Honda’s 19th win in the Suzuka 8-Hours

By Dan Moakes
August 12 2004

Honda have won the Suzuka 8-Hours once again. Pole position for the race had gone to the F.C.C. TSR ZIP-FM Racing Team pairing of Takeshi Tsujimura and Shin’ichi Itoh, with their number 778 Honda CBR1000RR. But they only completed around a quarter of the full distance.

In a field full of 1000cc Honda Superbikes, of the CBR and VTR variety, Tohru Ukawa and Hitoyasu Izutsu emerged victorious. Riding for Seven Stars Honda 7, with a CBR1000RRW, Ukawa also turned the fastest lap at a speed of 159.94km/h. The Japanese manufacturers don’t approach the 8-Hours half-heartedly, as evidenced by the presence of the likes of Ukawa (former MotoGP and 250cc GP winner) and Izutsu (a double World Superbike race winner). Also on duty for Honda was Ryuichi Kiyonari (British Superbike pilot), amongst others.

The Suzuka circuit is Honda’s officially owned test track. This victory was their nineteenth from the twenty-seven 8-Hour events to be held, and their eighth in a row. Former winners for the marque have included Fred Merkel, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Doug Polen, Daijiro Kato, Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi - all world champions in Grands Prix or Superbikes, with Polen the only man not to take his titles with Honda.

Second place went to Yoshimura Suzuki Jomo with Srixon, the number 12 GSX-R1000 ridden by Atsushi Watanabe and Yukio Kagayama. The best Yamaha was ridden by Europeans William Costes, Sébastien Gimbert and David Checa, and finished eighth. Other marques were sparsely represented and didn’t break into the leading positions, although a Kawasaki ZX-10R qualified ninth.

For more on the race visit www.motoracing-japan.com