2025 Suzuka 8 Hours: Unfortunate retirement due to machine trouble
On August 1-3, the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race, part of the 2025 FIM World Endurance Championship, took place at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture. Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing, participating for the fourth time, competed with ace rider Kohta Nozane, Kohta Arakawa, known for excelling in Japan's ST1000 class, and Ryusei Yamanaka, making his Suzuka 8 Hours debut, having raced in the Moto3 class of the MotoGP World Championship.
In the official qualifier on Friday, August 1st, Nozane recorded a 2:06.222, while Yamanaka recorded a time of 2:05.910. The team averaged 2:06.066, placing them 6th and advancing to the Top 10 Trial for Saturday.
During the Top 10 Trial, two riders from each team attempted solo time attacks for one lap to determine the starting grid. Nozane struggled and ended with 2:06.713, while Yamanaka, who made a mistake, recorded 2:06.581. This led to a 10th place start for the final race.
The final race on Sunday, August 3rd, saw harsh conditions with temperatures reaching 36°C and road surface temperatures exceeding 65°C.
Nozane, the starting rider, performed excellently, momentarily rising to 4th place. Yamanaka, as the second rider, also displayed strong performance. However, during Arakawa's run, the machine started to make unusual noises while exiting the 200R chicane and entering the Spoon Curve. The engine problem forced the team to retire from the race.
Although the result was disappointing for Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing, the riders’ resolve and honed skills are setting expectations high for next year’s races.
