Round three of the 2012 FIM Endurance World Championship, the 35th Suzuka 8 Hours, will take place in Japan on 29 July. Year after year, this spectacular classic in the World Endurance calendar draws the best local teams, backed by the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers.
Winners of the event in 2011, FCC TSR Honda are fielding 2010 and 2011 Japanese Superbike Champion Kosuke Akiyoshi, and Jonathan Rea, currently in third place in the FIM Superbike World Championship. Their most dangerous rival should be the Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team. Runners up last year, Yoshimura Suzuki have kept part of their 2011 crew with Nobuastu Aoki and Australian champion Josh Waters. British rider Leon Camier will be Yoshimura’s third man for the race on 29 July. Honda Musashi RT Harc Pro are also contenders for the top spot with Takumi Takahashi and Ryuichi Kiyonari, both winners in 2010. They will be joined by Hiroshi Aoyama, GP250 World Champion and currently riding in the FIM Superbike World Championship.
Several permanent teams are gearing up to take on the ranks of Japan’s top riders. Monster Energy Yamaha YART are fielding an unusual and impressive trio with Katsuyuki Nakasuga, 2008 and 2009 Japanese Superbike champion and leader of this year’s provisional rankings, Noriyuki Haga, and his British Superbike team-mate Tommy Hill, 2011 BSB champion and currently top of the 2012 leader board.
Other top permanent teams will be represented by more classic crews. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team are sticking with the crew that rode in the 8 Hours of Doha, Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Yukio Kagayama, who is generally to be found aboard the Yoshimura Suzuki defending his first place in the 2012 provisional world rankings. Winners at Doha and fourth at Suzuka last year, BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent are also fielding their usual crew, Sébastien Gimbert, Erwan Nigon and Damian Cudlin, as are Yamaha France GMT 94 Michelin Yamalube, seventh at Suzuka in 2011, with David Checa, Matthieu Lagrive and Kenny Foray.
Four other permanent teams will be travelling to Japan. Honda TT Legends (Cameron Donald, John McGuinness and Jason O’Halloran) and Bolliger Team Switzerland (Horst Saiger, Roman Stamm and Jérôme Tangre) will be keen to add to their good results so far. Team R2CL (Amaury Baratin, Cédric Tangre and Raphael Chaussé) and Team Flembbo Dijimant Serbia (Andrea Bosio, Franck Cersosimo and Dragoslav Perisic) will also be on the tarmac at Suzuka.
The first free practice sessions will take place at Suzuka on Thursday. The start of the Suzuka 8 Hours will be on Sunday 29 July at 11h30 local time.
Follow the race with “LIVE TIMING” on www.fim-live.com