Whereas MotoGP takes its summer time break, followers of two-wheeled racing can look ahead to the Suzuka 8 Hours this weekend.
Held sometimes in late July or August, the Suzuka 8 Hours carry collectively the most effective of Japanese riders, groups and producers, with a mix of worldwide flavour.
Suzuka 8 Hours format
The Suzuka 8 Hours is a part of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) and the race weekend is structured very otherwise to MotoGP and World Superbike Championship.
Not counting any personal testing, the motion will kick off on Friday with a two-hour observe session between 8:30am-10:30am native time.
Qualifying can be held over two days and is cut up into three totally different components. To grasp how qualifying works, it is very important keep in mind that every rider from a staff is assigned a specific color: blue, yellow and purple.
All three riders from every participate within the first qualifying of their respective colour-denominated session, then repeat the method within the night for the second qualifying.
The typical time from the quickest two riders of every staff is used to find out which 10 bikes progress into the Prime 10 Trial on Saturday.
Distinctive to the Suzuka spherical of the EWC, the Prime 10 Trial is basically a superpole-style shootout.
Groups should nominate two riders for the Prime 10 Trial, with every rider getting an opportunity to go in opposition to the clock and set the most effective time.
The primary rider from every staff takes to the observe in reverse order primarily based on Friday’s qualifying, adopted by the second riders as soon as everybody has set a time.
Nevertheless, solely Friday’s qualifying, solely the quickest particular person lap from both rider counts towards the ultimate grid place, that means a mistake or slower time from one rider doesn’t penalise the staff’s beginning spot.
The race itself takes place on Sunday, with the lights going out at 11:30am native time and the motion concluding below the lights at 7:30pm native time.
Curiously, the Suzuka 8 Hours continues an previous custom, with riders lining up on the proper aspect close to the pit wall earlier than sprinting throughout to the opposite aspect to leap on their bikes and kick begin the race.
Suzuka 8 Hours
© Honda Racing
Schedule (UK time)
Friday 1 August
00h30-02h30: Free Apply
04h00-04h20: First Qualifying (Blue Riders)
04h35-04h55: First Qualifying (Yellow Riders)
05h10-05h30: First Qualifying (Pink Riders)
07h30-07h50: Second Qualifying (Blue Riders)
08h05-08h25: Second Qualifying (Yellow Riders)
08h40-09h00: Second Qualifying (Pink Riders)
10h30-11h50: Evening Free Apply
Saturday 2 August
06h15-07h00: Free Apply
07h30-09h00: Prime 10 Trial
Sunday 3 August
00h30-01h15: Heat-up
03h30: Begin of forty sixth Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race
11h30: End of forty sixth Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race
Riders, groups and producers
The Suzuka 8 Hours dates again to the yr 1978 and stays a significant level of satisfaction for Japanese producers, who pour in depth sources to arrange and check for the occasion.
Up to now, these producers sometimes required their MotoGP riders to participate within the Suzuka 8 Hours, with Valentino Rossi amongst these a part of the race’s corridor of type. However the more and more hectic schedule of MotoGP, coupled with the danger of accidents, means fewer and fewer grand prix riders make the journey to Japan for the enduro.
Nonetheless, this yr’s grid options a number of worldwide names. French GP race winner and defending Suzuka champion Johann Zarco returns with Honda, whereas Pramac ace Jack Miller will headlines Yamaha’s manufacturing unit comeback..
In all, 55 groups will participate within the race, together with 15 full-season contestants from the EWC. Yamaha is returning to Suzuka 8 Hours this yr as a manufacturing unit entrant, whereas Honda, BMW and Suzuki will all have an official presence. Different producers like Kawasaki and Ducati are additionally represented within the race.
Other than Miller and Zarco, a variety of different overseas riders can be acquainted to followers of MotoGP and WSBK, together with Loen Haslam, Karel Hanika, Marvel Fritz, Andrea Locatelli and Jonas Folger.
Current winners of Suzuka 8 Hours
Because the proprietor of the Suzuka circuit, Honda unsurprisingly stands as probably the most profitable producer on the occasion. Final yr, Zarco, Takumi Takahashi and Teppei Nagoe secured a 3rd straight win for Crew HRC and Honda’s thirtieth general victory.
Notable worldwide riders to have triumphed within the twenty first century embody Jonathan Rea, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Haslam, Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark, Pol Espargaro, Carlos Checa, Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards.
Legends like Wayne Rainey (1988), Eddie Lawson (1990), and Mick Doohan (1991) are additionally former Suzuka winners.
2024: Crew HRC with Japan Submit (Teppei Nagoe, Takumi Takahashi, Johann Zarco) 220 laps
2023: Crew HRC with Japan Submit (Tetsuta Nagashima, Takumi Takahashi, Xavi Vierge) 216 laps
2022: Crew HRC (Tetsuta Nagashima, Takumi Takahashi, Iker Lecuona) 214 laps
2019: Kawasaki Racing Crew Suzuka 8H (Jonathan Rea, Leon Haslam, Toprak Razgatlioğlu) 216 laps
2018: Yamaha Manufacturing unit Racing Crew (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark) 199 laps
2017: Yamaha Manufacturing unit Racing Crew (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark) 216 laps
2016: Yamaha Manufacturing unit Racing Crew (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, Pol Espargaró) 218 laps
2015: Yamaha Manufacturing unit Racing Crew (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Bradley Smith, Pol Espargaró) 204 laps
2014: HARC-PRO. (Takumi Takahashi, Michael van der Mark, Leon Haslam) 172 laps
2013: HARC-PRO. (Takumi Takahashi, Michael van der Mark, Leon Haslam) 214 laps
