Award Ceremony | SMSC Membership Information

Suzuka Sunday Road Race Series

Suzuka Inter JSB1000		Suzuka Inter ST1000
1st place	Kato Takashi	1st place	Motoaki Sawamura
2nd place	Hanezuka	2nd place	Kabeya Yuuya
3rd place	Masaki Yamaguchi	3rd place	Junichi Hanamura
[Champion's Comment] I want to express my gratitude to all the team members and everyone who supported us. We have been working hard as a team, with the mindset that anything less than 1st place is not enough, and I am truly happy that our efforts have paid off. Winning is difficult, but being a champion requires winning consistently throughout the season, which is even more challenging. The Tochigi Racing team has been incredibly supportive, and we fought with a strong determination to live up to their expectations. Throughout the season, I also felt the pressure of competing for the championship, but I believe that enduring this pressure has only made me mentally stronger.		[Champion's Comment] I entered both Suzuka and Motegi this season, but I was able to win 1st place in the rankings at Motegi as well. It's been since 2008 that I became champion at Suzuka, but last time it was more of a Tanabota-style champion due to my rival's self-destruction. This time, I am very happy to have won the championship on my own. Motegi is also important, but winning the championship at Suzuka is truly special. Next season, I plan to focus on racing at Suzuka as a spot entry, rather than participating in Motegi.
Suzuka National ST1000		Suzuka Inter ST600
1st place	Murata Tsukasa	1st place	Toyoshi Murase
2nd place	Yasumitsu Nakao	2nd place	Shingo Suzuki
3rd place	Taru Mi Hayabusa	3rd place	Kavin Quintal
[Champion's Comment] The result of becoming a champion is thanks to my teammates and everyone involved. I realized that with hard work, I can become a champion. My goal is the Suzuka 8 Hours, so I saw this year as a year to move up to the Inter class. I also participated in the National 600, but if I'm struggling with double entries, I thought endurance races would be impossible. I had never made it to the podium at Suzuka, so this year was the best season for me.		[Champion's Comment] In order to become the champion, I had to beat my teammate Shingo Suzuki in the final round. However, while competing with Suzuki and my rivals, I lost my rhythm and it became a challenging final round. I am surprised that I was able to win the championship. This is my second championship, so I am very happy. It was a reward to find out that I became the champion when I thought I had lost. Next season, I am considering participating in the All Japan Championship and regional races with a 600cc bike.
Suzuka National ST600		Suzuka ST600R 〈Revival〉
1st place	Hirajo Yuhi	1st place	Kenji Sakakibara
2nd place	Takumi Nakahori	2nd place	Mitsuya Morimoto
3rd place	Kawamoto Yoshinori	3rd place	Nakade Toshimitsu
[Champion's Comment] This is my third year racing, but in my first and second year, I kept falling. I couldn't ride fast at all, but as I continued to practice, my times gradually improved and I was able to achieve good results. I was able to win in Round 2 and Round 3, and in Round 3, I even got a pole-to-win. However, I couldn't win the final round and become the champion, and I also couldn't achieve my goal of a 2 minute 15 second lap time, so I still feel regret. I want to redeem myself in next season's races.		[Champion's Comment] I have been mainly racing in the 4-hour endurance race and have been able to climb the podium for 3 consecutive events. So, I decided to participate in the full season because the ST600R class will end this season. It's great to have won the championship at the age of 60. The final round, NGK Cup, was the last race for ST600R, so I am really happy to have won and secured the championship.
Inter J-GP3		National J-GP3
1st place	Matsuda Motonari	1st place	Kenji Nakaya
2nd place	Takahashi Naoki	2nd place	Hiroshi Okada
3rd place	Murata Norihiko	3rd place	Tetsuya Toyota
[Champion's Comment] After running for four years, I am finally able to achieve the result of becoming a champion and I am extremely happy. I had thought of this season as a preparation period for participating in the All Japan race next year, but the result of becoming a champion will become a major milestone for me in the future. However, it was a difficult season with many struggles. I had to control my emotions and there were many things to worry about. But the team provided me with a fast bike and the director and team staff supported me firmly. I am grateful to the team staff and all the people who supported me.		[Champion's Comment] I was aiming for the championship, but the Sunday Road Race was too high of a level for me and honestly, I didn't have much confidence. Of course, I am happy with the result of becoming champion, but there are still many challenges that I have yet to overcome, so it was a season of both joy and regret. I was able to win in my class, but it's frustrating that I couldn't win overall. However, I can feel my growth throughout the season.
Inter JP250		National JP250
1st place	Shunki Funada	1st place	Hiroshi Fukui
2nd place	Ryo Nakagawa	2nd place	Takeshi Fujita
3rd place	Noriyuki Haga	3rd place	Makoto Maeda
[Champion's Comment] Unfortunately, I had to slow down due to machine trouble in the final round, but I was able to finish the race somehow. I am disappointed with the result of the race, but I am really happy to have won the championship. I won the opening round in the interclass, but my overall ranking was not very high, so I am not satisfied. I need to drive more like an interclass driver. It was a year with many machine troubles, but I was lucky to be able to accumulate points. If we can continue with the same team next season, I would like to aim for the overall victory.		[Champion's Comment] The final round was very close in points with the second place rider in the rankings. I was conscious of that and tried to stay as close to the top as possible while also avoiding accidents by riding safely. I think it was a good season this year. I was able to score points in every race, which resulted in me becoming the champion. In 2022, I won the championship in the CBR250RR Dream Cup and this is my second championship in the JP250. I plan to race in the same team next season and aim to become the champion in both the JP250 and CBR250RR Dream Cup.
CBR250R Dream Cup		CBR250RR Dream Cup
1st place	Masahiro Ota	1st place	Takumi Hosoya
2nd place	Takatomo Runtaro	2nd place	Iwatsuki Toshiki
3rd place	Hori Ayato	3rd place	Hiroshi Fukui
[Champion's Comment] All races this season were held on the full course, so there were many races that tested skill and ability. There were many races where the winner was decided at the final lap at the Hitachi Astemo Chicane, but personally, I had confidence on the full course and was able to run in a position to make the final move in every race. In the past two years, I finished second in the rankings, and this year I wanted to become the champion. Also, I was planning to graduate from the CBR Cup this season, so I am really happy to have won the championship in the final series.		[Champion's Comment] I started participating in races at Suzuka this season. Every time, it was chaotic and I couldn't have a good race. However, I was able to win in the final round, but my time was not good at all. Still, I am happy to become the champion. I wish I could have achieved my best time in the final round, but even though I won, I couldn't reach my personal best time and it was not a satisfactory race. I want to use the result of becoming the champion as motivation and do my best in future races.

Suzuka Sunday Road Race Series Point Ranking

FUN&RUN! 2-Wheels Series

NEO STANDARD CBR250R		NEO STANDARD G310R
1st place	Tw'sracing&KIKS Iwanishi Chiropractic Clinic by Hiroki Kaneda	1st place	MOTO･ART@Moty's Ryuto Sasaki
2nd place	YTR+No Limit	2nd place	Motorrad Casuno with AELLA
3rd place	team Gorogoro + NOAH Management Service	3rd place	CS Stance Fan Factory Autumn Stand @zip57
[Champion's Comment] I am grateful to my teammates who always support and cheer for me!! I couldn't have become a champion without my teammates! In the first round, I finished 2nd, in the second round I finished 1st, and in the full course of the third round, I had a pit stop handicap, so I thought it would be difficult to become the series champion, but I was able to achieve a miraculous 1st place and it was very good. Fan run is happy to be able to become a champion as it was decided to participate only in the 23rd season. In the 24th year, we will continue to participate in the Suzuka Sunday Road Race Dream Cup CBR250R with Tw's Racing & KIKS Iwanishi Chiropractic Clinic. We will prepare thoroughly from the preparation stage to be able to give our all until the end of the season and fight without any regrets.		[Champion's Comment] I was able to win the championship this season as well, following last season, but I think it was the result of luck stacking up. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the members of Team MOTO·ART, those who have supported us, and all other related parties for their support this season.
NEO STANDARD Ninja250		NEO STANDARD VTR250
1st place	MOTO☆STAR #71 with PENSKE　Yamamoto Akihisa	1st place	SUZUKA R&D　Shin Ueda
2nd place	Minmin & Hata Racing DS Group	2nd place	Kubomura Motors.SUZUKA R&D
3rd place	Club Espoint	3rd place	Team Yoshiharu with Suzuka R&D
[Champion's Comment] I would like to express my gratitude to my team members, Suzuka officials, and all those involved for finishing last year without any injuries. Although I did not achieve the desired results in each race, I was able to win the overall series championship by consistently performing well throughout the season. It was a challenging year with changes in regulations, but I am happy with the good results. This year, I will continue to compete in the Neo Standard Ninja class. Despite getting older every year, I will aim for better results than last year and defend my title for the third consecutive year.		[Champion's Comment] The VTR250 category has entered its final year. I would like to express my gratitude to all the riders, sponsors, and team staff who have fought dogfights with me at Neostar until this year. I would also like to thank the SMSC staff and circuit officials who have always provided a place to race and managed the races. I have continued to participate in the Neostar since its first year, using the SUZUKA R&D parts that I designed and developed myself on the VTR250. In 2023, the final year of the VTR250 class, I approached the races with the proposition of "Pushing at every race with all my might!" and achieved "Class pole position", "Class victory", and the long-awaited "Overall victory" at the final round. With a dominant victory that included the "Overall fastest lap" on the final lap, I was able to win the "Yearly Champion" for the first time since 2017. Looking back on the 2023 season as an individual, I was unable to win the second round due to the ride-through handicap, but I won the first and final rounds, and was able to set the fastest lap in both qualifying and the race in all rounds, achieving a perfect victory for the entire season. The VTR250 had the disadvantage of being heavy, with a long wheelbase and low torque, but the past champions have skillfully controlled it with artistic riding techniques, and I remember the machine as a work of art. With the honor of joining the ranks of champions, I will graduate from VTR250 racing. Thank you all. In 2024, I will lead the SUZUKA R&D Racing Team and participate in the Fun&Run 2wheels / NEOSTANDARD / G310 class. In order to supply the machine to the racing team in 2024, we will start from making the machine. I am looking forward to having fun dogfights with everyone again! See you at the opening round.
NEO STANDARD YZF-R25
1st place	KIKS&Tw's41withM 　Toriide Norio
2nd place	YTR
3rd place	Valkyrie & OS Design & Katsuragi Transportation
[Champion's Comment] We were able to win the series championship for the fourth consecutive time in the Neo Standard YZF class. It was a series race that depended on how we could overcome the handicap, and we were able to fight in this year's series race according to the plan we made after many discussions within the team. Thanks to the support, the team name will change, but we will continue to participate in the Neo Standard YZF class in 2024 with the same team structure. We aim for our fifth consecutive series championship in three years.

FUN&RUN! 2-Wheels Point Ranking

Suzuka Clubman Race Series

Super-FJ		VITA
1st place	Ryo Shirasaki	1st place	Ryuichiro Oyagi
2nd place	Tanaka Fuki	2nd place	TOMISAN
3rd place	Shinya Itakura	3rd place	Chiharu Masumoto
4th	Motoyama Yasunari	4th	Hironori Ueoka
5th	Dozoen Eagle	5th	Noriyuki Nakazato
[Champion's Comment] 'This was my first race coming from 20th place and I was aiming for the podium, so I am very satisfied with my second place finish. I am extremely happy to have become the champion. This is my second year competing in the S-FJ class and last year I finished second in the Tsukuba and Fuji series. This year, I came to Suzuka with the intention of winning the championship from the opening race, so I am overjoyed that I was able to achieve it. Next year, I hope to race in the FIA F-4 or a higher category.'		6th	GAMISAN
		[Champion's Comment] "I am sincerely happy to have won the championship. After winning three races in a row from the opening, I didn't perform well in the wet race in October, so I started to focus on winning the championship from there. In this race, I couldn't make a proper attack in qualifying due to three red flags, and in the final race, I couldn't improve my pace, making it a very difficult race. However, I was able to secure the championship by standing on the podium. It's my third consecutive victory with VITA, and I am truly happy to have won the championship."
FIT1.5 Challenge Cup		FF Challenge
1st place	Nishio Kazuha	1st place	Yuichi Matsushita
2nd place	Yusuke Shimizu	2nd place	Kai Yuki
[Champion's Comment] "Last year, I missed the championship due to a mission blow, so I was very frustrated. That's why I'm extremely happy to have won the championship this year. With veterans and legends like Ito-san graduating, I was the only one left, so there was a feeling among my teammates that winning was a given. It was a lot of pressure. Originally, I wasn't planning on participating in the entire series, but after winning the first round, my team members were determined to win this year and make up for last year! So I was conscious of winning the series championship and the sense of accomplishment is amazing."		3rd place	Hayashi Yosuke
		4th	Suzuka Circuit
		5th	Hirokazu Ohmoto
		6th	Daisuke Hayashi
		[Champion's Comment] "I had a great time racing with Hirobon and the young riders. Hirobon and I have been racing together since 2004, so I was happy to have the opportunity to race with him again. Going into the final round, I was ranked 3rd in the standings, so the championship was still up for grabs. The rainy conditions and the tires of the top Zero Fighter team were a concern for me. But during the race, I felt confident and was able to find the right moments to make my move while considering the rain conditions."
CS2		Formula Enjoy Series Award
1st place	Masatoshi Seki	1st place	Toshio Higashi
[Champion's Comment] 'I've been riding VITA for about 5 years, and I'm really happy to have won the championship this year since I just started riding CS2. Also, it's my first championship in the Clubman Race, so I'm even more thrilled. I started to focus on winning the championship from the second race, when I compared my lap times to the top times and thought, "I can do this." I finished third in today's race, but honestly, I can't beat the younger riders. I haven't decided on my plans for next year yet, but I'm very grateful to West-san for organizing such races.'		2nd place	Kazuki Yamazaki
		3rd place	Takashi Iseya
		4th	Ichiro Nakajima
		5th	Yasuhiro Yasuda
		6th	Kazutaka Miura
		[Champion's Comment] "I am very happy to have won the championship. After the race in Okayama two races ago, I started to focus on becoming the series champion. Throughout this season, I have consistently made it to the podium and focused on earning points, and I believe this is the result of that. I have always dreamed of racing at Suzuka Circuit, and although I can only participate in the Clubman Race, I am happy to have been able to race and even more thrilled to have won the series championship. I haven't decided yet for next year, but I hope to participate in the Clubman Race again."
Formula Enjoy Masters Cup Prize
1st place	Nobuhiko Tanaka
2nd place	Kamezou
3rd place	Ryuu Mao
[Champion's Comment] "It was extremely lucky to win the series championship in my first participation in the Master Class without any racing experience. Two races ago in Okayama, I was 10 points behind the second place player in the class, so I started to focus on becoming the champion from there. However, if I focus too much on becoming the champion, I might make mistakes, so I approached each race with the goal of giving my best. I plan to participate in this class again next year. I turned 60 years old and it's a great milestone."

Suzuka Clubman Race Series Point Ranking

Kart Race in SUZUKA Series

AVANTI		FS-125/X30
1st place	Taisei Okumura	1st place	Ryoki Minora
2nd place	Okabe Masami	2nd place	Ryutaro Sakai
3rd place	Shigekazu Inoue	3rd place	Yuuto Nakai
[Champion's Comment] I am honestly happy to have become the series champion. Actually, in this final round, I was in the worst condition of the season, but I think it was good that I was able to relax and approach the race. Winning the race on September 17th (Round 6 of the series) gave me confidence. It was my first podium and the team members were all happy together that I was able to win at once, and I realized that "I can be this happy when I win." The final round, where I finished 5th, is a bit regrettable, but it was a season where I was able to grow significantly.		[Champion's Comment] The first race on February 26 (Round 1) was a no-point race. However, I am very happy to have become the series champion by winning all remaining four races. I feel that I have grown through what I learned at the school (Honda Racing School SUZUKA Kart Advance). Also, although I often struggled with time trials, getting third place in the final round gave me confidence. As the series progressed in 2023, I realized that while I was able to win, the other drivers were also getting faster and faster. I hope to use this series championship as a starting point to become a calm and winning driver.
Junior MAX		MAX MASTERS
1st place	Quinten lu	1st place	Masanori Kato
2nd place	Sotaro Ishibe	2nd place	Tetsuya Izushi
3rd place	Ryusei Sawada	3rd place	Junji Okamoto
[Champion's Comment] The final round (Round 6) where I was able to decide the series champion was great in terms of time trials and qualifying heats. However, I ended up in 6th place in the final heat... I am filled with frustration as I was not able to have a race that I was satisfied with. It is also frustrating that I couldn't become the series champion even after winning the final race. However, Suzuka is a great circuit and I want to take confidence in becoming the series champion there. Looking back, winning in Round 2 and accumulating points in the first half gave me a big advantage. Next season, I plan to participate in the Senior MAX category in the Suzuka Championship and also in the OK series. I want to make it a year of stepping up.		[Champion's Comment] This season, I was able to achieve good results in all races without retiring. This was thanks to the hard work of the team's mechanics and engineers. In the final round, I lost to Yukio Tsukamoto and ended up in second place. It's disappointing that I couldn't win in the end, but this class has many veteran drivers with a long history of participation, so that gives me confidence. Everyone in this class is working as professionals while also participating in races. The atmosphere is great as we all enjoy racing as a hobby. I will continue to participate in this class. We may all get along well off the track, but once we put on our helmets, each driver's unique personality shines through, and that's also enjoyable. I want to continue to liven up the MAX masters with my fellow drivers.
ROK-SHIFTER		ROK-SHIFTER Masters
1st place	Takashi Higashitaku	1st place	Kobayashi Hiromichi
2nd place	Yohhei Maruyama
3rd place	Tomita Sora
[Champion's Comment] Becoming the series champion is the result of one year of hard work. Winning back-to-back championships from 2022 also gives me confidence. We entered the final round with a 12-point gap in second place, but I was too cautious at the start of qualifying. Also, in races where the battle for the lead was close, I feel that I need to work on how to win. If the timing is right in 2024, I am considering participating in other classes as well, but my main focus will be on the ROK-SHIFTER class. My goal is to win three consecutive championships. I will use this year's reflections to improve and achieve that goal.
Senior MAX		SUPER SS
1st place	Tamabashi Yuzuki	1st place	Hironori Saka
2nd place	Haruto Ueda	2nd place	Katsuyuki Sasaki
3rd place	Tasaki Shuma	3rd place	Hiroki Nozaki
[Champion's Comment] Last year, I finished third in the Senior MAX rankings and felt frustrated. My goal was to become the series champion in 2023. When the series ended and I achieved that goal, I was genuinely happy. However, I only finished fourth in the final round (Round 6). I was hoping to at least make it to the podium during the race, so I have some regrets. Winning the first and second rounds and earning points was crucial. In the first half of the series, I was able to try different things while racing, and that led to results. The second half of the series was a learning experience as I struggled. I haven't decided on my plans for next season yet, but I want to do my best no matter what challenges come my way!		[Champion's Comment] It's been a few years since I became the series champion at Suzuka, and I'm relieved and happy about it. In the final round, I was able to stay calm and just focus on my own time. In the end, Katsuyuki Sasaki took the lead and I finished in second place, but it was the result of choosing a steady race. Winning two races here on July 16th (Round 4) and September 16th (Round 6) was a big deal for me. I plan to continue participating in the YAMAHA SUPER SS class in 2024 as well. I also want to continue participating in kart races at Suzuka in the future.
YAMAHA SS		Cadet Open
1st place	Nobuichi Muramatsu	1st place	Nagisho Moriya
2nd place	Toshiki Terashima	2nd place	Shinbashi Takeshi
3rd place	Hiroshi Takamura	3rd place	Shimazu Mao
[Champion's Comment] It's an unbelievable feeling to become the series champion for the first time. I fought for a year, thinking about enjoying each race. Winning the race (Round 3) on June 25th was a big moment for me. Even though I dropped to 6th place temporarily while leading the race, I was able to come back and win. I realized that I have the perseverance to bounce back even in difficult race situations. I plan to compete in the YAMAHA SS class in 2024 as well. Just the thought of being able to race with the number 1 makes me excited for the next season already.		[Champion's Comment] I am very happy to have won four consecutive races from the opening round and become the series champion before the final round. In 2022, I had races where I could have won but couldn't, and races where I had no luck, so I was filled with frustration. That's why winning the opening round (Round 2 of the series) was so important. Even after getting results, being able to continue winning at Suzuka gave me the confidence to approach races. In today's race where I became the champion, there were times when I was chased by others while in the lead, but I think I was able to run until the end with confidence! Next season, I plan to compete in the Jr MAX class, and I will race with all my might there as well.

Kart Race in SUZUKA Point Ranking

※Suzuka Sunday Road Race, FUN&RUN! 2-Wheels awards up to 3rd place in each class
※Kart Race in SUZUKA is for ROK-SHIFTER Masters Champions, and other classes are eligible for up to 3rd place.
※Suzuka Clubman Race is eligible for the following.
・Super-FJ, FF Challenge, VITA, CS2, FIT 1.5 Challenge Cup