Suzuka 8 Hours Race July 26 29, 2007 Suzuka Japan. Team HRC go to Suzuka aiming to regain the 8 Hours trophy The 30th running of the Suzuka 8 Hours race takes place on Sunday, July 29 at the 5.821 km classic Japanese circuit that is synonymous the event. Team HRC have entered two formidable rider combinations for the race eager to regain 8 Hours honours following the disappointment of last year. On that occasion the two HRC teams could manage no better than fourth and fifth places in the race after running into niggling problems requiring time consuming unscheduled pit stops. The event is the biggest and most prestigious two-wheel race held in Japan and attracts a huge entry from the leading World Endurance Championship teams, the best Japanese Superbike teams plus several riders campaigning in the major road racing championships who have elected to compete in the gruelling ultra-fast race. Honda tams have recorded unrivalled success in the gruelling high-speed marathon during the 29-years it has been contested taking the winners spoils on no less than 21 occasions. On Sunday Honda teams have every chance of extending the current 10-year winning streak in this edition of the Japanese classic. This year Team HRC have chosen to team experienced former 8 hour race winners and track specialists with fast new comers. Reigning British Superbike Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari, race winner in 2005 teams with current World Superbike Championship leader James Toseland racing with the fabled number 11 that has carried many Honda teams to victory. Former 250cc and 500cc grand prix rider, and two-time 8 hours victor, Tadayuki Okada will race alongside LCR Honda MotoGP rider Spaniard Carlos Checa. Young Irishman Jonathan Rae, Kiyonari’s British Superbike team-mate, will act as reserve rider for both HRC teams. The CBR1000RR machines the teams will race have been extensively tested over recent months and put to the test at the Suzuka 300km race last month. The 300kmrace was held in difficult constantly changeable conditions but the Kiyonari Rae combination emerged victorious giving the CBR1000RR the ideal shake down test for the Suzuka 8 Hours. All Team HRC riders, except Checa, have experience of similar versions of the bike. Okada, HRC RC212V GP test rider, raced a CBR1000RR to fourth place last year at Suzuka, Toseland, Rae and Kiyonari race nothing else but CBR1000RRs. “The bike is very similar to last year, it looks exactly the same.” Said Kiyonari. “Last years machine was very smooth and quite easy to ride. This year’s bike is smooth but has better feeling and more power. There isn’t really a massive change from this year to last year.” Kiyonari’s team-mate James Toseland will make his 8 Hours debut on Sunday but the Englishman is not overawed by the importance of the event nor the competition he faces. He said: “This will be my first time at the 8-Hours of Suzuka I understand the importance of this race to Honda and everyone in Japan. They work all year just for this race, and I don’t have to be told the expectations they have. I have expressed my sentiments that if I am flying around from Europe to Japan and doing testing and set-up with Honda, it is to win. I was happy with the times I did in testing on the single dry day and I have, and I will, put everything into it. I never really thought about doing the 8-Hour in my earlier career, I was never considered for it. So when I was considered for it, and saw a list of riders who had won, it was obviously pretty special.” Double race winner Okada has vast experience of the race and the circuit while racing 250 and 500cc machines at the track. He raced at the last Suzuka 300km event but collided with an errant back marker and crashed out of second place. “I am very happy being selected for a regular team rider.” Said veteran Okada. However, as a regular rider I will have to put in my every effort considering my fourth place in last year’s Suzuka 8 Hours and my crash in the Suzuka 300km race last month. Up until the last test I am experiencing constancy in the long runs and with a good pace, while the machine is also running very well. I have a great understanding of the difficulty of 8 Hours, but will be working together with Carlos and do my best for a race victory.” Carlos Checa has no previous Suzuka 8 Hours experience but has raced a GP 500cc machine at Suzuka taking seven top 10 finishes, including a podium place, from seven starts. The Spaniard is looking forward to making his debut having learned to get the best out of the CBR during testing. “This is a really good opportunity for me to take part in such a prestigious race. Suzuka is a very nice track and with this team and this bike we have a high chance of success, and to possibly fight for the win.” Said the Spaniard. “The CBR1000RR is quite neutral and the base set-up we have is pretty good. We’ve already gone very fast in testing so it’s looking promising. Of course it’s really important to get a set-up that works for both riders on the team. And in fact, when I tested we hardly touched the settings – I just worked with the tyres, that’s all. Of course we can fine-tune the set-up further and maybe we can be half a second per lap quicker, but this is not the key to the race. The most important thing is to be consistent and find a good balance for both riders. Compared to the RC212V the CBR feels a little heavier and with less power of course, but the basic feel of the bike is good and I’m looking forward to racing it.” Rae was obviously disappointed at being nominated as team reserve rider but has kept a positive outlook. He said: “It’s very important for me to do well for HRC in Japan. I understand how important it is for Honda to win at this race and I hope we can achieve that. The bike is good, engine spec is decreased a little from BSB because obviously for endurance racing the machine has to be very good on fuel consumption. The fuel tank is quite a bit bigger so I have had to adjust my riding position. The bike is very easy to ride and to get on the throttle because it’s specification is a little down. We have the same tyre technicians in Japan working with us as in the UK so we can find a good tyre to use.” The Team HRC riders will be aiming to join the long list of illustrious names that have won the race in previous years. However, to do so they have to overcome stiff opposition from several quarters both rival manufacturers and a host of strong Honda equipped teams. Yamaha Racing field two teams, the Japanese Australian partnership of Norifumi Abe and Jamie Stauffer will be backed up by the Japanese pairing of Katsuyuki Nakasuka and Nobuyuki Osaki. The experienced duo of Norihiko Fujiwara and Noriyasu Numata will race a Yamaha for Team Challenger. The stiffest, predictable opposition for Team HRC will come from the Yoshimura Suzuki. The hard charging Yukio Kagayama and Kosuke Akiyoshi will attack at every opportunity and will have the backing of Atsushi Watanabe and Daisuku Sakai. Yoshimura ran Team HRC close at the Suzuka 300km race and will relish the chance to reverse their fortunes. Kawasaki will look to the talent and experience of Ryuji Tsruta, the former All Japan Champion and Ken Eguchi to give them their second ever victory in the race. However, the team all must fear is the F.C.C TSR ZIP-FM team, the 2006 Suzuka 8 Hours race winners. That day Takeshi Tsujimura partnered Shinichi Ito, but Tsujimura is carrying a long-term injury and will not make the start. Ito, a triple 8 Hour winner, will now be partnered by Yusuke Tashima. Sakurai Honda have tasted success in the event with a victory in 2003 and send two teams to the start with the sole aim of repeating that success. Team fortunes lay in the hands of Chojun Kameya and Australian Russell Holland, the second machine entrusted to Yuichi Takeda and Kazuma Tsuda. Should the major teams, man or machine, falter during the gruelling eight hours of high 30 degrees plus temperatures and humidity close to 70% two well equipped Honda teams will be waiting to pick up the spoils. The Masked Rider pairing of Kazuki Tokodome and Gaku Kamada have been close to victory in the passed and will be a definite threat. While Australian Joshua Brookes and Japanese star Takashi Tsujimura have the desire and talent to spring a surprise on Sunday. The race will be one of the best of recent years and race strategy of vital importance. Changeable weather and crashes have often influenced race strategy but HRC are confident that the experience gained during the long winning streak will be of crucial importance on Sunday. The last word goes to race favourite Ryuichi Kiyonari: “I enjoy riding and hopefully the jet lag won’t be a problem. Obviously I really want to win as the Suzuka 8 Hours is so important to both me and Honda. With James I have good riding partner, we have good machine, good mechanics and good set-up. Our overall feeling about the package is very positive but anything can happen as it is a long race.” Suzuka 8 Hours race winners 1978 2006. 1978: Wes Cooley, USA Mike Baldwin, USA Suzuki GS1000 194 laps. 1979: Tony Hatton, AUS Michael Cole, AUS Honda CB900 197 1980: Wes Cooley, USA Graeme Crosby, NZ Suzuki GS1000 200 1981: Mike Baldwin, USA Dave Aldana, USA Honda RS1000 199 1982: Shigeo Iijima, J Shinji Hagiwara, J Honda CB900F 120 1983: Herve Moineau, B Richard Hubin, B Suzuki GS1000R 190 1984: Mike Baldwin, USA Fred Merkel, USA Honda RS750R 192 1985: Wayne Gardner, AUS Masaki Tokano, J Honda RVF750 195 1986: Wayne Gardner, AUS Dominique Sarron, F Honda RVF750 197 1987: Martin Wimmer, D Kevin MaGee, AUS Yamaha YZF750 200 1988: Kevin MaGee, AUS Wayne Rainey, USA Yamaha YZF750 202 1989: Dominique Sarron, F Alex Vieira, Por Honda RVF750 202 1990: Tadahiko Taira, J Eddie Lawson, USA Yamaha YZF750 205 1991: Wayne Gardner, AUS Mick Doohan, AUS Honda RVF750 192 1992: Wayne Gardner, AUS Daryl Beattie, AUS Honda RVF750 208 1993: Scott Russell, USA Aaron Slight, NZ Kawasaki ZXR 7 207 1994: Doug Polen, USA – Aaron Slight, NZ Honda RVF/RC45 183 1995: Aaron Slight, NZ Tadayuki Okada, J Honda RVF/RC45 212 1996: Colin Edwards, USA Noriyuki Haga, J Yamaha YZF750 214 1997: Shinichi Ito, J Tohru Ukawa, J Honda RVF/RC45 186 1998: Shinichi Ito, J Tohru Ukawa, J Honda RVF/RC45 212 1999: Tadayuki Okada, J Alex Barros, Bra Honda RVF/RC45 213 2000: Tohru Ukawa, J Daijiro Kato, J Honda VTR1000SPW 215 2001: Valentino Rossi, I – Colin Edwards, USA Honda VTR1000SPW 217 2002: Daijiro Kato, J – Colin Edwards, USA Honda VTR1000SPW 219 2003: Yukio Nukumi, J – Manubu Kamada, J Honda VTR1000SPW 212 2004: Tohru Ukawa, J Hitoyasu Izutsu, J Honda CBR1000RRW 210 2005: Ryuichi Kiyonari, J – Tohru Ukawa, J Honda CBR1000RRW 204 2006: Shinichi Ito, J – Takeshi Tsujimura, J Honda CBR1000RR 214