The S-Tai Challenge gives amateur drivers a more accessible way into full-fledged racing. To share its appeal, Yuta Tomikawa makes his first appearance in the series. Despite a string of setbacks, he sets his sights on the checkered flag. Watch his journey here on Toyota Times.
Many people dream of entering a race or trying endurance racing at least once. But the cost, preparation, and technical challenges involved can make that first step feel out of reach.
The S-Tai Challenge, a more accessible endurance racing category born from Super Taikyu, was created to help lower those barriers. First held last November at Fuji Speedway, the category becomes full-fledged this season. As part of the Super Taikyu family—Japan’s leading endurance racing series—it aims to open the door to motorsports for a wider range of participants.
Following his Rally Challenge experience, Yuta Tomikawa now takes on circuit endurance racing. For the race at Mobility Resort Motegi, he teams up with Takehiro Ogura, son of Ogura Clutch President Yasuhiro Ogura, a longtime Super Taikyu teammate of Akio Toyoda, better known on the track as Morizo.
Tomikawa gets his first taste of the Mazda Roadster and of sharing the circuit with other cars. During practice, he runs off course, prompting Chairman Toyoda to call him “Spin Tomikawa” with a smile.
But speed is not the only goal. Having raced himself at the Nürburgring, in Super Taikyu, and elsewhere, Chairman Toyoda knows how difficult it is to share a circuit with other cars. He emphasized the importance of driving safely, following the rules, and racing alongside others.
That balance—accessibility without losing the thrill, discipline, and teamwork of real endurance racing—is what defines the S-Tai Challenge.
The team faces one setback after another, but keeps moving forward. Can Tomikawa make it to the finish? This 41-minute video captures what he discovers by taking part himself: the depth of racing, and the joy of chasing the checkered flag with his teammates.