The Motegi KART Endurance Festival, which started in 2000 and is now in its 17th year, was held on the first weekend of August this year. Under cloudy skies, the briefing was held early in the morning, and the grid walk, start procession, and schedule proceeded as planned. 117 karts were divided into two groups and started at 9:30 am for a 7-hour race towards the finish line.

The #9 ddd, who secured the pole position in the first group, took the hole shot, followed by the #20 Super Chips Dream in second place. It seemed that these two teams, well-known for their performance in "K-TAI", would continue to lead the race. Following behind were the #5 MIC KARTING, #37 TeamKRS-DAI&MKS, and #10 Team FB Racing. On the opening lap, the #5 MIC KARTING returned to the top, but the #35 Power Cluster K3 Racing, starting from 23rd on the grid, made a move on the inside. The #43 BOO FOO SETSU was in third place, followed by #37 TeamKRS-DAI&MKS, #20 Super Chips Dream, and #515 e-connection515. The #9 ddd was running a bit further back, completing laps.

After that, the top position changed rapidly during the pit-in timing, and at the 2-hour mark, [#689 DRP (B-side)] was in the lead with 39 laps. Following closely behind were [#17 KEIHIN MARIO RT], [#823 A1-RACING RED], and [#52 BLACK OUT RACING] all on the same lap.

However, it was #30 Corolla Ibaraki~REON KIDS~2 that showed the speed. Consistently lapping in the high 2 minutes and 40 seconds range. This was followed by the talented #9 ddd and #17 KEIHIN MARIO RT.

After 4 hours, [#9 ddd] was in the lead with 76 laps. Following closely behind were [#43 BOO FOO SETSU], [#30 Corolla Ibaraki~REON KIDS~2], [#123 College CRG], [#88 Team Douraku no Kai@SILK], and [#823 A1-RACING RED], all on the same lap.

After that, #30 Corolla Ibaraki~REON KIDS~2, which showed overwhelming speed, took the lead with one hour remaining, but pitted with 40 minutes left. The lead then changed hands between #689 DRP (B-side) and #823 A1-RACING RED, but when both teams pitted, #86 Corolla Ibaraki~REON KIDS~1 rose to the top. From behind, their teammate #30 Corolla Ibaraki~REON KIDS~2 chased at a pace 3 to 5 seconds faster per lap, but the gap was about one minute. Ultimately, the gap was 36.676 seconds, with #86 Corolla Ibaraki~REON KIDS~1 completing 135 laps first and receiving the checkered flag. Following them, #30 Corolla Ibaraki~REON KIDS~2 finished, securing a 1-2 finish for Corolla Ibaraki~REON KIDS.
"With good fuel efficiency and speed, we were able to win the award for most laps completed. I want to thank the team for preparing such a wonderful machine. #30 was fast too, but I never felt like losing to my teammate," said Shunsuke Hanawa of [#86 Corolla Ibaraki~REON KIDS~1].

"Last year, I couldn't win the most laps award, so I'm happy. #30 had a big disadvantage in pit stay time, but showed the speed to turn it around. The power of children is truly amazing," said Omiya Tate, representative of Corolla Ibaraki ~ REON KIDS.

In the back, two teams, #88 Team Douraku no Kai @ SILK and #689 DRP (B-side), received the checkered flag almost simultaneously and recorded 135 laps. In 2017, the "K-TAI" award for most laps completed went to four teams.

This year, there were no safety car interventions, and the four teams with the most laps recorded 135 laps. The top positions were dominated by Class II, with the top position in Class I being 5th overall, and #125 BLUE EYES K, which recorded 131 laps, received the award for most laps completed.

The MVP was awarded to [#701 YMC.ADVANRacing].

Many teams participated in the 2017 "K-TAI" as well. There were some penalties for contact and overtaking in yellow flag zones here and there, but the fact that the safety car was never deployed is proof that manners have improved. We look forward to seeing you with smiles again at next year’s "K-TAI"!