A record 11 permanent World Endurance Championship teams will race at the Suzuka 8 Hour round of the FIM World Endurance Championship at the end of this month. Four additional permanent teams have entered alongside the seven permanent teams announced last week as taking part in the FIM Endurance Cup of Nations. The full line up is now as follows: · Suzuki Castrol · Yamaha Phase One Endurance · Shell Endurance Academy Yamaha · Yamaha Austria Racing Team · Bolliger Team Kawasaki · Team Fagersjo-el.se Suzuki · Yamaha Endurance Moto38 · No Limits & RT Suzuki · Team Endurance Moto45 Suzuki · Acropolis Zone Rouge 199 Yamaha · Kawasaki Diablo 666 The Suzuka 8 Hour race takes place on July 30th. It is widely regarded as the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world, with the many factory and semi-factory supported entries and high profile riders reflecting the importance that the Japanese manufacturers place on winning this race. Until recently only a small handful of European teams made the annual trek to Japan to compete at Suzuka. Over the last few years this number has grown steadily and participation is now considered essential by teams hoping to make an impact in the championship. The permanent championship teams have raised their game in recent seasons, with top ten finishes for Suzuki Castrol, Yamaha Phase One Endurance, Yamaha GMT94 and Suzuki Police Nationale over the last three years showing that they can compete at Suzuka with the best Japanese entries. More information about the FIM World Endurance Championship can be found at www.worldendurance.com