Award Ceremony | SMSC Membership Information

Suzuka Sunday Road Race Series

Suzuka Inter JSB1000		Suzuka Inter ST1000
1st place	Takahashi Naoki	1st place	Masaki Yamaguchi
2nd place	Hasegawa Shuudai	2nd place	Ryosuke Katahira
3rd place	Shuichiro Nakamura	3rd place	Motoaki Sawamura
[Champion's Comment] I started full-scale participation in the JSB1000 class this season with Honda's in-house team, Honda Dream Koyo-kai. At the beginning of the season, things were often not taking shape, but the staff worked on various tasks after finishing their regular jobs, so I felt like I was just riding the bike. I am truly grateful to the staff. The competitor for the championship was the same in-house Honda team, Blue Helmet, so I thought I absolutely could not lose, and since I was aiming for the championship, I am honestly very happy. This result is thanks to the team members.		[Champion's Comment] This season, I switched from Kawasaki to Honda. I also switched from the JSB1000 class to the ST1000 class, and I will be using Dunlop tires. Since I have been competing in JSB, I absolutely wanted to become the champion in ST1000. I thought that not only should I become the champion, but I also needed to achieve times that were the same as or better than those I set in JSB to win. I struggled in the early stages, but it was good that it led to results throughout the series. This is my first series championship at Suzuka, so I am very happy.
Suzuka National ST1000		Suzuka Inter ST600
1st place	Ryoma Nakano	1st place	Yosuke Ide
2nd place	Shota Nagayama	2nd place	Takumi Fukuda
3rd place	Hiroshi Ikeda	3rd place	Genki Nakajima
[Champion's Comment] The Final Round was crucial for the championship, and the gap with the second-ranked driver was very small, so I was just focused on moving forward. Given the situation, I am really happy to have secured the championship. The 1000cc races started this year, and winning the opening round gave me confidence. The team was incredibly supportive, and I was just riding the machine. This championship is all thanks to the team. Winning this time allowed me to repay the team for their support.		[Champion's Comment] Last season, I was racing in the national class and couldn't make it to the podium. This season, after moving to the inter class, I finished 2nd in Round 2 and, after Round 3, I ranked 3rd, which allowed me to participate in the MFJ-GP, where I was able to increase my pace in my own way. As I approached the Final Round, I couldn't get into the 15-second range, and I couldn't keep up with the senior members of the team, so I was disappointed with my performance. Although I became the champion, to be honest, I wasn't really focused on the ranking, so I'm surprised myself. Since I haven't won this season, I really wanted to win at least once.
Suzuka National ST600		Inter J-GP3
1st place	Suzuka Circuit	1st place	Eito Nakamura
2nd place	Tomie Kei	2nd place	Yosuke Hosaka
3rd place	Takumi Hosoya	3rd place	Rintaro Takemoto
[Champion's Comment] This year has been challenging since the start. Fortunately, I was saved by the rain at the opening, but in Round 2, I managed to secure pole position, yet finished the race in 5th place, which was frustrating. However, after the 4-hour race in August, my condition gradually improved, and my understanding of the 600cc class increased. Winning in my class also boosted my confidence. In Round 3, I secured pole position again and was able to compete for the lead in the race, but ultimately, I couldn't win. In the Final Round, I planned to take the lead early and drive aggressively. However, I ended up battling until the end, but I achieved my first victory of the season and secured the championship. It was a tough start to the season, but I was able to finish on a positive note. I'm glad I worked hard throughout the year.		[Champion's Comment] I have been racing for a long time, but this is my first championship. I am really happy to finally become a champion. This year, I felt good from the opening round. The machine had different parts each time, but I think being able to run well in every race despite that situation contributed to the results. Just before the Final Round, I also participated in the All Japan MFJ Grand Prix, which taught me a lot. I believe I was able to effectively utilize what I learned in the All Japan series, such as being able to set a time on my own, in the Final Round as well. To be honest, I wanted to win the Final Round too, but I ended up falling.
National J-GP3		Inter JP250
1st place	Shinjiro Hari	1st place	Ryo Nakagawa
2nd place	Shorui Endo	2nd place	Yu Suzuki
3rd place	Takatomo Runtaro	3rd place	Shunki Funada
[Champion's Comment] This season, the car has been underperforming since the opening race, especially struggling with acceleration on the straights, which has been a constant source of frustration. The conditions were tricky in the opening and second races, but I managed to secure a spot on the podium by leveraging my cornering speed, which is my strength. The third race was a dry race, and my father and I came up with various strategies, but there was no improvement, and it was a race where I could only keep up. We approached this race with a narrow points gap, but the car, which I was worried about, performed well. I am very happy to have won the championship under such circumstances, and I want to thank my father for preparing the car.		[Champion's Comment] Last year, I retired in the Final Round and missed out on the championship. Therefore, this year, I wanted to leave results that would make it seem like I earned the championship. I was able to achieve overall victory in the opening round, and I wanted to achieve overall victory in the Final Round as well, but I prioritized the championship and didn't push too hard. This season, I was only aiming for overall victory, so I didn't pay much attention to the rankings in each class. This is my second championship since 2020, and it's the first championship with my current team. I am truly happy with this result, and I couldn't have achieved it without the team members. I want to thank the mechanics and my family for their support.
National JP250		CBR250R Dream Cup
1st place	Makoto Maeda	1st place	Takashi Hidezaki
2nd place	Hiroyuki Minami	2nd place	Takanobu Irie
3rd place	Yuichi Miura	3rd place	Katsuragi Kamizuki
[Champion's Comment] This year, I switched from Honda to Yamaha and participated with my old team. At first, I struggled with the bike setup, but as the series progressed, I gradually found the right setup. This year, three out of four races were wet, and with only four races in the season, I thought it would be difficult to win the championship if I fell. Of course, I aimed for the top in every race, but I also focused on not falling. In the only dry race, I was able to achieve overall victory. The young riders are getting faster, so it wasn't easy to reach the podium. Winning the championship in such a challenging series is truly a joy.		[Champion's Comment] I am finally able to become the champion, and I am experiencing an unparalleled joy. This season had many tough times, and I struggled to perform as I wanted in practices and qualifying outside of the finals, but I managed to start well in every race and was able to take the lead on the first lap in almost every race. I believe that being able to drive like that in all the races allowed me to achieve the result of becoming the champion. In previous races, I tended to get too heated and try to move ahead immediately, but I thought I needed to drive cleverly while observing the situation instead of recklessly trying to get ahead. I believe that in this final round, where I secured the championship with my victory, I was finally able to drive like that.
CBR250RR Dream Cup
1st place	Hiroshi Fukui
2nd place	Takumi Okura
3rd place	Noriyuki Haga
[Champion's Comment] This season's series had a significant advantage due to my rival's crash and no points. Thanks to that, I was able to win the championship for the second consecutive year, which makes me the happiest. I aimed for a perfect season with wins in every race, but in the Final Round (where the championship was decided), my bike was not performing well, and I couldn't reach the top positions. In the Final Round, my goal was to avoid getting no points at all. Although I had an advantage in points, I am not satisfied with the content of that race.

Suzuka Sunday Road Race Series Point Ranking

FUN&RUN! 2-Wheels Series

NEO STANDARD Ninja250		NEO STANDARD CBR250R
1st place	Moto Blue with Champ	1st place	Yuzumaru with ak1tech Racing
2nd place	MOTO☆STAR#71 with PENSKE	2nd place	SBY19 with Racing DRAG!!!
3rd place	Hori Kobo & B'garage/Penske/Motostar	3rd place	YTR + No Limit
[Champion's Comment] I won the championship last season despite not achieving the results I wanted! I'm surprised, but I am very honored and genuinely happy. Also, I am extremely grateful to everyone on the team for allowing me to finish in positions above my actual ability in every race! Thank you! This season, I will work hard to improve my skills as a rider so that I can win the championship based on my own ability. That's what I've been thinking lately as I approach my sixtieth birthday...		[Champion's Comment] Partnered with Terada. To Airi, Kusano, Amakaze, and my wife, who supported the team selflessly. To the friends I met in Suzuka. To Suzuka Circuit for hosting such a fun race. To all the officials who supported us throughout the hot and cold day. To MC Sakura, who conducted wonderful interviews with each athlete. To all the photographers who took many wonderful pictures at each corner. To all the athletes who ran alongside me. Thank you so much! Suzuka Circuit is my favorite circuit!!
NEO STANDARD YZF-R25		NEO STANDARD G310R
1st place	Kohoku Surveying M Garage & Tw's 41 with Kokubo	1st place	MOTO ART@Moty's
2nd place	Valkyrie & OS Design & Katsuragi Transport	2nd place	Motorrad Casuno with AELLA
3rd place	ART WORKS Racing Team	3rd place	ART WORKS Racing Team
[Champion's Comment] I am grateful to all the officials who make it possible for entrants to race safely every time. I appreciate my sponsors and team staff for helping me achieve my fifth series championship in three consecutive years. During the final race, I was able to avoid any troubles and earn an advantage thanks to the practice simulations for mandatory pit stops and ride-through penalties, as well as the thorough maintenance and preparation of the machine's condition. I will strive for my sixth series championship in 2025 with the same team structure.		[Champion's Comment] I was able to win the championship for the third consecutive year this season. I sincerely thank the members of Team MOTO・ART, everyone who supported us, and all other related parties. This season was enjoyable with an increase in the number of G310s and races with a full grid. I am not sure if I will be able to participate in all the races in 2025, but when I can, I want to enjoy racing.

FUN&RUN! 2-Wheels Point Ranking

Suzuka Clubman Race Series

Super FJ		FIT1.5 Challenge Cup
1st place	Takashi Sakamoto	1st place	Yusuke Shimizu
2nd place	Yuu Oda	2nd place	KAKEYAN
3rd place	Kanou Yasumasa	3rd place	Yuuta Sugihara
4th	Keito Matsui	4th	Suzuka Circuit
5th	Wataru Taichi	5th	Yasuhiro Takashima
6th	Takumi Matsumoto	[Champion's Comment] There were various things happening during the race, and I made some shifting mistakes, so I was tired from today's race. It took a long time and was tough, but I feel like I finally got it, and I think I'm lucky. I didn't particularly have a consciousness of being the series champion, but I felt that if I keep doing my best every time, eventually... it would come.
[Champion's Comment] I am so happy to have become the series champion in the year I first challenged myself in Formula. It has been an incredibly fulfilling season when I look back. Starting with three consecutive wins from the opening race and consistently accumulating points afterward was great. In particular, Race 2 of the "2024 OKAYAMA Challenge Cup" on April 28, where I started from the 6th grid due to the reverse grid rule, gave me confidence as I was able to overtake one car at a time to win. Although I have become a champion, this is just a stepping stone. I want to continue doing what I can to perform even better in the future.
VITA		VITA Gentleman
1st place	Noriyuki Nakazato	1st place	GAMISAN
2nd place	Takahiro Sakano	2nd place	Sō Ōno
3rd place	Chiharu Masumoto	3rd place	Kazurou Kimura
4th	Mitsuyoshi Nishio	[Champion's Comment] I am very happy to have won the 2024 VITA Gentleman Class Championship. I had a break of about 10 years from racing since 2023, and I thought it was quite a challenging category to choose. Everyone was incredibly fast, and I couldn't keep up at all, but thanks to the TMR team providing a wonderful machine, I finished 6th in the 2023 series. In 2024, I first switched to the Gentleman Class, which has many competitors of the same age group, and I worked hard aiming for the championship. I had some luck along the way, but I am very satisfied to have fulfilled my goal of becoming the champion! I want to strive for even greater heights in 2025.
5th	Ryoto Nakajima
6th	Nagayasu Miyake
[Champion's Comment] I am happy to have become a champion for the fourth time. The start of today's race was not good, and I was passed for a while, but I was able to overtake again and somehow moved up to second place, finishing the race that way. It was a perfect race today. I became aware of being a champion when the safety car run ended, and as I entered the last two laps, I thought, 'Just two more laps!'
v.Granz		Formula Enjoy Series Award
1st place	OOKA	1st place	Ichiro Nakajima
2nd place	Masatoshi Seki	2nd place	Katsutoshi Hijiri
3rd place	Masayoshi Oyama	3rd place	Kimitaka Maeda
4th	Kenshi Kaneku	4th	Eito Yoshida
5th	Kazuki Yoshimura	5th	Yasuhiro Yasuda
[Champion's Comment] Today, I failed at the start and dropped to about 8th place for a while. (My rival) Seki is always stable, so I thought the podium and the series championship were out of reach. By chance, Seki had an accident, and it felt like a stroke of luck. I haven't won a single race this season, and everyone is fast, so I believe I earned this championship by continuing to participate. It's not something you can just aim for and achieve, so I want to simply enjoy the afterglow of winning. Next year, I want to win and aim for the championship again.		6th	Kenji Murase
		[Champion's Comment] Thank you, that's all I can say. It's not about skill. This season, I have consistently been at the top and have been able to stand on the podium quite a bit. Actually, after overhauling the engine, it stopped working, and I crashed during practice just before the Final Round, which led to replacing the monocoque and other frame components, so the car's setup was not in a good state. Therefore, today's race was more about trying to improve my position rather than just defending; I did my best to push and make the most of it.
Formula Enjoy Meister's Cup Award
1st place	Kamezou
2nd place	Nobuhiko Tanaka
3rd place	Taya Teiichi
[Champion's Comment] Today, I crashed in the race and the champion was decided, and I feel very sorry for everyone. This season, I won every race I participated in, and it was a really good season. I didn't particularly focus on the timing of becoming a champion. Since I am 71 years old this year, I always enjoy participating in the races.

Suzuka Clubman Race Series Point Ranking

Kart Race in SUZUKA Series

FS-125/X30		Senior MAX
1st place	Ryutaro Sakai	1st place	Quinten Lu
2nd place	Matsui Kaito	2nd place	Junya Kaneko
3rd place	Yoshiyasu Kajio	3rd place	Shosei Kadota
[Champion's Comment] This is my second time becoming the series champion at Suzuka since the Cadet Open. However, I can't fully celebrate because this Final Round ended in disqualification. Still, I believe the results throughout the season were good. I plan to challenge the Suzuka Championship again next season. I know that I still lack driving skills. In every race, I want to fill in the gaps and grow as a driver, even just a little.		[Champion's Comment] In the 2024 season, I felt that many races continued where I had to drive under pressure, even among the seasons I have driven at SUZUKA CIRCUIT. I am very happy to have become a representative of Japan in the senior category and to have become the series champion in the Suzuka Championship. I am filled with gratitude for Eikou-san, Mr. Ogawa from Exgel, Mr. Higashino, and all the sponsors and fans who have supported me. As the season comes to an end, I want to say, 'Thank you very much.'
Junior MAX		ROK-SHIFTER
1st place	Ryusei Sawada	1st place	Izumi Shichisei
2nd place	Tetsuka Taiga	2nd place	Takashi Higashitaku
3rd place	Sakano Taigen	3rd place	TOMITA Seira
[Champion's Comment] Looking back on this season, I am glad that I was able to battle well with others. In Round 2 on April 28, I was able to secure 1st place in the time trial, qualifying, and the final race, making it a particularly memorable race. Winning the championship in the 2024 Junior series gives me confidence, and I personally love and excel at Suzuka Circuit. I am very happy to have won there. I want to continue to work hard as I step up in the next season.		[Champion's Comment] I entered the final round's final heat tied on points with Takushi Higashi, and I was nervous as I approached the race. I am very happy to have won the final round and become the series champion. This season, at the race in August (Round 5 - ROK SHIFTER CUP), I finished 1st in the time trial, qualifying, and final, which allowed me to represent Japan in Italy, and that was a significant experience. In 2025, I will be a student preparing for exams (senior year), so I plan to balance my studies while also working on my karting.
ROK-SHIFTER Masters		MAX Masters
1st place	Takayuki Okamoto	1st place	Kazuma Kimura
2nd place	Kobayashi Hiromichi	2nd place	Tetsuya Izushi
3rd place	Shoji Sato	3rd place	Manabu Yamazaki
[Champion's Comment] Last season, I could only participate in two races due to an injury from soccer. I worked hard to make up for that, and this season, I was able to reclaim the Masters class championship for the first time in three years. Next year, I aim to achieve a victory in the overall standings, but it looks like it will be a fierce competition as a Master, so I am very excited.		[Champion's Comment] I stepped away from karting for a while, but this was my third season since returning. When I came back, I set a goal of achieving at least one victory in the Suzuka Championship. I was especially happy to finally achieve that victory in the opening round on April 28 this year (Round 2 of the series). Winning today's Final Round (Round 6 of the series) and securing the series championship has also given me confidence for the future. I want to express my gratitude for the support and understanding from my family and those around me, and I hope to enjoy a long karting life. Thank you very much.
SUPER SS		AVANTI
1st place	Hironori Saka	1st place	Masago Ogawa
2nd place	Ishikawa Kyosuke	2nd place	Okabe Masami
3rd place	Haruki Ueda	3rd place	Makoto Okumura
[Champion's Comment] I am relieved to have become the series champion for two consecutive years. In the Final Round, I had to compete against Kyoji Ishikawa, who was ranked 2nd in points, and his determination was incredible. Ultimately, I was able to win the Final Round, but I was also helped by the accidents of other drivers. Since Ishikawa had to win to maintain his 2nd place ranking, I think that made it a little easier for me to race. I will continue to participate in karting at the same pace as before in the upcoming season.		[Champion's Comment] My challenge has been that I often finished races without scoring any points. This year, before the Final Round in September (Round 6 of the series), I became the series champion in the Avanti class for the first time since 2020. I was able to steadily earn points, and I believe this has been my best season in the Suzuka Championship so far. In particular, the race in June (Round 4 of the series) started from pole position, but I dropped to around 6th place. Even so, I was able to win in the end. That race became a source of renewed confidence for me.
YAMAHA SS		Cadet Open
1st place	Takagi Hyonosuke	1st place	Shimazu Mao
2nd place	Hisashi Tomi	2nd place	Shinbashi Takeshi
3rd place	Hiroshi Takamura	3rd place	Kazuhito Iida
[Champion's Comment] I am happy to have won the series championship, but I also feel regret about finishing in 2nd place in the Final Round. The most impressive moment was the race in September (Round 6 of the series). I started from 10th on the grid in the final, but despite the rain, winning that race gave me a lot of confidence. I plan to challenge myself in the All-Japan series next season. I want to steadily take on what I can do to improve my skills towards my goal of becoming an F1 driver.		[Champion's Comment] I had two victories in the first half of this season, but I couldn't win in the latter half and entered the Final Round in second place in the points ranking. I knew that I couldn't become the champion without winning, so I approached the Final Round with a strong mindset. As a result, I was able to build the race at a good pace and achieve victory. I'm also happy that I could secure the title by winning the Final Round. Next season, I will step up from Cadet Open and compete in the Suzuka Championship. I want to become a driver with speed that overwhelms others.

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, VITA (Overall, Gentleman), FIT 1.5 Challenge Cup, v.Granz
・Super FJ and VITA (Overall and Gentleman) require participation in 4 or more races
・The FIT 1.5 Challenge Cup and v.Granz require participation in three or more races.
・VITA Gentlemen are eligible up to 3rd place.