On November 25th, the "2011 JAF Motorsports Award Ceremony" by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) was held in Tokyo. All the automobile competition champions and top place winners of the national championship series gathered at one place on this day to receive awards from JAF for the high merits they achieved in the past season.
In the SUPER GT series as well, this year's champions - starting with Masataka Yanagida and Ronnie Quintarelli (GT500 Class Drivers Champion, No. 46 S Road MOLA GT-R), their team MOLA (GT500 Class Team Champion, No. 46 S Road MOLA GT-R), and Nobuteru Taniguchi and Taku Bamba (GT300 Class Drivers Champion, No. 4 HATSUNEMIKU GOODSMILE BMW), their team GSR&Studie with Team UKYO (GT300 Class Team Champion, No. 4 Hatsune Miku Good Smile BMW) and other winners in the top ranking were present to be awarded with trophies and commendation certificates
The overall event was organized in two parts, with the first part wholly dedicated to the JAF Award Ceremony. From the SUPER GT series, the champions of the two classes and the drivers and team directors of those teams capturing the top 6 places of the 2011 series-ranking of both classes were called to the stage. First, the grand winners Yanagida/ Quintarelli (GT500 class), Taniguchi/Banba (GT300 class) were given the champion trophy shaped in "V" (for Victory) directly from the hands of the JAF President, Mr. Setsuo Tanaka. Following that, the Team Manager of the champion team MOLA(GT500), Mr. Toshiomi Oeki, also Team Manager of GSR&Studie with Team UKYO (GT300), Mr. Itsuo Ohashi were likewise handed these trophies from President Tanaka. Then, to the ranking position 2nd and 3rd place winners, special award-shields were presented and those placing 4th to 6th, commendation certificates in frames.
In addition to the above awards, drivers Benoit Treluyer and Andre Lotterer who not only showed brilliant performances again throughout the season in SUPER GT series, but also who teamed up for entry in the Le Mans 24 Hours race of this year with the JAF License and gloriously won the Le Mans 24 Hours race this year were also handed with prizes and high recognition. Michael Krumm, the twice-winner of SUPER GT title and who won this year's FIA GT1 World Championship with the JAF License was just as well praised for his great achievement and commended a special prize from JAF.
In the second part of the event, the award ceremony by the Organizers and then from the GT Association (GTA), Promoters awards presentation were celebrated in a somewhat more informal, convivial style and for the SUPER GT awards, the GTA Representative Director Mr. Masaaki Bandoh presented the SUPER GT Cup to the drivers and teams of both classes, then for the 2nd and 3rd place winners, the award-shields. As this award-ceremonial segment of the event was indeed a party for everyone attending, during the banquet everybody broke into happy smiles and laughter - some raised their trophies and prizes up high with big cheers and all in all, the place was filled with a very pleasant, lively atmosphere.
GT500 class ranking top winners holding JAF Trophies and Certificates
GT300 class ranking top winners holding JAF Trophies and Certificates
As the 2nd place winners the driver pair of Tanaka and Hiranaka who were to be awarded in the previous ceremony but arrived at a delay due to participating in a race event held on the same day, their awards were presented in this 2nd part of the event from the hands of Representative Director Mr. Bandoh.
Special awards were presented to the three drivers, A. Lotterer (by a representative on his behalf), B. Treluyer (by a representative on his behalf), and to Michael Krumm
Team Manager Mr. Oeki, drivers Yanagida and Quintarelli (the GT500 Champions) holding the SUPER GT trophies given from the GTA
Team Manager Mr. Ohashi holding the SUPER GT Cup up high, with the team's drivers Taniguchi and Bamba (the GT300 Champions) and GTA Representative Director Mr. Bandoh
The lid over the trophy handed to Manager Oeki happened to fall off!?
Driver Yanagida was quick and showed a nice catch!
In the party, the champions of both SUPER GT classes and Kazuki Nakajima, who competed in the series for the first time and showed fantastic performances, joined the talk show
