FIM Endurance World Championship/Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8 Hours Suzuka Circuit Suzuka, Japan July 27, 2012 Combined Qualifying, Before Superpole: 1. Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team (N. Aoki, 2:09.164/L.Camier, 2:08.969/J. Waters, 2:07.704), Suz GSX-R1000, 2:07.704 2. F.C.C. TSR Honda (J. Rea, 2:09.147/K. Akiyoshi, 2:08.169/T. Okada, 2:10.329), Hon CBR1000RR, 2:08.169 3. Monster Energy Yamaha YART (K. Nakasuga, 2:08.352/T. Hill, 2:08.566/N. Haga, 2:09.833), Yam YZF-R1, 2:08.352 4. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (V. Philippe, 2:09.321/A. Delhalle, 2:10.550/Y. Kagayama, 2:08.429), Suz GSX-R1000, 2:08.429 5. Musashi RT Harc-Pro (R. Kiyonari, 2:08.680/H. Aoyama, 2:08.805/T. Takahashi, 2:09.114), Hon CBR1000RR, 2:08.680 6. Eva RT Test Type-01 Trick Star (T. Serizawa, 2:09.423/O. Degichi, 2:08.806/H. Izutsu, 2:10.563), Kaw ZX-10R, 2:08.806 7. Teluru & Emobile Kohara RT (T. Tsukimura, 2:10.227/H. Noda, 2:09.994/K. Watanabe, 2:08.901), Hon CBR1000RR, 2:08.901 8. Honda Dream RT Sakurai Honda (J. Stauffer, 2:11.116/W. Maxwell, 2:09.278), Hon CBR1000RR, 2:09.278 9. Toho Racing With Moriwaki (T. Yamaguchi, 2:09.318/Y. Takahashi, 2:09.458/Y. Teshima, 2:10.717), Hon CBR1000RR, 2:09.318 10. Honda Team Asia (C. Kameya, 2:10.064/A. Shan B. Kamaruzaman, 2:10.960/M. Tamada, 2:09.433), Hon CBR1000RR, 2:09.433 30. Team 38 PS-K (S. Karita, 2:13.815/Derek Keyes, 2:18.528/S. Yamashita, 2:16.309), Kaw ZX-10R ABS, 2:13.815 More, from a press release issued by FIM Endurance Press Office: Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team back in front followed by FCC TSR Honda and Monster Energy Yamaha YART New hands were dealt this afternoon in the second qualifying session of the Suzuka 8 hours, third round of the 2012 FIM Endurance World Championship. Whereas Monster Energy Yamaha YART came up trumps this morning with a best lap by Katsuyuki Nakasuga, it was the Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team that moved to the top of the timing sheets this afternoon with a breath-taking lap by Josh Waters in 2’07.704. Winners last year at Suzuka, FCC TSR Honda riposted with a lap in 2’08.169 by Kosuke Akiyoshi that puts them in a provisional second place at the start. After a crash by Katsuyuki Nakasuga which did no real damage, the Monster Energy Yamaha YART is just behind in third place on the provisional grid (2’08.352). The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team held on valiantly to its fourth place thanks to Yukio Kagayama’s best laptime of 2’08.429. The French Suzuki is ahead of the Japanese Honda of Musashi RT Harc-Pro and the Kawasaki Eva RT Trick Star. Making up the top 10 are four Japanese Hondas: Teluru Kohara RT, Honda Dream Sakurai, Toho Racing with Moriwaki, and Honda Team Asia. These are the ten teams that will be chancing their places on the grid in the Top 10 Trial at Suzuka tomorrow afternoon. This Superpole takes the form of a single timed lap. Held back by a braking problem, the BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent is currently in eleventh place, having missed out on the Top 10 Trial by a narrow margin (2’09.443). Three other FIM World Endurance Championship permanent teams are bunched between the 15th and 20th spot. Yamaha France GMT 94 Michelin Yamalube is 15th, Honda TT Legends 17th and the Kawasaki of Bolliger Team Switzerland will be starting from the 20th position on the grid. The R2CL team is now in 49th place after its practice sessions and Team Flembbo Dijamant Serbia in 59th. The first ten places on the grid will be up for grabs in the Top 10 Trial tomorrow afternoon. The race will begin on Sunday at 11 h 30 local time. More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent: Suzuka, Japan – 27 July 2012: BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent will start Sunday’s Suzuka 8 Hours from 11th position on the grid, after missing out on a place in the Top 10 Trial by the narrowest of margins. Against the 60 bikes on track, many of them full factory machines piloted by fast local or World Superbike riders, the BMW trio of Sébastien Gimbert, Erwan Nigon and Damian Cudlin were able to hold their own during free practice, running top six in the first two sessions. The team went into today’s all-important qualifying confident of securing a slot in tomorrow’s Top Ten Trial, which will decide the final grid positions for the fastest ten teams, but missed out by the narrowest of margins after encountering a brake issue in the second qualifying session. Although quickly remedied by the team’s mechanics, the brake problem caused an unexpected delay, which meant that Nigon was unable to use his qualifying tyre at the end of the session. As a result the team finished qualifying in 11th position, just 0.01s outside the top ten. Despite the disappointment of missing out on a place in the top ten shootout tomorrow, all three BMW riders remain confident for the race, after proving once again during free practice and qualifying that, in race trim, the BMW S1000RR is a match for any bike on the grid. The 35th edition of the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours gets underway at 11H30 local time (02H30 GMT) on Sunday. Damian Cudlin: “We had the pace to go through to the top ten shootout tomorrow, but we lost out when we had a problem with the brakes towards the end of the second qualifying session. The team fixed the problem quickly, but the delay was enough that Erwan didn’t have time to do a lap on the qualifying tyre before the session ended and we finished only 11th fastest. This was disappointing, because we know we could have gone quicker, but there are no points for qualifying and we remain confident for Sunday’s race. We have seen already here just how competitive the BMW S1000RR and Michelin tyre package is, as we’ve had good pace in race trim all weekend, so I’m sure top five is a realistic goal on Sunday. Anything more would be a bonus.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal “A start from 11th position on the grid wasn’t really the result we were looking for in qualifying, but the issue with the brakes came just at the wrong time and Erwan wasn’t able to get in a flying lap on the qualifying tyre. To miss out on a place in the top ten trial by just 0.01s makes it doubly disappointing, but that’s racing for you. The riders and the team have done a great job so far at Suzuka. The level of the competition is even higher this year than last, as we saw quite clearly in qualifying, but we know we have the pace on race tyres and that will pay dividends on Sunday. I remain confident that we can come away from Suzuka with another good result and, hopefully, move a little closer to the leaders in the championship standings.” For more information and additional high resolution images please visit the BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent website at www.thevent.eu. More, from a press release issued by Honda Europe: Honda TT Legends to start Suzuka 8-hour from 17th A busy day of qualifying for the Suzuka 8-hour race in Japan drew to a close this evening with the Honda TT Legends securing 17th place on the grid an impressive feat in a field of Suzuka veterans and expert Japanese teams, many of which tested here just two weeks ago. John McGuinness, Cameron Donald and stand-in rider Jason O’Halloran took to the 5.8km circuit for two 30-minute qualifying sessions each in hot and sunny conditions. As the temperature soared to over 34ºc, all three riders were consistent in their times and in sync with one another, posting a 1’12 lap apiece by the penultimate session. O’Halloran was the last Honda TT Legends rider to head out in the final 30-minute stint and his impressive performance resulted in the team’s best lap of the day at 1’10.940. In accordance with Suzuka 8-hour rules, the fastest lap time posted by each team dictates the grid positions, meaning the Honda TT Legends will start Sunday’s 8-hour race from 17th. The Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team will start from pole position with FCC TSR Honda, YART and SERT in second, third and fourth respectively. Russell Benney race manager All the hard work testing at Oschersleben and in practice here at Suzuka has come to fruition. It’s a marvellous achievement by the riders to all get in the 12 second mark, especially when you bear in mind that other teams have done extensive testing here. 17th at Suzuka is good news, particularly considering the position we are in in the world championship. Looking at our EWC competition, the main guys are in front of us, but we are much, much closer to them than I could have hoped. I’m really pleased for the team because the 10.9 lap vindicates all our hard work and also the competitiveness of the bike. The other two riders being so close in time means we’ve got a tucked in rider line-up that makes my job as race manager easy. It is likely to be a nine rota race with even stints divided between the three riders. So, 17th is great news for the team, we’re gathering momentum and we can only go forward from here. John McGuinness We’re all in one piece and we’re all going at a similar sort of pace. Its been a tough day and we’ve had a lot of laps to do, swapping and changing riders but everyone has been positive. It’s really difficult against some of the expert local teams, but at the end of the day we have done our best. I think 17th is good considering we didn’t test here and we started three or four days behind everybody else. I’m looking forward to the race now and can’t wait to get going. Cameron Donald We’re going so much better this year, particularly considering it is a much bigger field and the times are a lot faster across the field. To be starting 17th is fantastic really when we’re surrounded the local home-track specialists. I’m sure with some good consistent laps we can move ahead from that in the race and get well up into the points which is where we need to be. Jason O’Halloran We made some good improvements in qualifying with our lap times and it actually came quite easy to us in the end there. We went for a softer tyre to get a bit more speed and I got some good laps in to go faster right at the end of the second session. Conditions are tough here and it’s going to be hard on Sunday in the race but the whole team has done a great job, Dunlop have done a great job and I’m looking forward to eight hours of racing! The Suzuka 8-hour race will take place on Sunday 29 July, starting at 11.30am Japan Standard Time, 03.30am British Summer Time and 04.30am Central European Summer Time. For live timing please visit www.fim-live.com More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: The Yoshimura Suzuki team has gone quickest in today’s final qualifying session for Sunday’s 35th-Anniversary Suzuka 8-Hour race in Japan with the only sub 2.8-minute lap time. Australian Josh Waters knocked more than a second of his earlier session best at round three of the World Endurance Championship with a time of 2’07.704 to put the GSX-R1000 on provisional pole for the six-time event winners and team mates Leon Camier and Nobuatsu Aoki. Reigning World Champions SERT is fourth on the World Endurance Championship-leading GSX-R1000, thanks to a 2’08.429 lap set by Yukio Kagayama and they are only a few-hundredths-of-a-second behind second-placed FCC TSR Honda and third-placed Monster Yamaha YART. The top-10 teams have one further free practice session tomorrow morning before the exciting Top-10 Shootout Finale to determine the starting positions for Sunday’s race.