The world's largest custom car event, TOKYO AUTO SALON 2024, took place from Friday, January 12 to Sunday, January 14, 2024.
The event for car lovers, by car lovers, and of car lovers has successfully concluded, but did you know that the Tokyo Auto Salon also features esports?
Following last year's coverage, the SaigaNAK editorial team reported from Tokyo Auto Salon 2024!
We bring you the final battle to decide the 2023 series champion of the e-motorsports tournament, the AUTOBACS JEGT GRAND PRIX.
eモータースポーツの頂点が決まる！「JEGT 2022シリーズ 第3戦」オフライン会場レポート！
The JEGT 2023 Annual Champion Is Decided!
The leaderboard following the results of the AUTOBACS JEGT GRAND PRIX 2023 SERIES Supported by GRAN TURISMO Rounds 1 and 2, which took place on Monday, October 9, and Saturday, November 18, 2023, is as follows:
- 1st: TC CORSE Esports MAZDA (50pt)
- 2nd: Sengoku Gaming (46pt)
- 3rd: TC CORSE SPK e-SPORT Racing with TOYO TIRES (34pt)
- 4th: KOSHIDO RACING (30pt)
- 5th: EVANGELION e-RACING x Weins Toyota Kanagawa (22pt)
- 6th: AUTOBACS (21pt)
- 7th: eM Fukuoka Entate! Ku LEGENDS (16pt)
- 8th: NISSAN x TRUST RACING (8pt)
- 9th: KOSHIDO Jr. RACING (6pt)
- 10th: ZIMA RACERS (4pt)
Since this final round awards 35 points for 1st place, 25 for 2nd, and 20 for 3rd, a major upset remains entirely possible depending on the race results.
The commentators feature the familiar pair, Nobuteru Taniguchi (@NOB_TANIGUCHI) and Kenta Nishizawa (@NiShiKeNgame).
Taniguchi noted, "I want to focus on the high-stakes battle with prize money on the line in an offline setting."
This marks the fourth JEGT tournament.
We at AUTOBACS are celebrating our 50th anniversary since opening our doors this year.
Driven by our desire to inspire a deep love for cars across generations, we have supported Super GT in real-world racing for 26 years, welcoming a total of 10 million customers ranging from grandparents to grandchildren.
In e-motorsports, grandparents and grandchildren can race and enjoy the thrill together.
We look forward to firmly supporting mobility-related events in the future.
Today, with our wishes for continued reconstruction, I hope everyone races as brightly, energetically, and enjoyably as possible.
Good luck, everyone!
(Translated from Japanese)
Teams Deploy Split Tire Strategies at the Start
The final round takes place at Italy's famous track, Monza Circuit.
After the super lap determined the starting grid, ZIMA RACERS claimed pole position.
Teams revealed their contrasting strategies through their initial tire selections.
Pole-sitter ZIMA RACERS planned to block trailing cars while conserving pace on hard tires.
Meanwhile, EVANGELION e-RACING x Weins Toyota Kanagawa, starting from the back after an unexpected mistake in the super lap, aimed for an early comeback on soft tires.
Fierce battles unfolded right from the opening lap, but EVANGELION e-RACING x Weins Toyota Kanagawa capitalized on their soft tires to jump into the lead by lap 5.
Yamanaka Tomoaki's spectacular driving completely redeemed the team's super lap mistake!
Live Driver Changes Steal the Spotlight
In the final round, every driver must complete six laps, and teams are obligated to use soft, medium, and hard tires.
Teams starting on hard tires pitted immediately after lap 6!
Watching driver changes happen live right before your eyes highlights the true thrill of offline tournaments.
Defending champion Sengoku Gaming switched to soft tires on lap 14!
Entering the third stint with low fuel, Hiroshi Okumoto took on the challenge of stretching the soft tires across the final nine laps.
The Final Spurt!
While EVANGELION e-RACING x Weins Toyota Kanagawa led the pack, a direct championship confrontation erupted between top-ranked TC CORSE Esports MAZDA and second-place Sengoku Gaming!
Driving on soft tires, Hiroshi Okumoto blasted past Tatsuhiko Kato on the straightaway, moving Sengoku Gaming into second place!
The crowd hung on every second of the fierce championship battle.
Struggling with tire degradation, TC CORSE Esports MAZDA couldn't hold off the trailing cars and slipped down the standings.
Soon after, the checkered flag waved!
Final Round Results
- 1st: EVANGELION e-RACING x Weins Toyota Kanagawa
- 2nd: Sengoku Gaming
- 3rd: TC CORSE SPK e-SPORT Racing with TOYO TIRES
- 4th: TC CORSE Esports MAZDA
- 5th: ZIMA RACERS
- 6th: NISSAN x TRUST RACING
- 7th: KOSHIDO RACING
- 8th: KOSHIDO Jr. RACING
- 9th: AUTOBACS
- 10th: eM Fukuoka Entate! Ku LEGENDS
Following post-race deliberations and penalties, the final round results settled into place. The overall series rankings are as follows:
- 1st: Sengoku Gaming (71pt)
- 2nd: TC CORSE Esports MAZDA (65pt)
- 3rd: EVANGELION e-RACING x Weins Toyota Kanagawa (57pt)
- 4th: TC CORSE SPK e-SPORT Racing with TOYO TIRES (54pt)
- 5th: KOSHIDO RACING (37pt)
- 6th: AUTOBACS (24pt)
- 7th: NISSAN x TRUST RACING (17pt)
- 8th: eM Fukuoka Entate! Ku LEGENDS (17pt)
- 9th: ZIMA RACERS (16pt)
- 10th: KOSHIDO Jr. RACING (11pt)
With these results, Sengoku Gaming secured back-to-back championships following their 2022 series victory! Congratulations!
3rd Place: EVANGELION e-RACING x Weins Toyota Kanagawa
Saiga NAK- Yamanaka Tomoaki
- Seiya Suzuki
- Takumi Washio
- Kenta Morimoto
- Sota Ohno
2nd Place: TC CORSE Esports MAZDA
Saiga NAK- Yuito Sasaki
- Shunsuke Tsuboi
- Tatsuhiko Kato
- Shotaro Ryu
- Haruto Miyake
- Shintaro Sato
1st Place: Sengoku Gaming
Saiga NAK- Kanata Kawakami
- Hiroshi Okumoto
- Soma Iseri
- Shunsuke Imamura
- Rikuto Kobayashi
Saiga NAKWhile it's a bit disappointing that we couldn't take first place in this final round, I'm thrilled that we secured the first back-to-back championship in the tournament's history.
I want to thank the teammates who fought alongside me.
We'll be back next season aiming for a three-peat, so please continue to support us!
(Translated from Japanese)
Chaos Reigns in the Exhibition Race
Saiga NAKAn action-packed exhibition race took place during the final round's point calculations and deliberations. Real-world racers like Nobuteru Taniguchi (@NOB_TANIGUCHI), Toshiki Oyu (@Oyu_Toshiki0804), and Miki Koyama (@mkhouse001) joined popular influencers and pro gamers, including Sumire Sawa (@sumiresour), Vodka (@VodkaChaso), Noriaki Suzuki (@NORIAKIISGOOD), SPYGEA (@spygea_jp), Dogura (@maneater_dgr), and ta1yo (@ta1yo_tv). Drivers competed in ad-hoc teams assembled during a pre-race helper driver draft.
Saiga NAK
The teams raced on the narrow urban track, Tokyo Expressway - East Route Inward, sparking fierce side-by-side battles even as helper drivers squeezed into the pit lane.
Saiga NAKAfter each team's two helper drivers completed two laps apiece, the team captains took over the wheel.
Even players who excel at fighting games and shooters struggled with the unforgiving physics of racing simulation. From veering off-course to triggering massive multi-car pileups, the chaotic spectacle delivered everything you could want from an exhibition match.
Team Oyu steered clear of the absolute chaos behind them to deliver a flawless performance and claim victory, proving that real-world racing skills translate perfectly to esports.
With that, the annual event, Tokyo Auto Salon e-Sports Experience, has officially concluded.
Expanded to a much larger scale than last year's showcase, the event attracted massive crowds, leaving standing room only at every stage.
Hands-on booths featuring the hit games, Gran Turismo 7 and Street Fighter 6, drew large crowds of parents and children, successfully connecting car enthusiasts with esports fans.
Whether you caught the action live at the venue or missed out on the weekend, you can watch the full archive of the high-octane tournament on the official YouTube channel, "JEGT GP Official"!
