We held the 3rd Yokomo Grand Prix of the year, Round 33, at Yatabe Arena. In preparation for the "JMRCA 1/12 Racing All-Japan Championship" being held at the same venue from September 15th to 17th, we added the 1/12 Pre-All Japan Sports Class and 1/12 Pre-All Japan Open Class to this event. We also introduced a new class, the YD-2TC Scale Class, and enjoyed a great turnout with a total of 112 entries.
Concours d'Elegance
■Super Scale SS48 Class Finals Results
Qualifying for this class is unique in that it uses a single-lap best lap time format. The event was held on a shortcut course layout using only half of the track.
Immediately after the start of the final, Ehiyan and Raijii~, who started in 2nd and 3rd, crashed, allowing Akky (starting 4th) to move up to 2nd place. Mu~ took control of the race, pulling away with a 4-second lead over 2nd place to finish on top.
1st: Mu~ 13L 4:15.638
2nd: Akky 13L 4:19.668
3rd: Ehiyan 12L 4:02.454
(TQ: Mu~)
■YD-2TC Scale Class Finals Results
Nine cars with various types of scale bodies entered this inaugural class. Like the SS48 class, it used the short course layout, and the moderate speed was well-received. Immediately after the start of the final, Autoliv (3rd) went straight for the leader, Mu~. Machine (4th) held 3rd place. After that, kuro, Autoliv, and mogyy engaged in a fierce battle for 2nd place, while Takakura (who started in the lead) pulled away. In the final stages of the race, mogyy set the fastest lap and closed right up behind Takakura, but Takakura crossed the finish line in 1st place with a 0.3-second lead.
1st: Shigeaki Takakura 16L 4:01.840
2nd: mogyy 16L 4:02.169
3rd: kuro 16L 4:05.063
(TQ: Shigeaki Takakura)
■YD-2TC Class Finals Results
Immediately after the start, 393 (starting 3rd) surged into 2nd place. Pole-sitter Akira Suzuki drove consistently to lead the race, with 393 chasing him just 0.7 seconds behind. Takejiro (starting 7th) set the best lap and jumped up to 3rd place, but Suzuki managed to pull away and take the win.
1st: Akira Suzuki 13L 4:09.361
2nd: 393 13L 4:11.991
3rd: Takejiro 13L 4:18.505
(TQ: Akira Suzuki)
■GT Stock Class Finals Results
The GT Class final was an 8-minute endurance race. Immediately after the start, cars 1 through 6 ran in their starting order. The top starter, Katsuraji Number 1, was the only one to break into the 19-second lap range, finishing 10 seconds ahead of 2nd place.
1st: Katsuraji Number 1 24L 8:11.644
2nd: Kyaro-san 24L 8:21.712
3rd: Taku Yamashita 23L 8:05.062
(TQ: Katsuraji Number 1)
■GT Open Class Finals Results
The cars started in order from 1st to 3rd, with Su-san taking a slight lead. As tamotsu, takejiro, and Go Matsumoto engaged in a fierce battle for 2nd place, tamotsu fell back due to a high-side. While Matsumoto and takejiro traded 2nd place back and forth for several minutes, Su-san took the victory with an 8-second lead.
1st: Su-san 27L 8:06.188
2nd: Go Matsumoto 27L 8:14.710
3rd: Takejiro 27L 8:14.991
(TQ: Su-san)
■Touring Class Finals Results
An 11-car final. Immediately after the start, Kiyoto Kanno, Shin Yamada, and Tomohiro Kato took the lead, but Kato tipped over and fell back. Rosugiwaku joined the lead battle from a 6th-place start. Yamada pressured Kanno in the closing stages, but couldn't quite reach him, and Kanno finished in 1st.
1st: Kiyoto Kanno 16L 4:14.861
2nd: Shin Yamada 15L 4:00.609
3rd: Rosugiwaku 15L 4:05.521
(TQ: Kiyoto Kanno)
■Formula Sports Class Finals Results
Immediately after the start, Iizuka (3rd) tipped over and fell back. Boku Raikkonen chased the top starter, Mendy, getting within 1.5 seconds, but Mendy managed to pull away and cross the finish line in 1st.
1st: Mendy 13L 4:01.714
2nd: Boku Raikkonen 13L 4:04.259
3rd: Nozomu Iizuka 13L 4:16.397
(TQ: Mendy)
■1/12 Pre-All Japan Sports Class Finals Results
A 10-car final. Go Matsumoto (starting 3rd) was rear-ended and fell back, while Kakeda (4th) moved up to 3rd. Seto (1st) and Su-san (2nd) engaged in a close battle within 0.5 seconds of each other, but Seto gradually pulled away from 2nd place and finished in 1st with a 4-second lead.
1st: Eiji Seto 34L 8:04.811
2nd: Su-san 34L 8:08.861
3rd: Takeshi Kakeda 34L 8:11.722
(TQ: Eiji Seto)
■1/12 Pre-All Japan Open Class Finals Results
A 10-car final. The field stayed neatly in order for the first lap, with the top 3 cars racing within a second of each other. Takashi Kato (4th) also stuck with the lead group. At the 3-minute mark, Team Yokomo members Ebukuro (top starter) and Toshinobu Yanagisawa (2nd) were engaged in a close battle that looked like it could lead to contact at any moment. Yanagisawa, who made several attempts to pass, had a solo crash at the 5-minute mark and fell back. Yoshiyasu Yanagisawa (3rd) took over 2nd place, but Ebukuro maintained his advantage and finished 1st with plenty of room to spare.
1st: Toto Ebukuro 37L 8:03.665
2nd: Yoshiyasu Yanagisawa 37L 8:08.813
3rd: Daisuke Sakamoto 36L 8:02.635
(TQ: Toto Ebukuro)
The next and final Yokomo Grand Prix of the year, Round 34, will be held on Sunday, October 8th. We look forward to seeing many of you there.