs. Urawa Kosei FIT】completed 156 laps. This result tied the record for most laps completed, set in 2009.

The battle for second place was won by #5 POTENZA WAKO'S MART MR2, with #32 BS RePro & RSF Stage finishing in third and #75 ACELINES137EG6 slowing down at the end to finish in fourth. The top four all completed 156 laps.

5th place was taken by [#7 versus racing FIT], 6th place by [#77 WINIX★FIT], and 7th place was claimed by the Class 8 winner [#55 TOYOTA Motorsport GR Yaris]. The Class 2 winner was [#14 K2 Racing Starlet] in 13th place, the Class 6 winner was [#83 Martensite 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 thanks to all the entrants respecting each other while racing. From now on, all the staff at Mobility Resort Motegi will continue to work hard to make JOY TAI enjoyable for everyone. We look forward to seeing you again next year.