Hooters Suzuki’s Mike Ciccotto learned June 28 that an action photo of him on his Hooters Suzuki GSX-R750 appears on the official event poster for the Suzuka 8-hours World Endurance race scheduled for August 5 in Suzuka, Japan.

“Steve (DeCamp, Hooters Suzuki team owner) told me last week,” Ciccotto said July 4 in the Laguna Seca paddock. “I haven’t seen it, but Steve says that it also says, ‘American rider Mike Ciccotto’ on the poster. It will be distributed in Japan. I guess there hasn’t ever been an American team in the Suzuka 8-hour.”

(Actually, several American teams have raced in the Suzuka 8-hours over the years, including teams fielded by Yoshimura Suzuki and American Honda as well as Ontario Moto Tech.

Ciccotto and teammate Michael Barnes will ride in the Formula Xtreme open class at Suzuka, on a GSX-R1000.

The sponsor responsible for the Hooters Suzuki Suzuka effort is the team’s exhaust sponsor, Ti Force.

Ciccotto is competing in the Buell Pro Thunder class at Laguna Seca, riding his Hal’s Performance Advantage Buell, but is injured as the result of a crash last Sunday during a Formula USA Unlmited Superbike race at VIR.

“I have a broken right index finger and probably a fracture in my right wrist,” said Ciccotto just before having his hand and wrist taped by Dr. Dave Kieffer, M.D., a fellow Buell Pro Thunder competitor.