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Suzuka cancelled as 8 Hours of Most replaces Oschersleben

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2021  Suzuka 8 Hours cancelled

The Suzuka 8 Hours has been officially cancelled, with the season now wrapping up with the 8 Hours of Most on October 9 in the Czech Republic, which replaces the 8 Hours of Oschersleben originally scheduled for earlier this year.

Scheduled to take place on 7 November in Japan, the Suzuka 8 Hours has been cancelled because of the health crisis worsening in Japan over the past few weeks.

FIM EWC Suzuka Hour Red Bull Honda
The Suzuka 8 Hour has been axed from the 2021 calendar

The 8 Hours of Most – the final of the 2021 FIM EWC and the FIM Endurance World Cup – will take place in the Czech Republic on Saturday 9 October as part of a car and motorcycle double-header with a WTCR race.

Following consultation with local authorities, the Suzuka 8 Hours organizer Mobilityland, the FIM (International Motorcycling Federation) and Eurosport Events, the FIM EWC promoter, have decided to cancel the Suzuka 8 Hours. The race will be back in July 2022.

The new European race at Most replaces the race at Oschersleben, initially scheduled to take place in May 2021.

After the Bol d’Or to be held on 18 and 19 September at Le Castellet, the maiden edition of the 8 Hours of Most on 9 October will be the 2021 final of the FIM Endurance World Championship and the FIM Endurance World Cup. The points will be increased by 150 per cent as per the regulations, meaning 45 points are available for the winner of the race in each class.

Jorge Viegas – Président of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme

“Unfortunately, what we feared the most has now happened. An exponential increase in the number of people infected with COVID-19 in Japan after the Olympic Games means that the Japanese Government will now not permit the Suzuka 8 Hours to go ahead as planned, despite the enormous efforts made by Mobilityland and Eurosport Events. On behalf of the FIM I would like to offer a word of optimism for the future, since I am confident that this flagship event will come back stronger than ever. And when it does, we will be there together with the MFJ, Mobilityland and Eurosport Events. In order to maintain the number of events, we will activate plan B with a race at Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic on 9 October. It will be a mixed car and motorcycle event as it was in Slovakia and Malaysia two years ago.”

Most held the WorldSBK Round 6 earlier this year and will host the 8 Hours of Most which will be held Saturday 9 October
Most held the WorldSBK Round 6 earlier this year and will host the 8 Hours of Most which will be held Saturday 9 October

Kaoru Tanaka – President Representative Director of Mobilityland Corporation

“We had been preparing for the “Coca-Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, which was to be held for the first time in two years, but the difficult decision has been made that we have no choice but to cancel it.
It is a very regrettable outcome for us to be forced to cancel the Suzuka 8 Hours for the second consecutive year, because it is a very important race event for everyone. But we will continue to prepare for the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2022 and strive to make it an even more attractive event than ever for the fans and all those concerned.”

François Ribeiro – Head of Eurosport Events

“We are resigned to having to cancel the Suzuka 8 Hours after consultation with local authorities. I share Mobilityland’s disappointment and that of endurance teams, fans, sponsors and broadcasters, who all wanted to have a season finale at Suzuka in early November. We will remain in Europe after the Bol d’Or for an 8-hour race on 9 October on the Most circuit, which has just hosted the WSBK. Eurosport Events will go all out together with the FIM to ensure the race is a success.”

2021 FIM Endurance World Championship Calendar

2021 FIM Endurance World Championship Calendar
2021 FIM Endurance World Championship Calendar

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Strong Aussie line-up for 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours

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2019 FIM Endurance World Championship

Aussies all set for Suzuka 8 Hours

This weekend will see the Suzuka 8 Hours take place in Japan as the 2019 FIM Endurance World Championship grand finale, with seven Australians taking part between the 8 Hours and 4 Hours events.

Suzuka Hour QP Haslam
2018 Suzuka 8 Hour

The Suzuka 8 Hours has run since 1978, with many Aussie racers making their mark over the years, including Tony Hatton, Michael Cole, Kevin Magee, Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner and Daryl Beattie.

The three time Australian Superbike Champion Josh Waters lines up with the MotoMap S.W.A.T team again for the fourth year in a row, with 2019 marking Waters’ ninth year racing at the Suzuka 8 Hours event.

Suzuka Hour Preview
Josh Hook – F.C.C. TSR Honda – Image by PSP/Mateus Mjagielski

The Mildura based rider will team up with former World 250cc/500cc/MotoGP racer, Nobuatsu Aoki for the sixth time, as well as former BSB rider Dan Linfoot, former. For 2019, Waters, Aoki and Linfoot are competing in the Superstock class.

Former World Supersport and Superbike racer Mark Aitchison takes to the grid with the Will-Raise RS-Itoh Kawasaki Racing Team, with the 35-year-old having been competing in the MFJ Superbike All Japan Road Race Championship for the satellite Kawasaki squad.

Suzuka Hour Preview
Mark Aitchison and the Will-Raise RS-Itoh Kawasaki Racing Team

Aitchison tested with the Kawasaki team for the 8 Hours Suzuka Program and his lap times were good enough to get the nod for a start this weekend. Aitchison, who hails from the Gold Coast, and his team have had two tests at Suzuka, which saw most of the European and Japanese teams present, as well as one private test.

Aitchison’s teammates for the Suzuka 8 Hours will be Akira Yanagawa, and Ryosuke Iwato, who currently rides for Kawasaki Japan as part of their factory effort.

Mark Aitchison

“The last official test was a great experience, as basically the whole EWC championship was on hand to the 8 Hours race weekend. Testing went well enough to this point, though in Japan the weather conditions are always challenging. So, it’s a matter of compromise between you and your teammates on setup. It’s Ryosuke first year as factory rider and I understand why they gave him the opportunity. He’s an extremely talented rider and his lap times at the recent test turned some heads from the top Kawasaki bosses. I think he’s got a great future ahead of him. I really love the fans energy and enthusiasm that they bring. On top of that, the event itself brings its own unique platform, which combined with spectator involvement provides such an exciting and enjoyable weekend.”

27-year-old Aaron Morris reunites with the Paris based R2CL team, in what was a last-minute call up by the team on Saturday. Morris, who is competing in the Australian Superbike Championship with the Maxima BMW team, competed with the R2CL outfit throughout the 2016 EWC championship. 2016 saw Morris and his team finishing fourth at their Le Mans debut, twelfth at Suzuka and ninth in the teams FIM EWC Championship standing.

ASBK TBG Round Morgan Park Morris Hepburn TBG
Aaron Morris – Image by TBG

Morris will certainly be up against it this weekend, with no testing and riding for the first time with his teammates, Yoshihiro Konno and Josh Elliott, while coming to terms with the Suzuki GSX-R1000R on a track which he’s admitted to be his favourite.

Aaron Morris

“I’d love to improve on my best placed finish of twelfth we scored in 2016. We didn’t have a base set up, so we starting again and with three riders it’s hard to have a direction which everyone is happy with.”

2019 marks the first time in Paul Byrne’s career that he will race at Suzuka, joining TEAM SUGAI Racing Japan for the 4 Hours event. Kazu Kuroda from K1 Racing contacted the Irishman and now Australian citizen, a few weeks ago to see if he interested in racing on the team’s Honda CBR600RR. Byrne, 34, previously worked with Kuroda back in 2016, when he was his mechanic racing the International Island Classic and the International Festival of Speed on the DMR Harris XR69.

Suzuka Hour Preview
Paul Byrne joins TEAM SUGAI Racing Japan

Byrne has had to learn the 18-corner circuit, as well as get his head around riding the Aprilia RSV4 machine, a bike he hadn’t ridden before, taking part in the official three-day test.

Paul Byrne

“I mentioned to Kazu that I had an interest in doing some endurance racing in Japan and finally its all come together for the first time, which I’m really grateful for. The first day was about just learning and trying to get as many laps done as possible plus. I really enjoyed the challenge. The second day I was a lot more relaxed and I started to push a bit harder and my lap times came down. But the main objective of the test was for me to help my teammate, Sugai Yoshiyuki with feedback. On top of that I just wanted to get some laps on track to learn it ahead of this weekend.”

Other Aussies to keep an eye out for over the weekend are full-season FIM Endurance World Championship competitors Broc Parkes (YART – Yamaha) and reigning Champ, Josh Hook (F.C.C. TSR Honda France). Also contesting is current Australian Superbike Champion Troy Herfoss (KYB Moriwaki Racing Team).

Suzuka Hour Preview
Broc Parkes (YART – Yamaha) – Image by PSP/Mateus Mjagielski

Hook and the F.C.C. TSR Honda France team are currently sitting third in the Championship; with a strong fourth-fastest finish at the Official Test and topping the times at yesterday’s practice as the quickest of the full-season FIM EWC Team.

YART’s lucky number seems to be five. Currently sitting fifth in the standings and posting the fifth-fastest time at yesterday’s practice, Parkes and his teammates all were quick and consistent.

2019 Endurance World Championship Standings

Pos Team / Equipe Total
1 Team Src Kawasaki France 132
2 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team 127
3 F.C.C. Tsr Honda France 109
4 Wepol Racing 101
5 Yart – Yamaha 88
6 Honda Endurance Racing 79
7 Bolliger Team Switzerland 73
8 Vrd Igol Pierret Experiences 53
9 Moto Ain 45
10 Gert56 By Gs Yuasa 45
11 Bmrt 3d Maccio Racing 39
12 Fany Gastro Bmw Motorrad- By Mercury Racing 38
13 Webike Tati Team Trickstar 36
14 Team 33 Coyote  Louit Moto 32
15 Junior Team Lms Suzuki 30
16 Wójcik Racing Team 2 28
17 No Limits Motor Team 28
18 3art- Moto Team 95 27
19 National Motos 25
20 Motors Events 24
21 Motobox Kremer Racing #65 24
22 Wójcik Racing Team 23
23 Team Erc-Bmw Motorrad Endurance 14
24 Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers 12
25 Team Lrp Poland 12
26 Maco Racing Team 12
27 Jma Motos Action Bike 8
28 Og Motorsport By Sarazin 7
29 Zuff Racing Team 6
30 Am Moto Racing Competition 5
31 Mototech Ewc Team 4
32 Pitlane Endurance 3
33 Gsm Racing 2
34 Slider Endurance 1
35 Falcon Racing Rennes Motos 1
36 Set Racing 1

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

2019-2020 FIM EWC Endurance World Championship Calendar

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2019-2020 FIM EWC CALENDAR

The 2019-2020 FIM EWC season will get underway with the Bol d’Or on 21 September on France’s Le Castellet circuit.

The second round of the championship is a new winter race in South-east Asia, initiated as part of a calendar reform by championship promoter Eurosport Events.

FIM EWC LeMans Hour VRD Igol Pierret
2019 Le Mans 24 Hours – Team VRD Igol Pierret Experiences

The inaugural edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang, which results from a strong collaboration between FIM, Eurosport Events, Sepang International Circuit and Mobilityland, will be a qualifying round for the 2020 Suzuka 8 Hours. Its innovative format lays the foundation for the first-ever double-header event in Asian motorsport, with two major car and motorcycle races taking place over a single weekend: the 8 Hours of Sepang on Saturday 14 December 2019 and the season finale of the FIA WTCR/OSCARO on Sunday 15 December.

FIM EWC LeMans Hour Start
2019 Le Mans 24 Hours

The 43rd edition of the 24 Heures Motos, traditionally held at Le Mans in mid-April, and the 8 Hours of Oschersleben on the first weekend of June will take place mid-way through the FIM EWC calendar.

FIM EWC LeMans Hour YART Trio
FIM Endurance World Championship – Le Mans 24 Hour 2019

The Suzuka 8 Hours round, the grand finale of the FIM Endurance World Championship, will be brought forward to mid-July, on a one-off basis, for the first time in its history.

GMT94 Yamaha - 8H of Oschersleben
GMT94 Yamaha – 8H of Oschersleben

“The Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race has a long 42-year history,” explains Kaoru Tanaka, the new President of Mobilityland. “It has recently been established as the final round of the FIM Endurance World Championship, and is traditionally held on the last Sunday of July. For 2020, we decided to bring the event forward so it precedes the fanfare of the Tokyo Olympic Games. Now scheduled for July 19th, the Suzuka 8 Hours race will have the eyes of the world on Japan ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Come join us for a sizzling season final in July 2020.”

Josh Hook and F.C.C. TSR Honda win 8H of Oschersleben
Josh Hook (centre) and F.C.C. TSR Honda after winning the 2018 8H of Oschersleben
Provisional 2019-2020 FIM EWC calendar
  • 21/22 September 2019 – Bol d’Or (24h-race) / Le Castellet – France
  • 14 December 2019 * – 8 Hours of Sepang / Malaysia
  • 18/19 April 2020 – 24 Heures Motos / Le Mans – France
  • 6 June 2020 * – 8 Hours of Oschersleben / Germany
  • 19 July 2020 – Suzuka 8 Hours / Japan

* Race held on the Saturday

Source: MCNews.com.au

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2019 Suzuka 8 Hour Entry List

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No. Team Rider BLUE Rider YELLOW Rider RED Machine Tire 1 F.C.C. TSR Honda France JPN Josha HOOK AUS Freddy FORAY FRA Mike Di MEGLIO FRA Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2018 BS 2 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team FRA Vincent PHILIPPE FRA Etienne MASSON FRA Gregg BLACK FRA SUZUKI GSX-R1000 2019 DL 3 KRP SANYOKOGYO&will raiseRS-ITOH JPN Akira YANAGAWA JPN Mark AITCHISON AUS Ryosuke IWATO JPN Kawasaki ZX-10RR 2018 BS 4 EVA・RT WEBIKE TATi TEAM TRICKSTAR FRA Julien ENJOLRAS FRA Kevin DENIS FRA Osamu DEGUCHI JPN Kawasaki ZX-10R 2019 DL 6 Team ERC-BMW Motorrad Endurance GER Kenny FORAY FRA Julien Da COSTA FRA Mathieu GINES FRA BMW S1000RR 2018 PI 7 YART-YAMAHA AUT Broc PARKES AUS Marvin FRITZ GER Niccolo CANEPA ITA YAMAHA YZF-R1 2019 BS 8 TEAM BOLLIGER SWITZERLAND SUI Roman STAMM SUI Sebastien SUCHET SUI Nigel WALRAVEN NED Kawasaki ZX-10R 2019 PI 9 MotoMap SWAT JPN Nobuatsu AOKI JPN Josh WATERS AUS Dan LINFOOT GBR SUZUKI GSX-R1000 TBA PI 11 TEAM SRC KAWASAKI France FRA Jeremy GUARNONI FRA Erwan NIGON FRA David CHECA ESP Kawasaki ZX-10RR 2019 PI 12 YOSHIMURA SUZUKI MOTUL RACING JPN Yukio KAGAYAMA JPN Kazuki WATANABE JPN Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA SUZUKI GSX-R1000 2019 BS 13 WEPOL RACING GER TBA TBA TBA TBA YAMAHA YZF-R1 TBA PI 14 MACO RACING SVK TBA TBA TBA TBA YAMAHA YZF-R1 TBA DL 17 Mobius Green YaoKawasaki JPN Syo NAKAMOTO JPN Gun NAKAMOTO JPN Kawasaki ZX-10RR 2018 PI 18 Team BABY FACE Titanium Power Racing JPN Kazuma TSUDA JPN Takuya FUJITA JPN YAMAHA YZF-R1 2019 BS 19 KYB MORIWAKI RACING JPN Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Tomoyoshi KOYAMA JPN Troy Herfoss AUS Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2017 PI 21 YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEAM JPN Katsuyuki NAKASUGA JPN Alex LOWES GBR Michael van der MARK NED YAMAHA YZF-R1 2019 BS 22 Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA JPN Md. Zaqhwan ZAIDI MAS Andi Farid IZDIHAR INA Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2017 BS 22 Team Kodama JPN Yuta KODAMA JPN Kazuki TOKUDOME JPN Yousuke NAKAYAMA JPN YAMAHA YZF-R1 2016 BS 25 Honda Suzuka Racing Team JPN Yudai KAMEI JPN Daijiro HIURA JPN Jun TADOKORO JPN Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2019 BS 26 ARMY&GIRL Team TJC & MF Kawasaki JPN Kyosuke OKUDA JPN Kazuki ITO JPN Hidemi ASHINA JPN Kawasaki ZX-10RR 2018 BS 27 Team WITH87 KawasakiPLAZA FUKUOKAHIGASHI JPN Naoki KIYOSUE JPN Osamu NISHIJIMA JPN Shohei KARITA JPN Kawasaki TBA TBA TBA 31 Hamamatsu Team TITAN JPN Kazuma　TAKEDA JPN Takahiro KAMBAYASHI JPN Kenshiro WADA JPN SUZUKI GSX-R1000 2017 DL 33 Red Bull Honda JPN Takumi TAKAHASHI JPN Ryuichi KIYONARI JPN Stefan BRADL GER Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2018 BS 34 Honda Ryokuyoukai Kumamoto Racing JPN Makoto KITAORI JPN Mitsuhiro YOSHIDA JPN Kazuhiro KOJIMA JPN Honda CBR1000RR 2018 DL 35 PLUS ONE MCRT JPN TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA 36 3ART-MOTO TEAM 95 FRA TBA TBA TBA TBA YAMAHA YZF-R1 TBA PI 92 H.L.O RACING SUZUKIN JPN Kota HIGUCHI JPN Tsubasa INUKI JPN SUZUKI GSX-R1000R 2017 BS 95 S-PULSE DREAM RACING・IAI JPN Hideyuki OGATA JPN Tommy BRIDEWELL GBR SUZUKI GSX-R1000 2019 BS 96 TEAM FRONTIER JPN Alan TECHER FRA Nicolas TEROL ESP Honda CBR1000RR 2016 DL 40 K’S WORKS JPN Masaki ADACHI JPN TBA TBA YAMAHA YZF-R1 2016 BS 41 IWATA RACING FAMILY JPN Kazuyuki NISHIMURA JPN Takeshi MIYAKOSHI JPN Tatsuhiko SATO JPN YAMAHA YZF-R1 2019 DL 42 Shinshu activation project TeamNAGANO JPN Shigenori 　SAKURAYAMA JPN Shinji NIKAIDO JPN Hiromu OHKITA JPN Honda CBR1000RR 2014 BS 44 Team ATJ JPN Taro SEKIGUCHI JPN Satoru IWATA JPN Takuma KUNIMINE JPN Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2017 BS 45 E・P・S Racing GarageL8 ＆ TT45 JPN Hiroshi UCHIYAMA JPN Akira SUZUKI JPN Toshitane SOMA　 JPN YAMAHA YZF-R1 2019 DL 51 icu RT NAC　MOTOKIDS sanyo JPN TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA 52 TERAMOTO@J-TRIP Racing JPN Koji TERAMOTO JPN TBA TBA BMW S1000RR 2018 DL 55 Honda Hamayuukai Hamamatsu Escargot JPN Genki NAKAJIMA JPN Shudai HASEGAWA JPN Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2017 DL 61 MOTOTECH EWC TEAM BEL TBA TBA TBA TBA YAMAHA YZF-R1 TBA DL 62 GSM RACING MON Vladimir LEONOV RUS Bjoirn ESTMENT ITA Brandon CRETU USA SUZUKI GSX-R1000 2018 TBA 65 MOTOBOX KREMER RACING GER Geoffroy DEHAYE FRA Jan VIEHMANN GER Greg ORTIZ FRA YAMAHA YZF-R1 2015 PI 68 YSS Racing team JPN Yoshinori YAMAUCHI JPN TBA TBA Kawasaki ZX-10R 2016 BS 69 Yamashina Kawasaki & AutoraceUBE withYIC-BR JPN Masahiro SHINJO JPN Syuichiro NAKAMURA JPN Masayuki MATSUMOTO JPN Kawasaki ZX-10R 2019 DL 70 Honda Koyokai DREAM Racing Team JPN Yusuke OKAZAKI JPN Shinnosuke SAKAKIBARA JPN Hiroshi NAKAMURA JPN Honda CBR1000RR 2017 BS 71 TK SUZUKI BLUE MAX JPN Takuya TSUDA JPN Naomichi URAMOTO JPN SUZUKI GSX-R1000 2018 DL 72 Honda Dream RT SAKURAI HONDA JPN Sodo HAMAHARA JPN Shinichi ITO JPN Kosuke SAUMOTO JPN Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2017 BS 74 AKENO SPEED･YAMAHA JPN Soichiro MINAMIMOTO JPN Makoto INAGAKI JPN Ahmad YUDHISTIRA INA YAMAHA YZF-R1 2019 BS 76 NIPPON SUMATRA BIO MASSE+D;REX JPN Hiroshi TOYODA JPN Yoshitaka IKEDA JPN Yoshimasa SHIBATA JPN YAMAHA YZF-R1 2019 BS 77 WOJCIK RACING TEAM POL Marek SZKOPEK POL Gino REA GBR Christoffer BERGMAN SUI YAMAHA YZF-R1 2018 DL 78 Honda Blue Helmets MSC Kumamoto & Asaka JPN Kensuke MORI JPN Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Hiromasa OKADA JPN Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2017 DL 80 SYNCEDGE 4413 Racing JPN Tomoya HOSHINO JPN Cocoro ATSUMI JPN Takeshi ISHIZUKA JPN BMW S1000RR 2017 PI 82 BANNER RACING JPN Tomohiro KANEDA JPN Shin TSUTSUI JPN DUCATI TBA TBA PI 87 TEAM R2CL SUN CHLORELLA FRA Dylan BUISSON FRA TBA TBA Clinton SELLER RSA SUZUKI GSX-R1000 2019 DL 91 TIO Verity JPN Akihiro IGARASHI JPN Shinya MIYAJIMA JPN Toshihiko TSUJI JPN BMW S1000RR 2017 BS 98 TEAM HANSHIN RIDING SCHOOL JPN Katsuto SANO JPN Ryusei MATSUMOTO JPN Isami HIGASHIMURA JPN Kawasaki ZX-10RR 2017 BS 99 RCKOSHIEN YAMAHA Endurance ASEAN JPN Shinichi NAKATOMI JPN Ratthapong WILAIROT THA Apiwath WONGTHANANON THA YAMAHA YZF-R1 2019 DL 90 au･Teluru MotoUP RT JPN Kosuke AKIYOSHI JPN Tetsuta NAGASHIMA JPN Taiga HADA JPN Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2018 BS 111 Honda Endurance Racing GBR Randy DE PUNIET FRA Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Sebastien GIMBERT FRA Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2018 DL 112 Honda EG Racing JPN Kazuya SHIMODA JPN Tsuyoshi KURIBAYASHI JPN Keiichi HONDA JPN Honda CBR1000RR 2017 DL 135 Team Tras JPN TBA TBA TBA TBA BMW S1000RR TBA TBA 333 VRD IGOL PIERRET EXPERIENCES FRA TBA TBA TBA TBA YAMAHA YZF-R1 TBA DL 502 Zaif NCXX RACING　 JPN Toshiki KUNIMATSU JPN Tadayuki YOSHIDA JPN Kenji NAGAO JPN YAMAHA YZF-R1 2017 BS 634 MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO.Honda JPN Ryo MIZUNO JPN Xavi FORES ESP Honda CBR1000RR SP2 2017 BS 806 Zaif NCXX RACING & ZENKOUKAI JPN Kengo NAGAO JPN Stefan HILL GBR YAMAHA YZF-R1 2019 BS TBA Team de”LIGHT JPN Takaya OKUDA JPN Shigeo MORI JPN Homare KATAOKA JPN DUCATI TBA TBA PI TBA Kawasaki Racing Team JPN Jonathan REA GBR Leon HASLAM GBR Toprak RAZGATLIOGLU TUR Kawasaki ZX-10RR 2019 BS TBA TEAM SUGAI RACING JAPAN JPN Yoshiyuki SUGAI JPN Daniele VEGHINI ITA aprilia RSV4 RF 2018 BS TBA 8810R JPN Hayato TAKADA JPN TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA moto CUBIC＋Motorrad Toyota JPN TBA TBA TBA TBA BMW S1000RR TBA TBA TBA TransMapRacing with ACE CAFE JPN TBA TBA TBA TBA SUZUKI GSX-R1000 TBA TBA

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Next stop on EWC calendar Japan | Suzuka 8 Hours

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Endurance World Championship 2019

Suzuka 8 Hours Preview

The Suzuka 8 Hours is just over a month away and the 2019 race is shaping up to be a memorable one, with the Japanese factory teams entering the race with one clear objective: taking the win to dash Yamaha Factory Racing Team’s (YART’s) hopes of a fifth consecutive victory.

Suzuka Hour Honda Start
Suzuka 8 Hour 2018

The 42nd edition of the Suzuka 8 Hours is also the FIM EWC season finale. Team SRC Kawasaki France, Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and reigning champions F.C.C. TSR Honda France are the contenders for the title.

Unbeaten at the Suzuka 8 Hours since 2015, Yamaha Factory Racing Team are once again fielding their 2017 and 2018 winning line-up. Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark will be riding a Yamaha Tech 21 Shiseido in the historic colours of the first-ever factory machine to be entered by Yamaha in 1985 as they target a fifth straight win. The other Japanese manufacturers are hoping to scupper Yamaha Factory’s plans.

FIM EWC LeMans Hour YART
YART Yamaha

Kawasaki are returning to Suzuka with a KRT factory team. After finishing on the podium for the last three years as Kawasaki Team Green, this year Kawasaki Racing Team are targeting the win with riders Jonathan Rea, Leon Haslam and Toprak Razgatlioglu. The three riders are among the FIM Superbike World Championship’s Top 7. Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam finished 3rd at Suzuka last year with Kawasaki Team Green.

As to Suzuki, Yoshimura have announced a line-up of seasoned riders. Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli, Suzuki’s MotoGP test rider, will be in the saddle partnering two Japanese riders, Kasuki Watanabe and veteran Yukio Kagayama, who is making a comeback in the Yoshimura colours. He finished second at Suzuka in 2011 before entering his own Team Kagayama, who monopolised the third step of the podium from 2013 to 2015.

H Oschersleben FCC TSR Honda France
F.C.C. TSR Honda France

The Honda colours will predominate at Suzuka. Having returned to the Suzuka race last year, Honda HRC have lined up Takumi Takahashi, the current leader in the JSB1000 Japanese Superbike and three-time winner of the Suzuka 8 Hours, alongside Ryuichi Kiyonari, the FIM Superbike World Championship rider with four Suzuka wins to his credit, and HRC’s MotoGP test rider Stefan Bradl all partnering to ride the Red Bull Honda #33.

The Honda fleet also includes Musashi RT Harc-Pro Honda, au Teluru RT, KYB Moriwaki Racing, Honda Asia Dream and Honda Dream RT Sakurai, not to mention F.C.C. TSR Honda France, who are still in with a chance of winning the 2018-2019 FIM EWC title, and Honda Endurance Racing, who will be seeking retaliation after being forced to withdraw at Oschersleben.

FIM EWC LeMans Hour SRC Kawasaki Pit
Team SRC Kawasaki France

In the run-up to the Grand Finale, Team SRC Kawasaki France lead the standings with 132 points ahead of Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, with 127 points, and F.C.C. TSR Honda France, with 109.

Their goal is to take on the top Japanese teams on their home ground and seize the opportunity offered by the season finale to score 150% of the regular points in order to claim the world title with 45 points are awarded to the winner of the Suzuka 8 Hours.

The 42nd edition of the Suzuka 8 Hours will be held in Japan on Sunday 28 July.

2019 Endurance World Championship Standings

Pos Team / Equipe Total
1 Team Src Kawasaki France 132
2 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team 127
3 F.C.C. Tsr Honda France 109
4 Wepol Racing 101
5 Yart – Yamaha 88
6 Honda Endurance Racing 79
7 Bolliger Team Switzerland 73
8 Vrd Igol Pierret Experiences 53
9 Moto Ain 45
10 Gert56 By Gs Yuasa 45
11 Bmrt 3d Maccio Racing 39
12 Fany Gastro Bmw Motorrad- By Mercury Racing 38
13 Webike Tati Team Trickstar 36
14 Team 33 Coyote  Louit Moto 32
15 Junior Team Lms Suzuki 30
16 Wójcik Racing Team 2 28
17 No Limits Motor Team 28
18 3art- Moto Team 95 27
19 National Motos 25
20 Motors Events 24
21 Motobox Kremer Racing #65 24
22 Wójcik Racing Team 23
23 Team Erc-Bmw Motorrad Endurance 14
24 Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers 12
25 Team Lrp Poland 12
26 Maco Racing Team 12
27 Jma Motos Action Bike 8
28 Og Motorsport By Sarazin 7
29 Zuff Racing Team 6
30 Am Moto Racing Competition 5
31 Mototech Ewc Team 4
32 Pitlane Endurance 3
33 Gsm Racing 2
34 Slider Endurance 1
35 Falcon Racing Rennes Motos 1
36 Set Racing 1

Source: MCNews.com.au