This past weekend the traditional 8 Hours from Suzuka, third test of World Endurance Championship and of which we could already see some other details of the tires prepared for the appointment by Dunlop, which Morrillu brought us. In addition, we already know how important it is for the great Japanese manufacturers, who are left their skin to win this test. Well this year, the race has been for the team F. C. C. TSR Honda that counted among its ranks, nothing more and nothing less, than with Jonathan Rea, pilot of World Superbikes and thus being the first Briton to win the Suzuka 8 Hours.
Friend Jonathan has counted as a teammate with Kosuke Akiyoshi, which obviously had a lot to do with this victory as well, and had an old acquaintance as reserve driver, Tadayuki Okada. The second place has been for TOHO Racing with Moriwaki, composed by Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Yuki Takahashi and Yusuke Teshima, and also with a Honda CBR1000RR, so the brand with the golden wing has won the double, and this victory also makes it number twenty-five in the mythical Japanese event. Closing the podium we meet him Yamaha France GMT 94 Michelin Yamalube, composed of one of our own, Carlos' brother, David Checa, and Kenny Foray. Who by the way had to fight until the last moment to get the podium.
These were the big winners, but along the way there were some of the favorites to victory before the test began, and some old acquaintances from other championships. For example, the Monster Energy Yamaha YART, composed by Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Tommy Hill and Noriyuki Haga, and that they had achieved pole, he saw his options truncated when the good old Nakasuga suffered a fall when he had only been on the track for half an hour. The same fate ran the Musashi RT Harc-Pro, that after more than five hours of competition he saw how he was on the ground Ryuichi Kiyonari, who was a team with Hiroshi Aoyama. They finished the test, but very late.
Another regular of the World Superbikes, Leon Camier, that along with Nobuatsu Aoki and Josh waters they formed the Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team, he also couldn't finish the test after more than 7 hours! on the track after suffering an oil leak. Nor did the general leaders have their day, since the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, had to settle for fifteenth position after a walk through the field of Vincent Philippe when they marched in the second square. Meanwhile he Honda tt legends he could only finish in tenth place.
So the great winners of this Suzuka 8 Hours event are more than clear: the F. C. C. TSR Honda led by Rea, we hope this victory will serve as a boost for the last rounds of the Superbike World Championship; Honda, which thus scores an important goal with respect to the rest of the Japanese brands; and Michelin, that despite the first and second position of the Bridgestone, He left a good taste in his mouth, getting pole position and third position on the podium. The next round of the World Endurance Championship will be the next August 11 in the 8 Hours from Oscherleben, in Germany.
