Endurance -News

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Yamaha Shows True Endurance Spirit In Le Mans Race Video

Yamaha has kicked off the 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) with a stunning display of bravery and perseverance during the 24H Motos in Le Mans. The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team proved that when the going gets tough, the tough don't buckle under pressure. GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team also showed strong team spirit that was vital in the opening round, the longest race of the season.

The YART team pressed on during 24 hours of grueling racing action with just two riders fit to race and made the impossible happen; Max Neukirchner and Broc Parkes crossed the finish line in eleventh place at the end of the iconic event, after completing 785 laps, which accumulates to more than 3,285 km in total.

The GMT94 team may not have seen the chequered flag at the end of the endurance season opening round, but their professionalism and harmony once again shone, showing that endurance is most of all about camaraderie between teammates.

Check out the YZF-R1s in action in the Le Mans Race Video HERE.

 

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Yamaha Enters Two Factory Teams Aiming for Second Consecutive Suzuka Win

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announces that it will compete in the 39th "Coca-Cola Zero" Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race to be held at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture from July 28 to 31, 2016 with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team and the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team. The two factory teams will use a YZF-R1 specially developed for the Suzuka 8 Hours and Yamaha will aim to take a second consecutive victory and its sixth ever in the competition.

Riding again for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team will be Katsuyuki Nakasuga, the defending champion and current holder of four consecutive titles in the pinnacle JSB1000 class of the All Japan Road Race Championship, and MotoGP regular Pol Espargar?, who put Yamaha in pole position last year with an incredible flying lap, despite it being his first time to race at Suzuka and aboard the YZF-R1. The two star riders that helped bring Yamaha its stunning Suzuka 8 Hours win last year will be joined by Alex Lowes, who rides for Yamaha in its return to the World Superbike Championship this year. The team manager will be Wataru Yoshikawa, the current manager of Yamaha's All Japan Road Race Championship factory team.

As for the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team led by manager Mandy Kainz, it will field team regular Broc Parkes, who is competing this season in the Endurance World Championship, and Kouta Nozane and Takuya Fujita, two young but top riders competing in the All Japan Championship's premier class.

Also, this year will see Monster Energy as the main sponsor of both Yamaha teams. Monster Energy is a key partner in Yamaha's quest for victory in racing series around the world, such as the MotoGP World Championship, the Motocross World Championship and the AMA Supercross Championship. Yamaha's entries will have the valuable support of Monster Energy and a host of other sponsors as they battle to repeat last year's success at Suzuka.

As Yamaha Motor celebrated its 60th anniversary last season, concerted global efforts were made to energize our racing activities, such as the introduction of the new YZF-R1 to the race scene. The result was not only a victory at the previous Suzuka 8 Hours but also numerous wins and championship titles in production-based racing in Japan, Europe and North America. These successes did much to boost Yamaha's presence in the world's markets.

Yamaha is pursuing a more aggressive policy for racing activities this season, which includes returning to the World Superbike Championship, and this entry of two factory teams in the Suzuka 8 Hours is another example of this strengthened policy.

Yamaha will be aiming to win a second consecutive victory this year in the legendary Suzuka 8 Hours and further strengthen the presence of the YZF-R1 in Japan and abroad. And like last year, we will be seeking new gains in technological expertise, promoting development of human resources and sharing the excitement and rewarding experiences of motorsport as an embodiment of our "Revs your Heart" Brand Slogan.

 

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Yamaha Press on to Portim?o for Endurance Challenge

After their brave performances during the opening race of the 2016 Endurance World Championship in Le Mans in April, the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team and the GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team set out to once again display the incredible potential of the YZF-R1 at the 12 Horas de Portim?o, held at the Aut?dromo Internacional Algarve, Portugal, on June 11th.

The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team used their professional and dedicated mentality to battle their way through the 24H Moto Le Mans and deliver a truly brave performance. Riders Broc Parkes and Max Neukirchner completed the entire race as a twosome after Iv?n Silva suffered an unfortunate crash and injured his shoulder on his first lap. Parkes and Neukirchner had nothing to lose when they rode their Yamaha YZF-R1 from 54th to a hard-fought 11th place.

This weekend the Austrian team is ready to build on that previous performance for the upcoming challenge. With ten points collected for their brilliant effort in Le Mans, they hold 13th place in the championship standings. There will be 35 points, plus ten bonus points for the team leading at the 8-hour mark, up for grabs at the upcoming round where Parkes and Silva will welcome Marvin Fritz as a replacement rider for the injured Neukirchner.

The GMT94 team also showed a strong race pace in France during the opening round and kept going despite three crashes, until they were forced to exit the race early. For the next round riders David Checa and Niccolo Canepa will be joined by Lucas Mahias as the third rider, who shares their full focus to secure first place and gain some crucial first points for the championship.

The French team is certain that their Yamaha will be prominently featured at the front this weekend, thanks to its handling and wide torque range which perfectly suits the long Algarve International Circuit, with its 32 different possible layouts that can make it either faster or more twisty and technical. Constructed in 2008, the venue can host up to 100,000 spectators, eager to see their favourite riders give their all during 12-hours of action.

Besides the official Yamaha endurance teams, the Parkalgar Racing Team will also represent Yamaha in the EWC class. Team 3ART Yam'Avenue will also be back in action this weekend to defend their current lead in the Superstock class standings. They will be joined by the Slider Endurance team, and Yamaha Vilta?s Experiences.

Mandy Kainz - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
"We arrive at the race in Portim?o with a slightly different rider line up than we had in Le Mans due to Max's injury. We wish him a speedy recovery. This weekend Marvin will take his place and we are very glad he joined our team. Last race showed how strong YART's team mentality is and this weekend we want to again impress with the great pace we have. We didn't ride in Portim?o last year, so this will be an interesting race, as we don't have recent data for the circuit. Nevertheless we are confident that we will be able to hit the ground running and challenge for a top result."
Broc Parkes - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider
"It's great to be back on the bike and together with YART! I have been doing a lot of heat training to be ready for the hot conditions here in Portim?o. I think the YZF-R1 will be very good in this track with its very good power spread, which will be good on tyre wear. I'm really looking forward to racing at this track as its a new addition to the championship."
Iv?n Silva - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider
"I'm really looking forward to starting riding in Portim?o. It's a track that I normally enjoy, but more than anything I'm looking forward to riding the YART YZF-R1 again, for the first time in two months! I have completely recovered from the crash in Le Mans and so I look forward to giving it 100% this race weekend. The race is 'only' twelve hours long and our bike and all the YART riders are very fast, so I think we can be competitive here and challenge for the win."
Marvin Fritz - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider
"Last year I was already with YART in Le Castellet as their fourth and reserve rider. For this season's 12H Portim?o and 8H Oschersleben I'll replace the injured Max. I want to wish him a speedy recovery! I think the two races that I'll be riding will be a good opportunity for me in the Endurance World Championship. When Mandy Kainz called me I was really happy for this chance to ride for such a top endurance team and for Yamaha Racing. I've done already three IDM races this year, finishing as the first Yamaha and I'm currently second in the championship. I think that has been my preparation for this race. We will have around 32 degrees here, so it will be a hard and long race, but I'll try my best and hope we can finish the race on the podium. The testing has started really well for me and the team."
Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
"The sun is shining on Portugal, so we are very happy. The track also suits our bike well as it's quite wide and has a good top speed so the riders enjoy it a lot, and so do I. The last time we came here was in 2009 as a team and it has been a good circuit for us in the past. The track is fun to learn, but our riders know the track already. It's quite difficult to get the set-up right, but I think we will all enjoy it. I think YZF-R1's big advantage is how easy it changes direction. Its engine and our Dunlop tyres are all working perfectly. The new tyres are very good and give a good feeling and they are very consistent with the very hot temperatures that we have here."
David Checa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider
"We have a great package with the YZF-R1 and the Dunlop tyres for the race in Portim?o. From testing we know that we can deliver a great performance here, so our aim this weekend will be to at least achieve the podium. In the French Superbike Championship I've been fighting for victory, which I think is the best kind of preparation for an intense race like this 12 hour endurance challenge, because of the high level and hard work that it requires to come out on top."
Niccol? Canepa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider
"I'm really happy to race again in endurance. After the Le Mans 24h I'm even more excited to race in Portim?o. I've been riding the YZF-R1 every week for months now, so I feel ready. I think that we can fight for victory here in Portugal, so we will try our best! The YZF-R1 is very good in handling and this will help us a lot in the rollercoaster of Portim?o. This track has also a very long straight that is perfect for YZF-R1's power!"
Lucas Mahias - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider
"I am very happy to be a part of the GMT94 team again after two years. I've been preparing for this race for four weeks on a variety of different motorcycles, endurance and other specs, and I bicycled a lot. My injury that I sustained in Imola has healed completely, I have recovered 100% and I feel great. Endurance and Superbike models aren't very different, nor is the weight that much heavier, only the tank is bigger, so the bike is still very similar to a superbike spec. The bike is unbelievable, even compared to the former YZF-R1 I rode in 2014, so I expect to win the race."

Canepa Rises to the Challenge of Cross-Championship Competition

Niccol? Canepa has had a busy start to 2016. Originally signing for the GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, a role he continues to develop, the Italian has also made stand-in, and stand-out, appearances across three additional series in as many months. Late April saw Canepa return to a championship he knows well, having won the title in his first season back in 2007, the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup. As a replacement rider for the injured Riccardo Russo, the 28-year-old joined the Pata Yamaha Official STK1000 Team for an initial three races on the world-stage - Imola, Donington and Misano - with the call-up also seeing Canepa covering racing duties in his national championship, the CIV - Campionato Italiano Velocit?. His impressive performance in the international paddock - securing a STK1000 podium finish on only his second outing with the YZF-R1M at Donington Park in the UK - added to links with the co-titled Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team provided further opportunity just a few days later, as he participated in testing duties aboard the WorldSBK-spec YZF-R1 at Misano earlier this month.

Between March and June, Canepa will have ridden at seven tracks - some multiple times - completing testing and race weekends on four different specification Yamaha machines, using two different tyre manufacturers and working with three different team structures. We caught up with him ahead of his second foray into Endurance racing - at Portugal's Portim?o 12 Hours this weekend - to find out what it takes to stay so focused despite the many variables he has faced in 2016 so far?

Niccol?, you began the year as a Yamaha World Endurance rider. What where your thoughts going in to the new challenge and how did you find your first 24 hour experience?

"At the beginning of the year everything was new for me. I had a lot of things to learn as the Yamaha was a completely new bike me, but the GMT94 team and David Checa helped me a lot to be competitive in Endurance! I have raced in MotoGP and in World Superbike, but the 24h is something unique. The crowd, the spirit of the race and the mental approach are completely different from speed racing, but after the winter test I was 100% ready! Unfortunately the race didn't go well, but now I'm even more motivated to win in the next Endurance races."

The end of April brought the call-up to the STK1000 team, what was it like going back into a championship you have so much history with?

"First of all I felt sorry for both Marino and Russo after their crashes, but I was fit and ready to come back into STK1000 so, why not?! I know the championship very well because I won it in 2007 on my debut. After experiencing both MotoGP and Moto2 I also came back and finished second in 2013. I'm really proud that Yamaha choose me for the Official STK1000 team and I was sure I could be competitive."

How have you managed to adapt between the different specifications of YZF-R1 used between the classes and competitions?

"This is a good question! From January I've ridden four different YZF-R1 specs. After a long winter spent testing the Endurance YZF-R1, I came to Imola and straight into the Qualifying practice on the STK1000 YZF-R1M. I was a little bit lost because there are a lot of differences between the championships - especially the tyres - but the base of the machine is very easy and intuitive, and this helped me a lot to adapt myself between the models."

How much difference does the change in tyres make to the overall feel and setup of the bikes?

"If you change the tyres, you have to change a lot of the setup of the bike too, but the biggest problem is finding the new limit. The feeling is completely different, so I had to push harder lap-by-lap trying to arrive at the limit. This was not easy because I had to take some risks, but now, after a few weeks of constantly working with the different tyres, I can switch between the manufactures without losing too much time, which helps me to easily switch from Endurance to Stock and to the Superbike."

Do you need a different set of skills to compete in the STK1000 class than over a 24hr endurance race?

"Sure! STK1000 races are very short. There is no time for strategy and to think. You have to push as hard as you can from the green light to the chequered flag, and you are alone. You can also work a lot on the bike setup, because a 0.1 second better lap-time can make all the difference to your race. Endurance is completely different. It's a team job. I share the bike with two more riders, so this means that the bike is not perfect for you, you are the one who has to adapt to the bike. I also had to change my riding style a little bit so I didn't get too tired throughout the 24 hours! It's not only physically hard, but also mentally. At 5am, when you are tired and you are freezing, it's the hardest moment of the race, but when you see the sun rising it is very emotional."

Your participation with the Pata Yamaha STK1000 team has also seen your return to the national championship, what is it like to race on both levels week-in, week-out?

"The Italian championship level is really, really, high! There are a lot of STK1000 riders, a MotoGP rider and some older but very fast riders! It's good for me to ride in the Italian championship, as I can get more time on the bike. It's good also because we race on slick tyres (the same as in World Superbike) so I don't lose the confidence with them!"

You recently got the opportunity to test the WorldSBK-spec YZF-R1, how did you find the experience and how does the bike differ from the stock form?

"It has been a great experience for me. Riding a Factory Superbike is always something special for a rider. The bike is still the YZF-R1 so the bike character remains the same and this helped me a lot in the last test, but for sure the electronics and the power are the biggest differences. I had to test a lot of interesting things, and I hope my experience as test rider helped the development of the Pata Yamaha Superbike."

You have had a busy few months with testing and racing across both the national and world championships, how do you stay focused with such a tight schedule?

"Honestly this is amazing for me. I love riding bikes, and now I have the opportunity to ride every week and to compete for different titles. This is the best present you can give to a rider! Sometimes it can be difficult to change the bike, the team and the tyres, but I wouldn't change my job for anything else. Staying focused is easy when you enjoy riding!"

What do you do away from the track to keep yourself in peak form and allow you to perform at your best with such a heavy workload?

"I keep training every day when I come back home, but I also try to relax in the few days off with my girlfriend and friends. It's the best way to recharge the batteries before the next race!"

What are your aims and ambitions for the rest of the season?

"After the disappointment of the 24h in Le Mans we must now win the next Endurance races, and my team can do it for sure! I've two incredibly fast team mates and a super team! In the STK1000, I'm ready to fight for the podium every weekend - even if I missed the first couple of races and I can't challenge for the title - I know I can count on a very fast bike and on a top team too. I have to think race by race and see what happens but I will always aim to do the best possible! I also hope to have the opportunity to test the Factory Superbike again. I really enjoyed the experience, but now I want more!"

 

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SUZUKI ENDURANCE READY FOR PORTIMAO 12-HOUR

Reigning Endurance World Champions Suzuki Endurance Racing Team is gearing-up for Saturday?s Portim?o second round in Portugal, with the aim of putting the GSX-R1000 on the top-step of the podium.

SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Etienne Masson currently lie fifth in the rankings, 19 points adrift of the series lead, with three rounds remaining following their heroic comeback through the field to fifth position after crashing at the opening round at Le Mans in April.

The Algarve International Circuit in the south of Portugal is a new fixture on the 2016 EWC calendar. It sits in the scenic hillside, 20kms above the coastal resort of Portimao, which is towards the western-edge of Portugal?s Algarve. Hosting consecutive World Superbike races since the circuit?s unveiling in 2008, the ?rollercoaster? layout is famed for its undulating nature and 15 multi-directional turns, providing a challenging and exhilarating ride for the 30 Endurance (EWC) and Superstock (SST) teams entered this weekend.

In today?s opening practice sessions, SERT scored a provisional fifth-place, just 0.668 off Pole Positional going into this evening?s night practice: Philippe, taking part in the first session, recorded a lap-time of 1:48.556, Delhalle followed with a 1:47.257; and then Masson took the last session with a time of 1:47.727, averaging-out at 1:47.846 for the three French riders.

With six Suzuki GSX-R-mounted teams competing, Team April Moto Motors Events positioned eighth in the EWC class and Superstock team, Junior Team LMS Suzuki, third in the SST class and 14th overall.

SERT will continue to test various setting?s on the Yoshimura-powered GSX-R1000 in tonight?s practice that begins at 20:00 local time, ready for tomorrow?s busy schedule that begins at 10:00hrs and then an evening ?warm-up? at 18:00hrs for the final shake-down testing.

The first edition of the 12 Horas de Portim?o will be flagged-off at 9:30hrs local time on Saturday.


Portim?o 1st Qualifying Results:

1 YART - Yamaha Official Team - 1:47.178
2 SRC Kawasaki - Kawasaki ZX-10R - 1:47.334 + 0.156
3 GMT94 YAMAHA - Yamaha YZF R1 - 1:47.671 + 0.493
4 F.C.C. TSR Honda - Honda CBR 1000 RR - 1:47.726 + 0.548
5 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 1:47.846 + 0.668
6 Parkalgar Racing Team - Yamaha YZF R1 EWC - 1:48.096 + 0.918
7 TEAM 3ART YAM'AVENUE - Yamaha YZF R1 - 1:48.409 + 1.231
8 Team April Moto Motors Events - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 1:48.558 + 1.380
9 Honda Endurance Racing - Honda CBR 1000 RR - 1:48.675 +1.497
10 MACO RACING Team -Yamaha YZF R1 - 1:48.729 + 1.551
14 Junior Team LMS Suzuki - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 1:49.175 + 1.997

 

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Yamaha Qualify Second and Fourth for 12H Portim?o

The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team and GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team have positioned themselves as key protagonists for the second round of the 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) at the Aut?dromo Internacional do Algarve. They showed the strong power of the Yamaha YZF-R1 today in a tense qualifying session and will start the 12H Portim?o race from second and fourth place respectively.

The officially supported Yamaha teams already demonstrated their YZF-R1s' tremendous potential during yesterday's first qualifying practice, when the YART team clocked an average time of 1'47.178s for provisional pole, with the GMT94 not far behind in third place with an average lap of 1'47.671s.

Yesterday's fastest man, Broc Parkes, was again quick to push his Yamaha YZF-R1 to the limit in an effort to maintain his advantage in the timesheets. He soon set a 1'45.572s for provisional pole, before being pushed back by crowd favourite and fellow Yamaha rider Miguel Oliveira. Parkes quickly returned to the pit box and once he was back out on track he was in fourth place with three minutes remaining to deliver the perfect lap. The Australian rose to the challenge and set a 1'45.925s to slot into second place.

It was then the turn of Marvin Fritz to show what he could do with the nimble Yamaha. Immediately making a strong impression as the session began, he soon positioned the number #7 bike in third place, clocking a best lap of 1'47.130, before returning to the pits. As the challenge intensified in the second rider session he was initially pushed back to fourth place, but he dug deep and improved his time to a 1'46.028s for provisional pole, before eventually claiming third in the final minutes.

Third rider Iv?n Silva took over the bike to close the Q2 session. He was determined to set a fast time but red flags early on in the final qualifying practice delayed his progress. The Spaniard was unfazed however, and showed great determination when he returned to action, posting a 1'46.972s for fifth place, 0.701s from the front.

For the GMT94 team it was David Checa who took to the track first. He was strong in the rider one session and climbed up to sixth place with a 1'47.757 lap, before heading back to the box. The last minutes of the session saw a flurry of activity as the pace picked up. Despite not having any qualifying tyres available for the team, he continued to improve his time to finish in eighth place, 1.842s from first, with a best lap of 1'46.999s.

Niccol? Canepa was up next and smoothly rode the number #94 YZF-R1 to fourth place on his third lap with 1'47.332s. After a quick pit stop he was in fifth position, but the Italian had more tricks up his sleeves. He bettered his time, dropping a 1'46.023 in the closing stages of the session to secure fourth place, 0.787s from the front.

Third rider Lucas Mahias continued the fast pace his teammates had displayed and immediately positioned his Yamaha at the top of the time sheets with a 1'46.941s, just in time before the session was red flagged. When the third rider session was restarted, he was temporarily pushed back, as multiple riders put in a hot lap, but he pushed out a 1'46.384s lap in the final stages to wrap up the day in second place, 0.113s off first.

Today's results give YART second place on tomorrow's grid with an average time of 1'46.307s, just 0.050s from first. GMT94 team will start tomorrow's race from fourth, having clocked an average time of 1'46.542, 0.285s from the front.

The fastest man of the day was Yamaha rider Oliveira on the Parkalgar Racing Team YZF-R1. The home rider set the fastest lap of the day with a stunning 1'45.157s. He and his teammates qualified fifth on the grid and there were more reasons for the blue crews to cheer as Yamaha 3ART Yam' Avenue qualified seventh on the grid as the fastest STK team, and the MACO Racing team secured tenth place to make it five Yamaha teams within the top ten

Mandy Kainz - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Team Manager
"We can be very satisfied after two very good days with strong results, but we need to keep focused for tomorrow, because no points are handed out until the 12H Portim?o starts. The team is determined to get a top result here. The riders are all very fast and the YZF-R1 is performing really well, so we're serious contenders for tomorrow's race and can't wait to start the second race of the 2016 endurance season."
Broc Parkes - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
"I felt good on the bike from the first day and the YZF-R1 is working very well here. I didn't put the best lap together on my qualifying tyre, but it was still a good lap time. We have a strong consistent team and I believe we will be in the battle for a top result tomorrow and I look forward to the race."
Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Team Manager
"It was a really good session today, especially since we don't have a qualifying tyre, and even on a race tyre we did well and are really fast. We finished as the best scoring team on Dunlop tyres today and I think we will be competitive in the race. Niccol? and Lucas are both really fast and I'm really happy for David that he has such strong teammates. However, it's been quite difficult to find a good setting because the track is quite dirty. Today the wind was also very strong, yet the track is getting faster every day and we won a second compared to yesterday, not just our team, but all teams. For this reason, it's difficult for us to predict what tomorrow's race will be like, but one thing we do know is that we are very fast on the YZF-R1."
Niccol? Canepa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
"Today was good and I'm really happy. We did a good job in the qualifying practice, especially considering we have no qualifying tyre, so that means we are very fast on the race tyres and that's the most important thing. Our pace is better than what we expected before, so this is positive. Personally, I'm feeling confident; I like the track and the bike is working really well. We improved a lot since Tuesday, so now it's very easy to ride and it's also faster. The whole team is happy and my teammates too and we are looking forward to the race tomorrow."
12 Hours EWC Portim?o - Overall Qualifying Classification

1. 11 SRC Kawasaki, EWC, 1:46.257
2. 7 YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, EWC, 1:46.307
3. 5 F.C.C. TSR Honda, EWC, 1:46.416
4. 94 GMT94 YAMAHA, EWC, 1:46.542
5. 44 Parkalgar Racing Team, EWC, 1:46.972
6. 1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, EWC, 1:46.986
7. 36 TEAM 3ART YAM'AVENUE, SST, 1:47.337
8. 8 Team Bolliger Switzerland, EWC, 1:47.560
9. 50 Team April Moto Motors Events, EWC, 1:47.565
10. 14 MACO RACING Team, EWC, 1:47.783
11. 33 TEAM LOUIT MOTO 33 TRAQUEUR, SST, 1:47.807
12. 333 Yamaha Vilta?s Experience, SST, 1:47.877
13. 72 Junior Team LMS Suzuki, SST, 1:48.017
14. 111 Honda Endurance Racing, EWC, 1:48.080
15. 48 Voelpker NRT48 by Schubert-Motors, SST, 1:48.161

22. 119 Slider Endurance, SST, 1:50.501

 

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SUZUKI RACE-READY FOR PORTIMAO 12-HOUR ENDURANCE

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team will start tomorrow?s second round of the Endurance World Championship from sixth on the grid after shaving almost a second off earlier lap-times in today final qualifying sessions at the Autodromo International do Algarve in Portugal.

Vincent Philippe, who was struggling with sickness yesterday that affected his performance aboard the Yoshimura-powered GSX-R1000, was back to full fitness today and put in the fastest lap of the three SERT riders this afternoon with a time of 1:46.912 around the 4.592 km circuit, with Anthony Delhalle posting a best of 1:46.933, following a small crash towards the end of his session that bruised his right hand. Etienne Masson scored a 1:47.114 to put the 14-time World Champions? average at 1:46.986.

At the end of qualifying, Dominique M?liand?s team are all set and satisfied with the GSX-R1000?s suspension and overall set-up, which will prove vital during the gruelling race on the bumpy and challenging circuit.

With less-than a second separating the top-six teams, Team April Moto Motors Events Suzuki riders Gregg Black, Gregory Fastre and Alex Cudlin posted the eighth-quickest time of 1:47.565 and the Superstock Class Junior Team LMS Suzuki fourth in class and 13th overall on the grid with a time of 1:48.017. The team, which is based at the same Le Mans headquarters in France as SERT, comprises Baptiste Guittet, Romain Maitre and Robin Camus; a leading force and one of the favourites for SST victory in 2016.

After initial qualifying, SERT Team Manager Dominique M?liand commented: ?It?s a bumpy circuit and you?ve got to be on top form to ride it well. But even with Vincent feeing under the weather earlier, we were still definitely in the running ? all the more so because we were using racing tyres, while others, who clocked faster lap-times, were using qualifying tyres. On Saturday, we?ll all be on an equal footing for the race!?

The first edition of the 12 Horas de Portim?o will be flagged-off at 9:30hrs local time tomorrow. The race will be broadcast on Eurosport and Equipe 21 television channels, along with Eurosport?s internet-based Player. Live Timing is also available on www.fimewc.com/live-timing along with FIM Social Media channels.

Portim?o Final Qualifying Results:

1 SRC Kawasaki - Kawasaki - 1:46.257
2 YART Yamaha Official EWC Team - Yamaha - 1:46.307
3 F.C.C. TSR Honda - 1:46.416
4 GMT94 YAMAHA - Yamaha - 1:46.542
5 Parkalgar Racing Team - Yamaha - 1:46.972
6 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 1:46.986
7 TEAM 3ART YAM'AVENUE - Yamaha - 1:47.337
8 Team Bolliger Switzerland - Kawasaki - 1:47.560
9 Team April Moto Motors Events - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 1:47.565
10 MACO RACING Team -Yamaha - 1:47.783
13 Junior Team LMS Suzuki - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 1:48.017

 

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SUZUKI PODIUMS IN THRILLING PORTIMAO ENDURANCE

Defending World Endurance Champions Suzuki Endurance Racing Team missed the top-step of the podium by just 800ths-of-a-second in possibly the most exciting World Endurance Championship race in the series? history today at Portim?o at the Autodromo International do Algarve.

After 12 hours and 393 laps of intense and thrilling action, SERT?s youngest team rider, 27-year-old Etienne Masson, crossed the line on the GSX-R1000 neck-and-neck with race winner David Checa after being given the final race stint with just over 30 minutes to go.

Masson and long standing team riders Vincent Philippe (38) and Anthony Delhalle (34) all rode consistently-fast on the tough and bumpy 4.592km circuit with a calculated race strategy by Team Manager Dominique M?liand, that saw them come in for 12 pit-stops; one less than eventual winners GMT94 Yamaha. However, some of the fastest laps were set in the closing stages, in the dark, as Masson put the Yoshimura-powered GSX-R1000 into the low 1:47s.

From the start, SERT was always in the leading group. After starting from sixth position, the lead changed throughout and after early leaders SRC Kawasaki retired with a technical issue, it became a two-horse race between SERT and GMT94. When SERT pitted, GMT took the lead and vice-versa as less than 30 seconds separated them during most of the race.

But the action really hotted-up in the final hours as the gap came down between the leading pair; first it was Philippe versus Checa and when Philippe pitted with 33 minutes to go, handing over to Masson in a ?splash and dash? quick fuel top-up, the gap was down to under 12 seconds. It was then Masson versus Checa as GMT took the lead, but when the Yamaha pitted for a similar quick-refill and rear tyre change, Checa stayed to finish the stint and exited pit lane just 3.7 seconds behind the SERT Suzuki, that regained the lead at that very moment.

The final laps will be remembered as possibly one of the closest and most-exciting battles in Endurance World Championship history as the pair swapped the lead several times, dodged back-markers and crossed the line virtually neck and neck.

SERT Team Manager M?liand was ever-gracious in defeat after witnessing such a spectacle. He said: ?We did everything we possibly could to win. I am disappointed not to win, of course, but we have to congratulate GMT94 today; and at the end of the day, the race was great!?

Other Suzuki teams were also prolific in Portugal:

Team April Moto Motors Events raced back from having to change the fuel tank on its GSX-R1000 to claim fifth position overall; team riders Gregg Black, Gregory Fastre and Alex Cudlin recording 387 laps and with this result taking the series lead. And in the Superstock class, Junior Team LMS Suzuki riders Baptiste Guittet, Romain Maitre and Robin Camus finished third in class and eighth overall.

The third and penultimate round of the Endurance World Championship will be held at Suzuka International Circuit in Japan on July 31st with the final round a month later at Oschersleben in Germany.

Portim?o World Endurance Results:

1 GMT94 YAMAHA ? Yamaha ? 393 laps
2 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team ? Suzuki GSX-R1000 ? 393 laps
3 Honda Endurance Racing ? Honda ? 389 laps
4 YART Yamaha ? Yamaha - 387 laps
5 Team April Moto Motors Events - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 387 laps
6 Tati Team Beaujolais Racing ? Kawasaki - 385 laps
7 Voelpker NRT48 by Schubert-Motors ? BMW - 385 laps
8 Junior Team LMS Suzuki ? Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 385 laps
9 TEAM 3ART YAM'AVENUE - Yamaha - 383 laps
10 Lukoil BMW Motorrad CSEU ? BMW - 382 laps

 

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Yamaha Prevails with Perfect Portim?o Victory

After a strong week at the Aut?dromo Internacional do Algarve, the GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team rode their Yamaha YZF-R1 to a stunning victory after a sensational battle at the 12 Horas de Portim?o that came down to the wire. The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team also displayed an incredible pace and claimed a well-deserved fourth place.

This morning, as the clock hit 09:30 local track time, 30 riders ran to their bikes across the Algarve International Circuit's long straight under the hot Portuguese sun, to start 12 hours of non-stop endurance racing action.

GMT94's first rider, David Checa had a slightly cautious start from fourth on the grid to allow his tyres to warm up before putting the hammer down. Once he had brought heat into his Dunlops he joined the five-rider group fighting for the lead. He used the nimble character of the Yamaha YZF-R1 to the fullest and went on to take over the lead shortly before he came in for a quick stop to hand over the bike to teammate Niccol? Canepa.

The Italian re-entered the race in seventh position and rode a strong stint back to first place before letting Lucas Mahias take over, who also kept the YZF-R1 solidly in the lead.

Though the race was not without challenges in the form of strong wind, sweltering heat during the afternoon and a quite big high sider, which was masterfully saved by Checa, the GMT94 team managed their stints perfectly. They kept their pace high every single lap, to keep the edge over their closest rivals for most of the race and gain ten points after the eight-hour mark.

Their perfectly calculated pit stop strategy was ultimately key to taking today's victory. As the sun went down and the temperatures dropped it was front man Checa, who took over the number #94 bike from Mahias. The Spaniard re-entered the track in second place, having done one stop more than the Suzuki Endurance Racing team that was leading the race, and rode a brilliant double stint to close down the gap to first place.

What followed was a hot battle in the dark for victory in the final thirty minutes of the race, with both riders setting laps into the 1'46s after more than eleven hours of intense racing. Checa's performance was impeccable in the climax of the race as he used all of the Yamaha's strong points to the maximum and took the lead with 14 minutes left. The experienced rider placed his overtaking moves on backmarkers to perfection to keep the edge in this high-speed chase and took the best victory of his career with a 0.081s advantage over the line.

The YART team had a difficult start to the race from second place and entered the first corner of the first lap at the back of the pack, but this only fueled Broc Parkes' motivation. As his confidence grew he worked his way up to third before returning to the pits. Teammate Marvin Fritz and Iv?n Silva were next to take the YZF-R1 out on track and displayed a competitive pace to remain in contention for a podium finish.

They secured eight points after hitting the eight-hour mark in third position but bad luck struck an hour later. Race Direction demanded the team to make a pit stop to make sure the bike didn't exceed the noise limit. Once Silva returned to the track YART had fallen back to sixth, which meant the end for their podium challenge, but they kept dropping consistent lap times to ultimately score a well-deserved fourth place.

After the victory GMT94 Yamaha secured the maximum of forty-five points: ten points for leading the way at the eight-hour mark and thirty-five points for the win. The YART team took away a total of twenty-nine points for their third place after eight hours and fourth place over the full race distance. The teams look forward to the next round, the Suzuka 8 Hours, held on July 29th - 31st at the Suzuka circuit.

3ART Yam'Avenue team, Yamaha's SST team, was also incredibly competitive today. Riders Louis Bulle, Alex Plancassagne and Lukas Trautmann duplicated their consistent and faultless performance of the 24H Moto Le Mans, collecting twelve points in Portim?o for a ninth place finish.

Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Team Manager
"What an incredible race! We are so, so happy, because the race was decided by a big battle with last year's championship winner. Our YZF-R1, tyres and riders were fantastic today and we can be very happy with our pace on the track, but the way David rode in the last stages of the race was even surprising to me. After more than eleven hours of racing he still set superfast lap times and made the team so proud to take the win by 0.081s. The battle in the last minutes of the race was great, not only for us and Yamaha, but also for the sport, because it shows just how exciting endurance racing can be and how close the championship is. Winning an endurance race is never easy, but today we did it with a photo finish."
David Checa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
"The only choice I had was to win and I gave a 110% when I came out on track on the last stint. I was on the limit and it was the best victory of my life, it was incredible! We are really happy because it was a difficult race and a hard-fought win that we took with 0.081s over the line, but we did exactly what we needed to do. The bike and the tyres were incredible and the team and riders were fantastic, everything came together today. It's a great result for the team and Yamaha and we look forward to the next round in Suzuka."
Mandy Kainz - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Team Manager
"Considering that we had to do a really long pit stop, we can be happy with the results. After a shaky start, Broc quickly made up for lost time and our riders gave a really good performance, without mistakes. They kept fighting hard throughout the race and this gave us some very valuable points for the championship. I want to thank them, the team and Pirelli for their work this week. It's been a challenging but rewarding second round of the championship. Hopefully the next round we will go one step further and finish on the podium. I want to say congratulations to Yamaha; the YZF-R1 took very good results today, which is well-deserved."
Broc Parkes - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
"We had some problems at the start of the race so that meant we had some catching up to do. Luckily, the bike felt good, so we were soon in third place, but in the afternoon the wind picked up and the grip level dropped so it wasn't as easy to keep the times as low as they were before. I think we rode a very strong race overall and I'm happy because I had a good pace during my stints. It was unlucky that we had to make such a long pit stop due to exceeding the noise limit. If it hadn't been for that, I think we would have been in contention for a podium result, but finishing the race and taking home solid points for the championship is something we can be satisfied with and now we look forward to the next round."
12 Hours EWC Portimao - Race Provisional Classification

1. 94 GMT94 YAMAHA, EWC - 1, 393 laps, 12:00:00.856
2. 1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, EWC - 2,393 laps, 12:00:00.937
3. 111 Honda Endurance Racing, EWC - 3, 389 laps, 12:00:22.782
4. 7 YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, EWC - 4, 387 laps, 12:00:03.565
5. 50 Team April Moto Motors Events, EWC - 5, 387 laps, 12:01:50.475
6. 4 Tati Team Beaujolais Racing, SST - 1, 385 laps, 12:00:08.619
7. 48 Voelpker NRT48 by Schubert-Motors, SST - 2, 385 laps, 12:00:38.215
8. 72 Junior Team LMS Suzuki, SST - 3, 385 laps, 12:00:51.532
9. 36 TEAM 3ART YAM'AVENUE, SST - 4, 383 laps, 12:00:37.212
10. 52 Lukoil BMW Motorrad CSEU, EWC - 6, 382 laps, 12:01:19.802

17. 119 Slider Endurance, SST - 8, 370 laps, 12:00:09.243

 

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HAGA JOINS BROOKES AND TSUDA IN YOSHIMURA SUZUKI TEAM FOR SUZUKA 8 HOUR

Yoshimura Suzuki Shell ADVANCE Racing Team has announced the rider line-up of Takuya Tsuda, Josh Brookes and Noriyuki Haga as its riders for the 2016 Suzuka 8 Hour race.

Tsuda has been the regular Yoshimura Suzuki rider in the All Japan Championship and Suzuka 8 Hour since 2013. He has continued to post solid results this year and improved both his riding and mental approach and remains the nucleus of the Yoshimura Suzuki team.

Brookes worked with the Yoshimura Suzuki team at the 2013 Suzuka 8 Hour event, finishing second despite an unfortunate crash when he was recovering from a pit lane speed limit penalty by his team mate. The Yoshimura team were impressed by his fighting spirit at that event. Brookes went on to win the hotly contested British Superbike Championship in 2015.

Haga is well known throughout the world of motorcycle racing and the addition of his vast experience and riding skill are certain to boost the team's chances in this year's epic 8 hour event. Haga is currently competing in the ARRC Supersport 600 series aboard the Team Kagayama Suzuki Asia GSX-R600.

All three riders are highly motivated and aiming for the podium in the event.

In the past few years, the official factory teams have returned to the Suzuka 8 Hour race and it is more competitive than ever, so the Yoshimura Suzuki Shell ADVANCE Racing Team know that they must be ultra-competitive to take the victory.

The Yoshimura tuned Suzuki GSX-R1000 has been improving throughout the year and the team firmly believes in its chances for victory in the 39th Suzuka 8 Hour event that takes place at Suzuka in Japan on the 31st of July 2016.

 

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Honda WorldSBK riders get ready for Suzuka 8 Hours challenge

The three Honda representatives within the FIM Superbike World Championship ? Nicky Hayden, Michael van der Mark and PJ Jacobsen ? will all compete in the 39th running of the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race, which takes place this weekend at the iconic 5.807km (3.617 mile) Suzuka International Racing Course in Japan.

Current teammates within the Honda WorldSBK Team, Hayden and van der Mark will team up with veteran Japanese rider Takumi Takahashi with the aim of scoring what would be the fourth win for the MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO team after success in 2010, 2013 and 2014. This is the fourth consecutive appearance with MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO for van der Mark, who was on the riding team for the last two wins for Honda at the 8-hour race. Hayden makes his comeback to the competition for the first time since 2003.

Both riders flew to Japan straight after the WorldSBK US Round at Laguna Seca for the traditional two-day Manufacturers test at Suzuka in preparation for the 8-hour race.

The third standard bearer for Honda within the WorldSBK paddock, PJ Jacobsen, will also contest the Suzuka 8 Hours with the F.C.C. TSR Honda team. The young American rider has already shown great skills aboard the team?s Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP in last month?s 12-hour Endurance World Championship race at Portim?o.


Nicky Hayden 69

I?m very honoured to take part in the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race and being invited by the MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO team. They?ve had some good success in the last years but I realise how much of a challenge it?ll be. It?s a long race with a bike that you have to share with your teammates, so the set-up surely is a compromise. We did a two-day test at Suzuka last week, but unfortunately it wasn?t as productive as we would have liked with the limited time available; the weather surely didn?t help and the track was very crowded. Anyway, I?m looking forward to the challenge: I?ve always followed the 8 Hour and it would be amazing to add one of those trophies to the trophy case. I know it?s going to be a big job but I look forward to the opportunity and to see again first-hand how passionate Japanese people are about this race.


Michael van der Mark 60

After how things went last year, it is quite clear what we want to achieve: we need to get the Suzuka victory back. I think Takumi, Nicky and myself form a great line-up within the MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO squad and we surely don?t lack chemistry. We had a good test last week but it was a shame we couldn?t test more before the 8 Hours race. But anyway, the team has got a lot of experience and we will do everything in our power to get that trophy back this year, although we?re aware of the usual strong competition. I have been part of the winning team twice already and I know how great it feels to step atop the podium there, so all I?m thinking of is doing the same all over again.


Patrick Jacobsen 2

I?m looking forward to taking part in the Suzuka 8 Hours race for the first time. It?s definitely going to be a hot and demanding race, but I have already contested the 12h of Portim?o with the F.C.C. TSR Honda team and it was definitely a good warm-up for this event. We did well there, although a technical problem ruled us out of contention for honours. I?m really happy to represent the team and being part of the Honda Racing family in endurance racing again, they?re a great team and I cannot thank them enough for the opportunity. This is a very different challenge to the one I?m used to: you have to push as hard as you can while sharing the bike with your team mates, so the set-up and position are not fully tailored around your riding style. I really hope we can get a great result there and surely I?ll give my very best.

 

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Haslam targets the Suzuka 8 Hour podium

Leon Haslam comes from a great racing background. His father, Ron, gained three world titles and competed at the highest level in Grand Prix, at the Isle of Man and in the demanding world of Endurance racing placing second at the Suzuka 8 Hours of 1979.


Now Leon returns to Suzuka to see if the Haslam family name can once more be mentioned in the rostrum places after already being part of a winning team on two previous occasions himself.

Here are Leon?s thoughts about the upcoming race which looks set to have many Kawasaki teams competing including Team SRC and Bolliger Kawasaki among them:

Testing for Suzuka:

?The team has done some good testing so far. A few days at a track called Okayama which is west of the Kawasaki?s Akashi factory and at the Suzuka circuit itself which lays to the east and is close enough for many people from the factory to come and see the race.

I got used to the Ninja ZX-10R we will race quite quickly even though it is different to the British Superbike ZX-10R I am riding in the UK this year for the JG Speedfit team. The Suzuka 8 Hour bike is amazing; it has a full electronic rider aid package with traction control, anti-wheelie, an auto-blipper so you don?t have to use the clutch. The other big factor is that for this race we use Bridgestone tyres so I have had to get dialled in to those again as we use a different manufacturer tyre in the UK.

In terms of the general approach I was really surprised at how fast the Ninja was compared to many famous other teams, manufacturers and fellow competitors plus, as I said, just how good the electronic package is.

We have more work to do before the race but this is mainly fine tuning after gathering all the testing data we have created among the three riders in the team. We are mostly requesting the same things from the Kawasaki race engineers in terms of machine set up and changes to the electronics. My team mates and the support staff from Kawasaki are working really hard.

From a competitive point of view ?and having tested the bike extensively ? I think there is no reason why we cannot challenge for the top step of the podium at Suzuka. I am confident we can fight for the top places and a win is possible I think. It would be a great personal achievement for me so that is what I am aiming for.?

The Suzuka 8 Hour race:

?The Suzuka 8 is such a prestigious race. I am so proud to be invited to ride for Kawasaki alongside such famous and experienced team mates. I?ve competed before with another manufacturer and I am happy to say I?ve ridden in the winning team twice already so I have good experience of the race. In fact I am the only English rider to win the race twice; that was in 2013 and 2014.

The main difference between Superbike racing and the Suzuka 8 Hour is this is less reliant on one person. It is much more of a team effort. I have two team mates Akira Yanagawa and Kazuki Watanabe who will share the riding

It?s a punishing race. Just one hour around Suzuka with the heat, the humidity and the sheer pace that the event is run at certainly takes its toll on your body.

I enjoy training anyway so all during the year I train really hard but, for this one event, you have to change your approach physically and mentally. Your diet changes and you also have a full team of people looking after you and making sure you can perform at the top level of Endurance racing.

The challenge excites me and I take it seriously. Before and during the race I drink water as often as I can and take nutritional supplements. We always get weighed before and after riding sessions and from my previous Suzuka experience I am expecting some dramatic changes to my body across the race.

At the 2014 Suzuka 8 Hours I drank a massive 8 litres of water and electrolyte drinks across the day and still lost 5 kilos in weight due to the heat and exertion. Even during testing I lost 3 kilos and I drank a total of 25 litres of water. That means you have to monitor your intake, to know your body so you are fully fit and alert over 8 hours of competition.

Overall I am looking forward to the 2016 Suzuka 8 Hour with Kawasaki and with such a strong team and experienced team mates. We have a realistic chance of success and, when the race is over, I hope all three of us will be walking towards the podium steps.?

 

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Yamaha Factory Racing Storms to Provisional Pole in Dominant Suzuka Qualifying

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team picked up today in Suzuka exactly where they left off last year, dominating every single session to secure provisional pole ahead of tomorrow's top ten shoot out for the 2016 Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8 Hours. The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team were not far behind, delivering an impressive qualifying performance to secure fourth in the overall times. GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team's plans for a top ten result were pushed slightly off target by the sheer mass of on-track traffic during qualifying, leaving them just outside the top ten in 12th.

The combination of All Japan Superbike star Katsuyuki Nakasuga, MotoGP's Pol Espargar? and WorldSBK's Alex Lowes proved unstoppable today with all three consistently keeping the pressure on. Nakasuga sent a strong message of the team's intentions in this morning's qualifying, wasting no time in delivering a 2'06.908s to set the pace in the rider 1 session. The rider 2 session saw a similar performance from Espargar?, the MotoGP rider repeating his teammates performance with an immediate flying lap of 2'07.333s to secure the top spot. Lowes' first qualifying proved unfortunate for the Brit as he crashed out on his first flying lap. He was thankfully uninjured and ready to fight back in the afternoon.

The second round of qualifying brought more of the same pace, Nakasuga again topping his heat with a 2'08.177s lap. Espargar? was quick to lay down a similar pace, taking second in his stint with a 2'08.321s lap. Determined to make up for his morning error, Lowes was on fire in his second qualifying attack, smashing under the 2'08 mark with a 2'07.713s for the fastest lap of the afternoon.

The team had already made a good start the day prior to qualifying, ruling the morning two-hour practice with all three breaking under the 2'08 mark to wrap up with a session best time of 2'07.806s, courtesy of Nakasuga.

YART Yamaha's impressive qualifying result was in no small part due to the efforts of experienced endurance racer Broc Parkes. The Australian had worked hard alongside his young Japanese teammates Takuya Fujita and Kohta Nozane during the morning practice, lapping into the 2'09s as he prepared the race set up for Sunday's Suzuka 8hrs race. Come qualifying and Parkes surpassed expectations with the Pirelli tyres, cracking an impressive 2'08.239s to ensure the team a place in the top five for tomorrow 's top ten shoot out.

Both Fujita and Nozane spent the day steadily improving as they adjusted their riding styles from Bridgestone to Pirelli, Nozane getting down to a 2'11.975s and Fujita to a 2'13.481s.

As is normal for the French outfit, GMT94 Yamaha spent the large part of qualifying focused on perfecting their race set up ahead of Sunday's main event. The team only received their new spec of Dunlop tyres yesterday so they have been working from scratch to build a race-ready set up on their YZF-R1. Despite this complication the pairing of David Checa, Niccol? Canepa and Lucas Mahias has been inspiring, Checa and Canepa leading the way whilst Mahias builds his pace as he learns the track, having missed the earlier Suzuka test days.

The Dunlop qualifier tyres proved to be almost too good, with Checa suffering a small crash in his second qualifying heat due to the level of the new Dunlop rear over the used front. Luckily there was no damage to rider or bike, but the new information required further set up changes that ate into the qualifying time. The change was invaluable for Canepa following in the next heat, with the Italian looking on target to bring the team into the top ten shoot out. Unfortunately he was frustrated by traffic on his flying laps, scoring a best time of 2'09.299s, putting GMT94 Yamaha just outside the top ten in 12th position.

Wataru Yoshikawa - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
"Alex [Lowes] crashed unfortunately in his first qualifying session, but thankfully he was unhurt and there was little damage to the bike. We later had Nakasuga head out on the repaired machine in his second qualifying session to verify that everything was working properly, and Pol [Espargar?] and Alex both finished their second sessions without incidents. Since the three of them are feeling good, they all went out today looking for fast times. They succeeded in doing that, but Alex's fall reminded both the team staff and the riders themselves that this is an endurance race and that we have to work together. So, our solidity as a team is even stronger now. All of our riders have the speed to set a time fast enough to take pole position in the Top 10 Trial tomorrow, so please look forward to our runs."
Katsuyuki Nakasuga - Yamaha Factory Racing Team
"In the first qualifying I set a 2'06.908, but that was with slower riders in front of me, so if I'd had a clear track I could have gone even faster. Alex [Lowes] crashed in his first qualifying session, so my job in my second session was to do a shakedown run with the repaired bike to make sure everything was OK. I was in the 2'08s with it, so there aren't any problems. Though Alex crashed, our staff and mechanics pulled together to get it fixed and I helped out too by checking the bike. Of course, we'd rather have no issues at all, but I think this actually served to further unite our team. Looking at the team as a whole, I think we're in good shape. But tomorrow's Top 10 Trial is definitely more important than today's qualifying sessions, and even more important is the race on Sunday. In any case, we'll be aiming to take pole position for the team in the Top 10 Trial tomorrow."
Pol Espargar? - Yamaha Factory Racing Team
"The qualifying today was actually really good. It wasn't an amazing lap time for me but I'm quite happy with the result. The bike is working well and the team is working really good. Nakasuga-san was really fast and Alex was able to improve his lap time after his crash so it ended well. I missed some tenths in qualifying, I found some traffic at the end but tomorrow we have the track more empty for us. Today we needed to qualify in the top ten and we did so it's an important day. It's difficult with so many bikes on the track and some of them you just don't know what they are going to do! It's difficult to manage but this is racing, it's interesting and it makes this race special!"
Alex Lowes - Yamaha Factory Racing Team
"It was really good today. Honestly I made a small mistake and lost the front of the bike on my first lap in Q1. I was pushing a little bit, normally in endurance racing you find a nice rhythm but in the qualifying I wanted to try and do a good lap time and I made a mistake. For the afternoon session I was happy, I made it into the 2'07s on older tyres, and that was quite good. My rhythm was good and I felt the same on the bike as I did before the crash in the morning. The team did a fantastic job, this morning in the practice we did a good job together as a team, all the riders were very fast in the 2'07s which is very fast. It's important that we have a consistent pace so it's looking promising. I'm really enjoying the experience, it is a real team event and it's very special. It's so different to normal racing, as you share the bike you have to compromise on set up etc so I've learned a lot to take back with me to WorldSBK."
Mandy Kainz - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
"For sure we did not expect with Pirelli to be top five so for today we are really satisfied. Broc's lap time was great. The young boys improve practice by practice and are fighting hard. They have to adapt their riding style from Bridgestone to Pirelli so its good work. I know that today we achieved the fastest lap time possible for the conditions so a good day for Yamaha I think."
Broc Parkes - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
"Today has been awesome for us, we didn't expect to be so strong in qualifying. To do a 2'08.2s is nearly a second faster than last year so it's a big step for us. The bike feels really good this year and we've had some extra help from Yamaha with the engine and that I think has improved the bike a lot. We used kit electronics from YEC that I think are also really good. Tomorrow we have to try and do it again, but everybody is in the same position. It's up to me to do the best. I'm so happy to be were we are, we wanted to be top ten so to be fourth is a bonus. For the race I think we have a good pace and we know the race tyre which is good."
Kouta Nozane - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
"The team's goal today was to get into the Top 10 Trial so Broc took the lead for the time attack and set the fourth fastest lap overall, so we're guaranteed a spot tomorrow. That's great for our team in general, but for myself, I still wasn't able to sort out all the issues I've been having, so I still need to improve. This isn't an ideal situation for me, but I'll do my best in the race to hit good laps and stay up in the order."
Takuya Fujita - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
"The atmosphere among the team as we count down towards the race is great and we all know our strategy so I think we're making good progress. Broc [Parkes], Nozane and I know the roles we need to play, but I still wish I could iron out a few more details with a race simulation. Qualifying sessions end today and tomorrow is the Top 10 Trial, but what's really important is the race the day after tomorrow. I'll focus on my riding and never give up until the chequered flag."
Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
"Today has been cold and hot! Cold because in the qualifying two David had a little crash, no damage but David was out for a good lap time. It was hot because Niccol?'s pace was unbelievable, flying in the 2'9s, so we were happy. Unfortunately he met two bikes on track in traffic that prevented him on his hot laps. The pace and progression has been great so big thank you to Dunlop. They brought new tyres that are very good here. The only issue is we have them quite late so we are still working on the set up. Lucas is learning the track very quickly, I'm impressed with his times so far in the 2'10s. I am confident that for the race and for championship points we can do something good on Sunday."
David Checa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
"The first qualifying session was ok, we worked to adjust the bike for the race. In the second session we had a new rear tyre to test and in the second lap I lost the front. Then we had to set up the bike again because for sure the rear was better and it pushed the front. It's a bit of a pity because if you have to work on setting in the qualifying you lose valuable time. It's a shame to crash but I prefer to do this today than in the race. The bike didn't have too much damage, I managed to save the crash but the corner stone is really high so we jumped over a bit. I'm happy that the mechanics didn't have too much work to do and we got some valuable information for tomorrow. I'm a bit disappointed because Niccol? had the possibility to make the top ten trial for tomorrow but for two laps he was held up in traffic in the middle so for a little we lost the top ten. Anyway the race is eight hours so we will do our best."
Niccol? Canepa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
"It's been a good day. I'm quite satisfied with the bike and we have been working hard. Unfortunately we received the new Dunlop tyres too late to test them in the test so we had to work in today's qualifying to find a good set up. Thanks to David because after his crash he understood that we needed something different on the setting so he really helped me to be fast in the qualifying with the qualifier tyres. Unfortunately two riders stayed in the middle of the track on my hot laps which was unfair as they prevented me from delivering possibly my best laps with the qualifier so I missed the top ten. In the end I'm satisfied with the bike and with the performance of the team, I know that we can be strong in the race. Lucas has done a great job considering it's his first time here so I think we are ready. We have a little more work to do on the bike but we can be fast on Sunday."
Lucas Mahias - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
"It has been a good qualifying for me, especially so as it's the first time I've come here. It's difficult when you are not fast immediately but David and Niccol? did a great job working on the bike set up. I did not have the opportunity to use the new tyres in the qualifying session because of the rules of the championship we did not have enough stickers, but these are the rules. It's a shame because I think I could have been faster with the new tyres. In the end I'm happy overall as I met my target to be lapping in the 2'10s on my second day."
Results Friday - Qualifying

1. Yamaha Factory Racing Team, Yamaha, 2'06.908
2. MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO., Honda, 2'07.026
3. Team GREEN, Kawasaki, 2'07.563
4. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Yamaha, 2'08.239
5. Yoshimura Suzuki Shell ADVANCE, Suzuki, 2'08.248
6. F.C.C. TSR Honda, Honda, 2'08.403
7. TOHO Racing, Honda, 2'08.426
8. Team KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, 2'08.474
9. Moto Map SUPPLY, Suzuki, 2'09.227
10. TEAMJP DOGFIGHTRACING AUSTRALIA, Yamaha, 2'09.269

12. GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Yamaha, 2'09.299
22. AKENO SPEED: WJR-YAMAHA, Yamaha, 2'11.199
25. Team HOOTERS with Shota Saito, Yamaha, 2'11.541
30. HKC&IMT Racing, Yamaha, 2'12.100
33. TEAM MASSA-R, Yamaha, 2'12.759
38. CLEVER WOLF Racing, Yamaha, 2'13.220
39. T-MOTOKIDS-ICU-Kawauso RT, Yamaha, 2'13.243
48. Motobox Kremer Racing CWR, Yamaha, 2'14.245
49. Iwata Racing Family, Yamaha, 2'14.545
51. NCXX RACING, Yamaha, 2'14.630
54. Team Etching Factory, Yamaha, 2'15.001
59. Team Favorite Factory, Yamaha, 2'15.158

 

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YOSHIMURA & KAGAYAMA SUZUKIS IN THE MIX AT SUZUKA

As temperatures rose at the Suzuka International Circuit in Japan today, the Yoshimura and Kagayama Suzuki teams upped their pace to finish well-in the top-10 ready for tomorrow?s all-important qualifying sessions for the 39th Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8-Hour World Endurance Championship third round on Sunday.

Following initial practice sessions yesterday, Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance (third in Thursday?s free practice) put-in the fifth-fastest time today with a combined time of 2?08.248 aboard their GSX-R1000 with riders Takuya Tsuda, Josh Brookes and Noriyuki Haga.

Eighth overall is Team KAGAYAMA SUZUKI riders Yukio Kagayama, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Naomichi Uramoto (2?08.474); and ninth on the timesheets, Moto Map SUPPLY?s Josh Waters, former Suzuki MotoGP rider Nobuatsu Aoki and Yoshihiro Konno (2?09.227).

Defending Endurance World Champions, Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, (SERT) currently sits 17th with a time of 2?09.928, but are looking for more in tomorrow?s final sessions.

Takuya Tsuda:

?I rode slower than I thought because the condition is considerably different from a test. Still, the average of three of us is high, and putting all this together, I think it is far from a bad position. I?m looking forward to the final, and I would like to ride well in the Top-10 Trial tomorrow.?

Noriyuki Haga:

?I had some trouble with the conditions that were considerably-different from a test. But I think that the balance of the whole machine is good, but it is not able to give the performance with the tyre for the road-surface condition well. However, I understand the solution to it, so I think it is not a big problem: It keeps me on my toes because the Suzuka 8-Hours is a long stretch and I have to focus on the final qualifying, but I still have no image of the race at all.?

Josh Brookes:

?I think I will be able to perform well in the race, because my team has the solution to some issues I have at the moment, but no big deal. Maybe, Takuya and Nori will ride in the Top-10 Trial tomorrow, so I would like to concentrate and focus on the race.?

Yukio Kagayama:

?I checked the machine that is for Suzuka 8-Hour, choose tyres yesterday, and everything is going well. There is a limit of tyres, so our team made the direction with management that we make Kiyonari?s feeling: I?m grateful for his work. He understands my ideas and helps my challenge that a young rider like Uramoto is growing and improving here. I am very happy and enjoying the race week with the good atmosphere in our team.?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:

?We are improving our machine all the time, but to be honest, I am surprised with the other team?s time scores. Our team?s work-flow is right and going well, I think. Anyway, I have to do what I can, so I will more focus on working hard.?

Naomichi Uramoto:

?The feeling of the first outing was good, but I slipped-off, but then I got a better feeling and I could ride with the good rhythm in this morning?s free practice. The qualifiers were both with the used tyres, but I just want to do my best for our team.?

Yoshihiro Konno:

?There was a limit of tyres, so Josh and I planned to attack and that was going well.
Nobuatsu Aoki gave us some good advice and it enabled us to put it together early, which led to a good result.?

Nobuatsu Aoki:

?This team has the job of tyre development and testing in a real race environment, so there are some difficult tasks?but, the potential is improving: It seems that we will show it and this will be proof of our job. Our Suzuki machine is good and we are positive about the race.?

Josh Waters:

?The conditions were different from the test, and the slow machines caused a traffic jam in many places. But the performance of the Suzuki is good, and I was able to attack with confidence. I enjoy the race because my team-mates are the best, and the atmosphere of the team is good. I hope to give a good performance in the Top-10 Trial tomorrow.?

Vincent Philippe:

?I was disappointed at today?s session a little because I couldn?t get clear laps with the traffic jam on the course. The tyre grip is also not good. But, we are the Champion team and our GSX-R1000 Suzuki is good. We must get as many points as possible and, of course, we aim at a winner?s platform.?

Anthony Delhalle:

?Today I was able to raise confidence, but because I crashed by a slight mistake, I lost a bit, but I got my confidence back. I ran with a race tyre 1n the second session and I have got a good feeling for the race now.?

Etienne Masson:

?The track conditions are different from the test, so I was perplexed. There are lots of bikes on the course. It troubles me a little and I need more time riding, so I would like to spend more time tomorrow doing this before the race.?


Friday Overall Combined Qualifying: 1 Yamaha Factory Racing Team (Yamaha) 2?06.908, 2 Musashi RT Harc-Pro (Honda) 2?07.026, 3 Team Green (Kawasaki) 2?07.563, 4 YART (Yamaha) 2?08.239, 5 Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance ? Tsuda, Brookes, Haga ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 2?08.248, 6 FCC TSR Honda (Honda) 2?08.403, 7 TOHO Racing (Honda) 2?08.426, 8 Team KAGAYAMA ? Kagayama, Uramoto, Kiyonari ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 2?08.474, 9 Moto Map SUPPLY ? Waters, Aoki, Konno ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 2?09.227, 10 Team JP Dogfighting Australia (Yamaha) 2?09.269. 17 SERT ? Philippe, Delhalle, Masson ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 2?09.928.

 

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Yamaha Factory Racing Deliver Second Consecutive Pole in Suzuka 8 Hours Top Ten Shoot Out

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team were back on track today, successfully defending their provisional pole position result from yesterday with an unbeatable lap in the Top Ten Trial shoot out. The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team also continued their impressive top ten performance level to secure seventh on the grid for Sunday’s 2016 Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race.

The legendary Suzuka 8 Hours Top Ten Trial sees the first two riders from the ten fastest teams in yesterday's qualifying take one hot lap each to decide the first ten starting positions for tomorrow's race. Having smashed the lap record last year with a stunning 2'06.000s lap for pole, MotoGP rider Pol Espargar? was keen to break under the 2'06s mark. With a 2'06.405s lap to beat, The Spanish rider delivered an almost perfect attack, firing out a 2'06.258s lap to secure pole for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team. Higher track temperatures and less grip meant a new pole record was out of reach, but didn't prevent Espargar? from claiming the fastest time of the day.

Teammate and number one rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga was the last man of the trial to make his run. With all eyes on him and pole already secured, there was only his fellow Yamaha rider Espargar? to beat. Having shared similar pace all weekend, the shoot out proved to be a close call with Nakasuga laying down a 2'06.435s lap, less than two hundredths of a second from his teammate's pole time.

Third rider Alex Lowes was on-track in the morning practice with Nakasuga and Espargar?, the trio again keeping the pace at the sharp end as the only team to dip under the 2'08s mark with a best lap of 2'07.877s. The result from today's Top Ten Trial means The Yamaha Factory Racing Team will start the 39th edition of the Suzuka 8 Hours at the front of the pack for the second year running.

Having secured fourth overall in provisional qualifying Broc Parkes and Kohta Nozane were up to represent the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team in today's Top Ten Trial. Nazone was the first out, the young Japanese rider still getting to grips with the change from Bridgestone to Pirelli tyres. Despite the pressure he was able to deliver one of his strongest laps of the weekend so far, recording a 2'10.636s time. Then it was down to Parkes to see how far up the rankings he could place the team. The Australian delivered a trademark smooth, fast lap, with no errors, to put the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team in seventh position for tomorrow's race with a lap time of 2'08.602s.

GMT94 Yamaha's starting position had already been confirmed in yesterday's qualifying, having taken 12th in the heats to secure their place just outside the top ten. Riders David Checa, Niccol? Canepa and Lucas Mahias continued their work this morning in the hunt for the best set up ahead of tomorrow's race, wrapping up the morning practice in 11th with a 2'10.418s best lap time.

Wataru Yoshikawa - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
"We were able to take pole position for the second time in a row so this is great for us. However, during the free practice session beforehand, the safety car entered the track and it threw off the rhythm Nakasuga and Pol had built up. On top of that, both of them set incredible times in the Top 10 Trial last year so I think the expectations on their shoulders may have grown a little too big. Tomorrow is finally the real thing, and we'll believe in all the hard work we’ve done until now as we head into the race. We're ready to go and feeling great."
Katsuyuki Nakasuga - Yamaha Factory Racing Team
2'06.435

"We haven't changed any settings during the week, everything has been really good and the average speed has been high. We are very satisfied with the progress we've been making and tomorrow I think we are going to do a great job. I wanted to beat Pol's lap time this afternoon but I was unable to! I realised when he was doing his lap that today the conditions were harder and it would probably be hard to do a better one, but he did his best and I am very happy for him. I was the last one to go out for a lap time and I felt a lot of pressure and was a little nervous. I didn't perform as well as I wanted to but we secured pole position, which is very important for us for the start of the race. I'm not totally satisfied with my lap but overall I'm happy for all of us."
Pol Espargar? - Yamaha Factory Racing Team
2'06.258

"I'm actually really happy with the pole position, especially because during the weekend the speed of all three of us has been really consistent with good pace. We haven't changed the bike so much, only something really small with the electronics. Our riding styles are different but in the end we can use the same motorbike, which is really important for the race. I'm happy with the pole lap, I wanted to improve on last year's time but I felt the track today was a bit more slippery and I didn't have a great T1. It's important for all three of us for tomorrow's start to be at the front. My helmet was special for the shoot out, it has my brother's number on it, it's a kind of dedication for him as it's his 27th birthday today."
Alex Lowes - Yamaha Factory Racing Team
"Of course I'm really happy for the team to be on pole position. It's a strange position having done nothing myself yet to be on pole but anyway I'm really happy. What's most important is the race tomorrow, we had a really good day yesterday in the practices; we were all quite fast and consistent so this will be important for tomorrow. I'm really happy to be here with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team. It's such a fantastic team and we three guys have a really good relationship. It's very important for a race like this where you have to work together and have fun. I'm looking forward to the race, let's see what happens tomorrow."
Untitled Mandy Kainz - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
"We are very satisfied with seventh position in qualifying, this was the maximum we could do, more was not possible so we are really very happy with it. All is under control, we are ready to start tomorrow and see what we can do in the race."
Broc Parkes - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
2'08.602

"Qualifying went pretty well today. I had to put a good lap down because I knew my time was going to be where we were on the grid. It wasn't a bad lap, it wasn't on the edge at all, I just tried to put the best one down I could and keep it smooth. It was a little bit warmer today so it was a little bit more difficult to put a lap down confidently but in general seventh on the grid is a good place to be for tomorrow and I think we can fight from there. The plan is to get a good start and try and go with the top guys and see how long I can hang in there and see what happens."
Kouta Nozane - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
2'10.636

"Today was my first-ever Top 10 Trial, so I was really nervous, but I recorded my personal-best time so far with a lap in the 2'10s. It was an all-out lap on new tyres and with the bike setup closer to the sprint spec I normally use, but I still wasn't able to break into the 2'09s so I’m pretty disappointed. But riding in the Top 10 Trial helped me understand the bike a lot more than I had before. We'll work together and do our best to fight in the race tomorrow."
Takuya Fujita - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
"I didn't end up riding in the Top 10 Trial today, but that's all down to the team's strategy. Both the bike and the three of us riders are in good shape at this point. So in tomorrow's race, I'll give my all to do my part for the team. And if there's a chance for us to break into the top positions, we'll go for it."
Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
"We tried new settings in this morning's official practice and also in yesterday's qualifying but neither was as good as the setting we started with in the first two hour practice yesterday morning so we will revert to that. We are very happy because we tried many things and we now have an understanding of the Dunlop tyres and the bike is working well so we have a solution for the race. Of course we could be better if we had more time but it's not possible as the race is tomorrow. The guys are ready, David and Niccol? are very strong and Lucas is proving to be a great rider although he still needs more laps here to understand the circuit fully."
David Checa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
"I really like this circuit, the experience is unbelievable here, the track is probably one of the best in the world for a rider. The welcome in Japan from Yamaha and the Japanese people is always so special. I would like to return to the podium here like we did three years ago. Last year we were sixth but battling for the podium during the race. We intend to be in the top five and maybe we can play for the podium tomorrow."
Results

1,Yamaha Factory Racing Team,Yamaha,2'06.258
2,Yoshimura Suzuki Shell ADVANCE,Suzuki,2'06.405
3,Team GREEN,Kawasaki,2'06.469
4,F.C.C. TSR Honda,Honda,2'07.248
5,MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO.,Honda,2'07.394
6,Team KAGAYAMA,Suzuki,2'07.651
7,YART Yamaha Official EWC Team,Yamaha,2'08.602
8,TOHO Racing,Honda,2'08.716
9,Moto Map SUPPLY,Suzuki,2'09.774
10,TEAMJP DOGFIGHTRACING AUSTRALIA,Yamaha,2'14.223

 

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YOSHIMURA SUZUKI SHINE IN SUZUKA TOP-10 TRIAL

Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance will start tomorrow?s 39th Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8-Hour World Endurance Championship third round in Japan from second on the grid after a blistering lap in this afternoon?s Top-10 Trial.

Takuya Tsuda lapped the team GSX-R1000 at 2'06.405, which was just 0.147-seconds off Pole Position; and the fastest Suzuki lap so far in this year?s event.

Following a night practice session on Friday and further practice this morning at the Suzuka Circuit, the Top-10 Trial started at 15:20 local time with yesterday?s ninth-placed qualifiers, Moto Map SUPPLY, the first of the three Suzuki teams on track. Yoshihiro Konno recorded a 2'09.968-lap on his GSX-R1000, followed by Team KAGAYAMA?s Yukio Kagayama on a 2'08.425. Moto Map?s Josh Waters then put-in a time of 2'09.774 and then Ryuichi Kiyonari a 2'07.651 aboard the Kagayama Suzuki. Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance, fifth in yesterday?s qualifying, put-out Nori Haga first and he scored a 2'08.310 before Tsuda took his stint to lap at 2'06.405.

Takuya Tsuda:

?There were some troubles until the qualifier, but the condition of our machine was finalized in yesterday afternoon?s session. We confirmed it in the Top-10 Trial and we have found the best setting for the race. This has been a fruitful day for us today.?

Noriyuki Haga:

?I was very disappointed that I made a mistake on the final corner before the attacking lap. However, I got my best time of the week and we could find a good setting. We are helping each other and aiming for the top of the podium tomorrow.

Yukio Kagayama:

?I am concentrating on making everything work well for the team and so that Ryuichi can ride with a good feeling. I received a big confident from his riding today and we are ready for the race.?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:

?I confirmed the bike behavior with a full tank of fuel at the free practice session.
The bike is good and things are going well and I understand what we need to do tomorrow.?

Yoshihiro Konno:

?Our machine?s improvement is going well in this race week.
We took a soft tyre for the Top-10 Trial but the road surface temperatures were a little bit higher than we thought. It is little bit disappointed that I could not show the original performance today, but we got some very good preparation for the race.?

Josh Waters:

?I have enjoyed the Top-10 Trial. Compared to the qualifier on Friday, there is no traffic jams on the course and I got a good feeling. Out team?s combination is very good and the team atmosphere is great. I think we can do a good race tomorrow.?


Defending World Endurance Champions SERT, who will start from 17th on the grid, made good use of Friday evening?s practice and today?s earlier sessions, run in increasing heat and track temperatures, making final changes to settings on their GSX-R1000. Riders Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Etienne Masson also proved these revisions were successful, improving their lap-times into 11th at one stage. Said Delhalle: ?It?s the toughest race of the season, because of the heat, but mainly because of the fierce competition from the Japanese teams, who?ll stop at nothing to win! But we?ll do our absolute best to score as many points as pos?sible tomorrow and inch closer to the title?


Top-10 Time Trial Results: 1 Yamaha Factory Racing Team (Yamaha) 2?06.258, 2 Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance ? Tsuda, Brookes, Haga ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 2?06.405, 3 Team Green (Kawasaki) 2?06.469, 4 FCC TSR Honda (Honda) 2?07.248, 5 Musashi RT Harc-Pro (Honda) 2?07.394, 6 Team KAGAYAMA ? Kagayama, Uramoto, Kiyonari ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 2?07.651, 7 YART (Yamaha) 2?08.602, 8 Toho Racing (Honda) 2?08.716, 9 Moto Map SUPPLY ? Waters, Aoki, Konno ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 2?09.774, 10 Team JP Dogfighting Australia (Yamaha) 2?14.223.

 

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Yamaha Delivers Endurance Masterclass with Second Consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours Victory

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team delivered a lap-perfect performance today to take their second consecutive Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8 Hours victory, the first consecutive two-win run for Yamaha since 1988. The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team came out fighting and also delivered, keeping the pressure on to the end to secure fourth in the sweltering Suzuka heat. GMT94 Yamaha proved their racing spirit, overcoming multiple challenges to bring it home in 14th position and wrap up the Japanese Endurance World Championship round.

Having dominated almost every practice and qualifying session leading up to today, Yamaha Factory Racing were at the front of the traditional endurance running start for today's Suzuka 8 Hours. As temperatures rose over 30 degrees it proved to be a real endurance event for the team. All Japan JSB1000 Champion Katsuyuki Nakasuga was the starting rider, sprinting to his YZF-R1 to ride the first hour. Swift to his machine, he was third into the first corner, then dropped slightly to start the first full lap in fourth. As Nakasuga found his feet he was quick to start climbing back to second, tucking in less than two tenths of a second behind rivals Team Kagayama. The 2015 Suzuka winner settled in, keeping the gap to two tenths or less and the pressure high until taking the lead on the last chicane before heading in to lap 18. From there he was untouchable, building a lead until he came in at the end of the hour to hand the bike over to teammate Alex Lowes.

An impressive 17-second pitstop saw the British rider hitting the track in first place and picking up where Nakasuga left off, lapping under the 2'09 mark to stretch the lead even further. By the time he came in to hand the #21 machine over to Pol Espargar?, Lowes had built a lead of almost 20 seconds. The MotoGP rider continued his teammates' pace, upping the pressure even further to be the only rider on track lapping under the 2'10 mark. By the time Nakasuga had returned to the track an hour later the lead was nearly one and a half minutes and growing.

The team continued to be untouchable on track, delivering a masterclass in team endurance riding to stretch themselves further and further into the lead. Espargar? took one more stint, riding two hours in total and Nakasuga a further one to make three. Come the seventh hour it was the responsibility of Lowes to make the final push, riding into the darkness to seal the team's second consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours victory in stunning form. All three riders consistently outperformed the field for the duration of the eight-hour race, rightly earning the cheers from the nearly seventy-thousand fans in attendance as the clocked ticked down to zero. Lowes crossed the line a massive two minutes and 17 seconds clear of second place. Local hero Nakasuga also took the honour of delivering the fastest lap of the race with a stunning 2'08.411 on lap 105.

The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team’s Broc Parkes was the chosen man to take the first hour as the most experienced rider on the team. The Australian was quick to take off from his seventh place start position, moving up to fifth with no trouble. A flurry of activity saw him drop to seventh before handing the reins over to teammate Kohta Nozane.

The young Japanese rider proved an inspiration, holding his own in this and a further two, one-hour stints to keep the YART Yamaha not just in the top seven, but climbing to sixth before handing the bike over to teammate Takuya Fujita. The third rider didn't let the team down, keeping up a decent pace before switching back over to Parkes and Nozane to share the rest of the race between them. The two proved an inspiring combination, battling hard to reach fourth place and holding it to the line. The win brings YART up to third in the Endurance World Championship standings with a total of 60 points.

GMT94 Yamaha's Suzuka 8 Hours experience proved to be more challenging than their fellow Yamaha teams with multiple setbacks arising to thwart their top-ten ambitions. David Checa was the first man to ride, but was forced to return to the pits in the opening laps with a technical failure on the rear wheel. A quick repair and it was then the turn of Niccol? Canepa to take up the challenge with the team having lost around 40 places. The young Italian, Checa and third teammate Lucas Mahias all fought like lions to bring the GMT94 YZF-R1 back into the game, pushing all the way back to just outside the top 20. Unfortunately a further electrical issue causing a loss of lights ate more valuable time but in true fighting spirit they never gave up, pushing even harder to finally cross the line in 14th position. Their results bring them valuable championship points, putting them sixth in the overall standings on 52 points.

Wataru Yoshikawa - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
"We spent a year doing all kinds of preparation so we could win the Suzuka 8 Hours again. And today, we ran the race just as we'd planned and were able to win for the second time in a row. The safety car didn't come out and it never rained so it was eight hours of non-stop racing, but we recorded 218 laps and that's a new record for the current course layout, so we're really satisfied with our performance. This year, we were able to carry out the exact kind of plan needed in an endurance race because our riders as well as the team really came together to make it happen. To the fans that came to cheer us on and related staff, thank you very much for all your support."
Katsuyuki Nakasuga - Yamaha Factory Racing Team
"Today was the hottest day of the week and it was really hard to ride for everyone. In my first ride I wanted to go further to the front but unfortunately the tyres weren't the perfect match for the weather at the time. Towards the end I was able to bring the bike up to the front so finally I was happy. Yamaha did a fantastic job here in the 8 Hours and the bike is brilliant. I really have to thank everyone; the staff, the riders, and the fans for the great job they did."
Pol Espargar? - Yamaha Factory Racing Team
"I'm very happy and very satisfied with this win, for me, for Alex and for Nakasuga-san because we really deserved it. From the start of the test we have worked so hard to get the best for us three. After last year, to win two times with Nakasuga-san and one time with Alex is amazing. I'm sure Alex will complete the second one next year! I just want to say thanks to Yamaha, to all the people that support this fantastic team, because we are three riders but a lot of mechanics and other people work in the Yamaha Factory Team. Thanks so much to Alex and Nakasuga, they were amazing today, I can't say anymore, just thanks!"
Alex Lowes - Yamaha Factory Racing Team
"Obviously I'm really very, very happy; this is the first time I've won this event. The whole week for me has been fantastic, it's a totally different experience to my normal racing championship and the atmosphere we have in the team and the relationship we have has been really enjoyable, both on the track and off the track. The feeling you get when you win is fantastic and it's been a couple of years since I've felt that so I'm happy! I want to say a massive thank you to the whole Yamaha Factory Racing Team for inviting me here; all the staff and guys have been fantastic. Pol and Nakasuga-san have been fantastic teammates, they're really fast which has made the job a lot easier for me so a big thank you to them and hopefully I'll be back next year!"
Mandy Kainz - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
"Our result today was fourth, but to us it feels like a win. The team worked really well. Especially Broc, who put on an absolutely amazing performance. His riding was perfect. I think our two young Japanese riders both gained a lot of experience from this weekend. In any case, our race today was perfect! We want to come here again and put on another flawless performance like we did today."
Broc Parkes - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
"Honestly we did not expect the result that we got. Kohta really stepped up today and we couldn't have hoped for a better result because we couldn't have done better than that. The top three were quite a bit further away so fourth was the ideal spot today. I had to do quite a bit of work, I rode half the race, but I felt like I needed to do it so I could finish in the dark and keep the gap because it was so close between fourth and seventh and we could easily have slipped back. It's good for the championship points; it's really close at the top so coming to Oschersleben things could be interesting. It's a track I like well and the bike works well there so we can have a go at the championship title."
Kouta Nozane - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
"I'm really happy with our 4th place, but I'm also very tired. I took over after Broc’s starting stint, and then my second stint was pretty good. But after that, Broc took over from me and I ended up riding after Broc again. My pace was all over the place by that point. I wasn't able to concentrate while riding and I’m really frustrated about that. However, this was my first-ever 8 Hours so it was a great experience and I learned a lot. I found some things that I need to improve in my racing going forward. Really though, our fourth place was thanks to Broc, so I'm grateful to him and the team for this wonderful experience."
Takuya Fujita - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
"I only rode one stint in the race, and deep down I really wanted to ride more, but I had to stick to the team's plan. But the fact is that I did ride in the race and that contributed to our top-ten finish today. I'm really grateful to have been included as a member of the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team this year, and the entire process, including all the pre-event testing, has been a great learning opportunity for me. I'd like to use the experience I've gained here in my racing and show everybody how much I've grown as a rider."
Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
"First I am sorry for the riders who have given everything. They did not let go until the last lap of the race. They demonstrated a level of riding that delighted the team. Their disappointment is great but they were incredibly motivated. I want to thank the team, and also Dunlop for the provided tyres; they deserved a different result. We aimed for the podium, but we finished the race in the points and that reduces our frustration. I congratulate the Yamaha #21 of Pol Espargar?, Alex Lowes and Katsuyuki Nakasuga for their second consecutive victory at Suzuka."
David Checa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
"I gave everything today. This race was very hard for us and for the team. But now we must turn to the 8H of Oschersleben, where we won last year. I love this circuit and we have often succeeded there."
Niccol? Canepa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
"After our victory in Portim?o last month, I really thought the podium was within reach. I am of course disappointed but delighted to have discovered the Suzuka circuit. I had a great race and I look forward to the next race in Germany."
Lucas Mahias - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
"In our misfortune I am still lucky. David Checa, Niccol? Canepa and GMT94 bring me seven points that consolidate my first position in the provisional world championship. I'm looking forward to Oschersleben to help them win another victory."
Results

1. #21 Yamaha Factory Racing Nakasuga/Espargaro/Lowes 218 laps
2. #87 Team Green Yanagawa/Haslam/Watanabe +2m 17.883s
3. #12 Yoshimura Suzuki Tsuda/Brookes/Haga +1 lap
4. #7 YART Yamaha EWC Team Parkes/Nozane/Fujita +4 laps
5. #32 Moto Map Suzuki Waters/Aoki/Konno +4 laps
6. #17 Kagayama Suzuki Kagayama/Uramoto/Kiyonari +5 laps
7. #01 Eva RT Kawasaki Deguchi/Izutsu/Nigon +5 laps
8. #22 SatuHati Honda Team Asia Pratama/Wilairot/Zaidi +6 laps
9. #18 Mistresa ATS Honda Nakatsuhara/Kobayashi/Sekiguchi +6 laps
10. #090 Teluru RT Honda Akiyoshi/Cudlin/Ohkubo +6 laps
14. #94 GMT94 Yamaha Checa/Canepa/Mahias +8 laps

 

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YOSHIMURA SUZUKI RACE TO SUZUKA 8-HOUR PODIUM

Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance took third place in today?s 39th Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8-Hour World Endurance Championship round in Japan after an exciting battle that saw just a handful of seconds separate them from the second-step of the podium after a total of 218 laps of drama-packed action.

Team riders Takuya Tsuda, Nori Haga and Josh Brookes were just over 10 seconds behind race-long rivals Team Green; that saw Haga locked-in an incredible dice for second with Leon Haslam at mid-race distance where the lead change several times per lap once the pair got into backmarkers.

Japan?s most-prestigious motorcycle event saw three Suzuki GSX-R1000-mounted teams in the top-10: Moto Map SUPPLY riders Nobuatsu Aoki, Josh Waters and Yoshihiro Konno scored an impressive fifth position; and Team KAGAYAMA Suzuki?s Yukio Kagayama, Naomichi Uramoto and Ryuichi Kiyonari sixth place; both having suffered issues during the race.

Reigning World Endurance Champions Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) were unlucky not to score points after an enforced penalty, capped-off with a high-speed crash early-on in the event, but fought back from 48th to 22nd and still hold fourth in the series, just nine points off the championship lead, which is still held by Suzuki GSX-R1000-mounted Team April Moto Motors Events (Gregg Black, Gregory Fastre and Alex Cudlin) ? who scored two points in 19th position with a total of 208 laps.

The start at 11:30am local time under 28 degrees (air) and 37 degrees (track) temperatures saw two Suzuki?s in the lead: #17 Ryuichi Kiyonari got a perfect start for Team KAGAYAMA and finished the first lap leading #12 Tsuda on the Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance GSX-R1000.

Kiyonari kept his lead until the 18th lap when the eventual race winners Yamaha Factory Racing took over at the front. Kiyonari pitted on lap 26 and handed over to Kagayama, but a problem changing the tyre cost the team dearly and they dropped down to sixth.

With Yoshimura Suzuki holding third, SERT was given a ?stop-and-go? penalty for an alleged jump-start, so had to do a ride-through; and then the 14-time World Champions suffered a high-speed crash trying to make-up the time, when Philippe swerved to avoid another rider, but he picked-up his GSX-R1000 and rode back to the pits with a very damaged machine, complete with a punctured rear tyre; dropping down 48th position, but earning the applause of the fans for the team?s super-quick efficient repair to send rider and machine back-out on track.

Problems also hit the Kagayama Suzuki team on the 52nd lap when a problem with the front tyre forced Kagayama to have an extra pit-stop; again dropping the team down the leaderboard, but in the coming hours, they fought back heroically.

With 30 minutes to go, Yoshimura Suzuki?s Brookes held third, Moto Map SUPPLY?s Waters fifth, Kagayama ? riding some impressive lap-times - seventh; and SERT?s Philippe 26th. Kagayama excelled in the closing moments as darkness fell, to move up another position; and SERT also reeled-off another four positions. Ultimately, they scored no championship points but kept the team?s 2016 World Championship ? a potential 15th ? alive with such a determined effort.

With the final race of the season taking place in Germany on August 27th for the Oschersleben 8 Hours, just 17 points separate the top-seven teams; and 35 points are available to the winner.

SUZUKI TEAMS HOUR-BY-HOUR:

Hour 1: 3 ? Yoshimura, 6 ? KAGAYAMA, 10 ? SERT, 11 - Moto Map SUPPLY.
Hour 2: 3 ? Yoshimura, 5 ? Moto Map SUPPLY, 14 ? SERT, 28 ? KAGAYAMA.
Hour 3: 3 ? Yoshimura, 4 Moto Map SUPPLY, 17 ? KAGAYAMA, 48 ? SERT.
Hour 4: 2 ? Yoshimura, 5 ? Moto Map SUPPLY,13 ? KAGAYAMA, 41 ? SERT.
Hour 5: 2 ? Yoshimura, 5 ? Moto Map SUPPLY, 12 ? KAGAYAMA, 35 ? SERT.
Hour 6: 2 ? Yoshimura, 5 ? Moto Map SUPPLY, 9 ? KAGAYAMA, 29 ? SERT.
Hour 7: 3 ? Yoshimura, 5 ? Moto Map SUPPLY, 7 ? KAGAYAMA, 26 ? SERT.
Hour 8: 3 ? Yoshimura, 5 ? Moto Map SUPPLY, 6 ? KAGAYAMA, 22 ? SERT.



Takuya Tsuda:

?This result happened because the team fought in unison, I?m not entirely satisfied with the result, but I can accept it. I want to make machine for next year and I will r-de with Noriyuki and Josh. I have my eyes set on victory.?

Noriyuki Haga:

?I was separated by Kawasaki because of my stint and I feel this is the cause we weren?t able to get second place. But Takuya and Josh made up for it: I?m grateful for their help. If there is a chance, I want to challenge again with the team next year.?

Josh Brookes:

?On a test, there is the choice of tyre, soft or hard. I choose the soft tyre like nobody else in the first stint, because the track temperature was higher than the test and the race week, but I couldn?t show the expected performance and I almost crashed three times; I couldn?t increase the machine?s pace. I choose the hard tyre in the next stint, but choose the soft tyre in the last. I feel sorry that I was not able to contribute more to the team.?


Yukio Kagayama:

?It is really disappointing that we could not stand on the podium today. Thinking about the efforts of mechanics, team staff, riders, we were able to get a second podium. We had problems and my heart was almost broken, but we discussed with the riders and confirmed ?We won?t give up and we Challenge? with full effort.?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:

?I always thought about riding with every effort after I decided to race in the team. I wanted to take the ?holeshot? after having been told I was the first rider on the bike. And I concentrated on that and I was with the leaders in the early stages. I was able to carry it out, but unfortunately we could not get the good result which we wanted because of the issues today. If it is possible, I hope to race with this team again and win.?

Naomichi Uramoto:

?I am frustrated with my poor performance. I imagined I could help more but I feel I did a bottom-end job. But I learned lots of things from both experienced riders during the test days, race week and today and I want to thank everyone for this experience.?

Yoshihiro Konno:

? Josh and I were preparing for this Suzuka 8-Hours Endurance and raced in the All Japan Championship in SUZUKA 2&4 race and SUGO. I am very happy with the result. It was very hot and we had to endure it. The road surface temperature got lower, but our bike and tyres were good. Thank you for all our supporters and sponsors. I really appreciate the support we have had.?

Nobuatsu Aoki:

?I prepared in various ways for this race since last year, and it led to a good result. I had a hard time in the final qualifying, but it all came together today for us.?

Josh Waters:

?I really enjoyed the race and riding in a perfect team. I?m grateful for the support by Nobu-san and Yoshihiro. Because of it, I could give everything to my riding. The atmosphere of the team was the best and it was a really enjoyable race week. Thank you so much!?

Vincent Philippe:

?It has not been a great race for us. We got a penalty and when I was trying to avoid a rider crossing in front slowly, I slipped down. We tried to get the points, but we could not today. It is very disappointing but we will switch our mindset and prepare for the next race.?

Anthony Delhalle:

?It became very hot today - which we did not experience during the test days - and race week. Also we had an unlucky accident. We tried to get one single point in the end, but couldn?t. It was very difficult race today.?

Etienne Masson:

?It was very tough race. It has become the race to put a burden on Vincent.
I realise that I lack experience here, need to improve my skills and hope to help team mates more in future.?


Suzuka 8-Hour Final Result: 1 Yamaha Factory Racing Team (Yamaha) 218 laps, 2 Team Green (Kawasaki) 218, 3 Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance ? Tsuda, Brookes, Haga ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 217, 4 YART (Yamaha) 214, 5 Moto Map SUPPLY ? Waters, Aoki, Konno ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 214, 6 Team KAGAYAMA ? Kagayama, Uramoto, Kiyonari ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 213, 7 EVA TEST TYPE-01Trick Star (Kawasaki) 213, 8 SatuHATI Honda Team Asia (Honda) 212, 9 Mistresa with ATS (Honda) 212, 10 au&Teiuru-KoharaRT (Honda) 212.

 

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Bradley Smith to Join the YART Team in Endurance Title Chase

Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider Bradley Smith will step aboard the powerful Endurance spec-YZF-R1 for the second time in his career on 25-27 August during the 19th German Speedweek's signature 8 Hours of Oschersleben. He will join YART Yamaha Official EWC Team's rider line-up for one race with the goal of helping them charge to gold at the final round of the 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship, which sees nine teams in contention to claim the title.

After YART Yamaha Official EWC Team's superb performance at the Suzuka 8 Hours almost a fortnight ago, securing a well-deserved fourth place, the Austrian team is currently tied for second in the championship, just eight points behind the leading team and with 35 points still to race for. With glory within his grasp, Team Manager Mandy Kainz is determined to claim the second World Championship Title for the team, its first since 2009, as the series is decided at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in a little more than two weeks' time.

The number #7 team finished last year's race on the German podium with a solid third place but Kainz believes recruiting Smith will further strengthen the team's current line-up, consisting of Broc Parkes and Marvin Fritz, providing an extra boost in their final push towards the title victory.

The Briton has been in contact with Kainz for a few years and expressed interest in riding YART's YZF-R1 in an endurance race for a while. Last year saw Smith make the perfect debut in endurance racing, riding for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team. Given the honour of completing the final stint of the Suzuka 8 Hour challenge, he returned the compliment by gifting Yamaha its first victory at Suzuka in 19 years and its fifth in the race's history. This year he hopes to duplicate his strong performance in an effort to help the team sign off the 2016 endurance season in the best way possible.

Smith is very thankful to Monster Yamaha Tech3 for allowing him to take part in another endurance event this year during a busy period of the MotoGP Championship. With the 8 Hour of Oschersleben added to his schedule, the 25-year-old will participate in five race events back-to-back, starting with MotoGP's Austrian GP on 14 Aug and ending with the Grand Prix in Misano on 11 Sept.

Bradley Smith Bradley Smith - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider
"I'm very excited to announce that I'm going to be racing with the YART team at the 8 Hour of Oschersleben. I was originally in contact with Mandy a few years ago to do the Suzuka 8 Hour race but it never actually came through and then I ended up racing for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team last year. This year we have been in contact again and I rode the Spielberg racetrack during a two-day test with a bike supplied by Mandy and his team. We continued to keep in touch and after great performances by his team, with Broc Parkes and Marvin Fritz, they are very close to a championship win. It's all resting on the round in Oschersleben, so I'm proud that they have decided to choose me as a rider to help support them in the final race of the series. I love endurance and I loved the Suzuka 8 Hours last year so it just seemed a perfect fit and a great way to help the team finish off the job and hopefully become World Champions. I want to thank Monster Yamaha Tech3 for supporting me. It will be a busy five weeks for us now that the second half of the MotoGP season is about to kick off. I'm looking forward to it closing the season in a positive way!"
Mandy Kainz - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
"We are very excited and proud that Bradley will join the team for the final round in Oschersleben, which will be a very important race for us. The road to the top has not been easy for us this year. At the first race in Le Mans we had only two riders to complete the 24-hour race and in Portim?o we were a little unlucky to be forced to make an extra pit stop, but our determination to keep fighting never diminished. The results in Suzuka were great and thanks to that, and the continuous effort of the team, we are very close to winning the championship. With the addition of Bradley to our already strong rider line-up we are certain we will be in with a good chance to fight for the title and we can't wait to get started."

 

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Lowes Reflects on his Victorious Suzuka 8 Hours Experience

Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes swapped championships and continents last month to compete in the most celebrated Superbike race of the season, the 39th "Coca-Cola Zero" Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race. Braving the peak of the Japanese summer heat, Lowes joined last year's victors Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Pol Espargaro as the Yamaha Factory Racing Team looked to contest, and retain, its title with a second successive win - a feat they achieved with finesse and one that Lowes will always be proud of.

"It was an awesome experience to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hours with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team. I really enjoyed the whole week, both on and off the bike. It's an amazing event and I'm honoured to now say that I've won it. After a difficult year in WorldSBK, it really does mean a lot to me.

"It can sometimes be challenging to swap, not just championships, but the whole structure around you but I found it quite easy to be honest. The Yamaha Factory Racing Team ran like clockwork so it was easy to just jump in and work with them from the first day of testing. I formed a good relationship straight away with my teammates as they are both great guys and we were all there with the same goal, to work hard and determined to go for the win.

"Endurance racing is obviously totally different compared to what I am used to, not just in terms of race distance, but in working closely as a team and sharing the bike and any track time between the three riders. We all tried to embrace that because that's how you get the best results in that type of competition. We were lucky that we all felt comfortable with the same setting on the YZF-R1, which was a big positive."

You are no stranger to the 8 Hours having already appeared at the event last year, how did this experience differ to your Suzuka debut?

"I really enjoyed my debut last year and this year I knew what to expect so naturally you feel better prepared. It's an event and circuit I really enjoy and seem to go well at. I knew I had already proved I could do a good job last year so it was just about doing the best I could and the best for Yamaha.

"Having three race stints on the YZF-R1 was good for me. Honestly, after the first three hours we had all done a great job with our first runs on the bike and we already had a big lead, which allowed us to take our time and be smart. The night session was something I enjoyed as it was a new experience and you are so focused on the job in hand that it isn't too difficult to get used to either. Obviously the hardest part was keeping my concentration, knowing we had such a lead in the final hour. It's normal to feel some pressure but I think I handled it well, and due to having the big gap I made sure I enjoyed the last 50 minutes. It isn't often you can be on a factory bike at the Suzuka 8 Hours with the opportunity to cruise home for the victory so honestly I took it all in and enjoyed it, I was definitely smiling!

"Suzuka is a completely different race with riders from all championships. Of course my main priority is obviously WorldSBK and we have had some bad luck this year so I think riding another version of the YZF-R1 and having fun has given me some fresh motivation heading into the second half of the season. I have learnt a lot in Japan that can benefit me with my riding and also some things I want to try implement in the team for us all to improve. So now honestly I can't wait to get testing and working towards a strong end to 2016!

"We have a couple of weeks before and between testing so I'm looking forward to relaxing, playing some golf, heading to a couple of Grand Prix to watch my brother Sam and generally chilling out. It's been a long seven weeks for me, with a lot of traveling, so I will be happy to have some time at home!"

Lowes reunites with Sylvain Guintoli and the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team at Germany's Lausitzring EuroSpeedway on Wednesday 17th August for the first of two days testing ahead of the WorldSBK Championship's returning race event on 14-16th September.

 

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Parkes Pushes for Final Flourish and Endurance Glory

The concluding round of the 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship is set for just over a week's time as the 19th edition of German Speedweek's signature 8 Hours of Oschersleben event gets underway on 25-27 August. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team's Broc Parkes is greatly looking forward to finishing his endurance season on a high, after an impressive showing at the Suzuka 8 Hours last month placed the team fourth overall and firmly in the hunt for the title. However, the Australian has not been resting on his laurels, mixing EWC duties with a return to the British Superbike Championship - as part of Tommy Hill's ePayMe Yamaha Team - Parkes reflects on a busy month as he looks towards the challenge ahead.

"Suzuka definitely exceeded our expectations, we couldn't have done any better than the position we got in finishing fourth. The Pirelli's were good and we had great support from Yamaha, so I think overall the bike had improved quite a lot from the previous year. Physically, after breaking my rib at Snetterton in the BSB race in early July, I was quite sore but I didn't have any problems come race day and I felt pretty good even though I had to work really hard, completing more than half the distance of the whole race to ensure we got the result that we did. I only had a couple of days off to relax back home in Andorra before heading back to the UK for BSB so it's been quite full on but it was a great result in terms of the EWC Championship as the other teams didn't get a great haul of points, so we are in a strong position now and in the running for the title!

"I'm actually really excited about being back in the British Championship because last year was a bit of a struggle so I still feel like I have a point to prove and next year I would like to be racing in the UK full time! We had really good pace in practice and qualifying at Snetterton but unfortunately we were taken out in the race so we couldn't show it over race-distance. To come back for round seven at Brands Hatch, immediately go even better in the qualifying and put the Yamaha into Superpole and on the second row of the grid in fourth, and then get a top six in the first race shows that the speed is still there and I'm feeling really comfortable on the YZF-R1.

"Switching between endurance and BSB this year hasn't been too much of an issue as the bikes are very similar and my set-up is also similar across the two championships. The BSB machine is obviously lighter as we don't need to run as much fuel and we don't have same the electronics, wheelie control etc. but to be honest I don't feel too many differences when I get on and off the bikes so it doesn't take me too long to adapt. I have already learnt a lot from Suzuka, and the EWC Championship as a whole, that I have been able to bring across to the BSB team and I have almost two years' worth of knowledge of the new YZF-R1 now. Last year we didn't quite have the right understanding of the new bike, but now we have a much deeper knowledge and have been able to adapt even further from the extra endurance experiences to allow us to help advance the project, especially in terms of race distance.

"Focusing from one discipline to the other isn't too challenging either. Suzuka is actually more like a sprint race than the majority of endurance racing, as everyone is so fast out there - I had to get on the bike and ride at full gas from the start. It was actually more of a step back in BSB as I hadn't raced there since last year, so I had to get back into the grove quite quickly at Brands Hatch and try to be fast from the first laps. In the sprint races the start is always important, making sure you can get away with the front few guys, whereas in endurance you can normally relax a little more for the first few laps to find your rhythm.

"Looking ahead to Oschersleben, I think YART are in a great situation. It's endurance racing so anything can happen but I think our bike has improved and it's normally a good track for us and the team - being like a home circuit for them. We will also have a much stronger rider line up for the final race, with myself, Marvin Fritz and Bradley Smith coming in from MotoGP. I'm good friends with Bradley and I think it will be a really strong team, so we can all push together for the win and to try to secure the championship."

Parkes will join Fritz and Smith as the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team lines up for the finale of the 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship at Germany's Oschersleben Motopark on Saturday 27th August.