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08 July 2024
Barry Baltus will transfer his pace and pedigree from Moto2 to the FIM Endurance World Championship when he contests the 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race later this month.
The 20-year-old from Belgium, a podium finisher in Moto2, has joined Auto Race Ube Racing Team for Japan’s legendary EWC counter. He will share the #76 Suzuki GSX-R1000R with home ace Takuya Tsuda and Australian Anthony West, a stalwart EWC racer and Suzuka regular.
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“My father was also an endurance racer, so I'm happy to participate in this race,” Baltus said. “On the first day of testing [last month] it was difficult for me because it was my first time at Suzuka and my first time riding a Superbike. But this team is very professional, and it was a good experience.
“On the second day, I received the news that my mother had passed away, so it wasn't easy to get on the bike, but I participated in the test. I was able to improve my lap time compared to the first day, and I think I was able to ride at a good race pace. I'm really looking forward to the race weekend, and I'm sure I can do a good job.”
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Tsuda, 39, (above) whose packed CV includes three podiums in the Suzuka 8 Hours, a runner-up placing in the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans, two MotoGP starts and two Japanese Superbike wins, said: “I'm looking forward to competing in the Suzuka 8 Hours again. Anthony West is a rider I admire, having raced with me on the Moriwaki MH80 when I was young, and he has a lot of experience. Barry Baltus is young, but Moto2 riders are fast, so I think I can learn a lot from him. During the test, the two riders from overseas had to get used to the bike, so I focused on checking and long runs. My team-mates performed well, so I'm satisfied with our pace. I’m really looking forward to working together with the three of us and to do our best.”
Forty-three-year-old West (below), who previously competed in the EWC with Maco Racing and has made three starts in the Suzuka 8 Hours, said: “I feel very happy to have been invited by such a great team and to have had the opportunity to ride in two tests. The bike is very competitive, and the tyres are working very well. Both Takuya and Barry are fast and consistent, so I think we will be a very strong team. I feel confident based on the test results. I will never make any mistakes. I think this is the most important thing in endurance racing.”
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Auto Race Ube Racing Team made its debut in the Suzuka 8 Hours last season and impressed by making it through to the Top 10 Trial one-shot qualifying showdown before finishing fourth overall. The team, which is owned by Bungo ‘James’ Saito and managed by Takashi Nakai, is targeting a podium finish in this year’s race with its Bridgestone-equipped Suzuki.
The 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race takes place from 19-21 July. Click HERE for more event information including details of how to buy tickets.
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07 July 2024
Team HRC with Japan Post rider Takumi Takahashi will be a record-breaker if he wins the upcoming 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race.The 34-year-old has five wins in Japan’s round of the FIM Endurance World Championship to his name but another victory in the legendary event will leave him as the sole record holder.“I’m very happy to be racing once again with Team HRC with Japan Post in this year’s Suzuka 8 Hours,” Takahashi said. “This is an important year, as victory will mark Team HRC’s third consecutive win and Honda’s 30th overall win. “I’ll be working with my new team-mates for a strong performance in the Suzuka 8 Hours and, personally, will be aiming to set the record for the most wins in the event.”Japanese rising star Teppei Nagoe, 26, and 33-year-old French MotoGP winner and EWC rookie Johann Zarco will partner Takasahi on the #30 Team HRC with Japan Post entry.
06 July 2024
Christian Gamarino has revealed how advice from his fellow FIM Endurance World Championship rivals has helped him to prepare for the upcoming 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race.Gamarino has never raced at the iconic Japanese venue before but starts round three of the EWC season having taken onboard some useful tips, including from his Kawasaki Webike Trickstar team-mate Grégory Leblanc.“I never raced in Suzuka but Greg and also Niccolò Canepa told me some things about Suzuka,” Gamarino said. “They say to me it’s a difficult race for the temperature and because of the Japanese riders who are very fast. I am very curious to be there. It’s a legendary race.”Gamarino, from Italy, was part of the Team 33 Louit April Moto line-up that won the FIM Endurance World Cup in 2023. The 30-year-old has graduated from Superstock to Formula EWC level for 2024.
05 July 2024
Kevin Manfredi has been given special permission to switch from Wójcik Racing Team, for whom he usually rides in the FIM Endurance World Championship, to join Nobby Ueda’s Team Frontier for his debut in the Suzuka 8 Hours, which takes place for the 45th time from 19-21 July. And Manfredi, 29, is determined to make the most of the opportunity to compete in the iconic Japanese event alongside Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, from Malaysia, and Luxembourg’s Chris Leesch, one of Manfredi’s EWC Superstock category rivals in the Europe-based events. This is what the Italian rider has had to say.
