Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance Race: Overcoming an early mishap to finish in 20th place
From Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 5, the 3rd race of the 2026 FIM Endurance World Championship, the 47th "Coca-Cola" Suzuka 8- hour Endurance Race, was held at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture.
Competing for the fifth time, Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing fielded a strong lineup led by Kohta Nozane, who competes in the JSB1000 class, along with Taiga Hada, the 2025 All Japan Road Race Championship ST1000 class champion, and Kohta Arakawa, who finished fifth in the ST1000 class standings.
Jul 3 (Fri): Race / Weather: Rain / Track: Wet
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In the official qualifying session held in the rain, all three riders posted strong times: Nozane with a time of 2:05.147, Hada with 2:05.500, and Arakawa with 2:06.601. With this, the team secured 7th place overall and a spot in the Top 10 Trial.
However, during the night practice session that same evening, Arakawa crashed and sustained injuries to both legs. Fortunately, there were no fractures, and this did not prevent him from participating in the subsequent sessions or the final race the next day.
Jul 4 (Sat): Race / Weather: Rain / Track: Wet
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Since the Top 10 Trial was canceled due to rain, the results of the official qualifying session on the 3rd determined the final starting grid.
Jul 5 (Sun): Race / Weather: Rain / Track: Wet
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The final race was also held in wet conditions due to rain. The Suzuka 8 Hours kicked off with the traditional Le Mans-style start, in which riders dash to their bikes after the countdown. Starting rider Nozane got off to a strong start, completing the opening lap in third place, and continued to battle for the lead at a strong pace. However, on the 14th lap at Turn 130R, he crashed after slipping on oil spilled by another bike. He immediately got the bike back up and restarted, but due to damage to the machine, he was forced to make an emergency pit stop. Thanks to the staff’s heroic repair efforts, Nozane was able to return to the race, and from there, the team began a comeback as the baton was passed from Hada to Arakawa to Nozane. The three riders completed lap after lap at a pace on par with the leading group, and the team staff supported their performance with flawless pit work. The race took an eventful turn, with the safety car deployed three times, but the team tenaciously continued to close the gap and crossed the finish line in 20th place.
While the result was disappointing for Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing, the team’s swift recovery following the incident and the riders’ determined performance—never giving up until the very end—demonstrated the team’s strong cohesion. Building on the experience gained from this race, we will continue to take on new challenges with the goal of making even greater strides next season.
■Comments from Team Director and Riders
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- Team Director Shinichi Ito
Thanks to everyone’s support, we were able to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hours again this year. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude. Determined to make up for last year’s disappointment, the entire team pulled together to make thorough preparations for this race. However, early in the race, we were involved in an incident caused by oil spilled by another bike, and the race did not unfold as we had originally envisioned. Even so, our three riders never gave up and continued racing until the very end, mounting a powerful comeback at a pace that was on par with the leading group. Although the result left us with some regrets, the performance of the entire team, including our pit crew, was at an extremely high level, and we were able to reaffirm that we have the ability to compete for a podium finish. Of course, in this world, results are everything, and there’s no such thing as “what if.” However, this race was also an event where we could truly feel the team’s solid growth. I myself have been involved with the Suzuka 8 Hours for over 30 years, but I was once again struck by the difficulty of this race and the weight of victory. Nevertheless, I want to continue building an even stronger team by addressing the challenges that came to light this time, one by one. The winning HRC team is an ideal model and a standard we should aim for. As we follow in their footsteps, we will continue to take on new challenges with the goal of raising our own level even higher. Once again, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all our sponsors, everyone involved, and the fans who sent us their warm support right until the very end.
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- Rider: Kohta Nozane
I think all three of us had a good pace this time, and we were feeling particularly confident in dry conditions. Our teamwork and pit work were excellent, and our strategy was going almost exactly as planned right up until the race. However, early in the race, oil spilled on the track during the first half, making it a very difficult stint in terms of picking up the pace. We were keeping an eye on the oil flags and the electronic display, but when the oil warning switched to a yellow flag, I never imagined the situation would be that bad. Michael van der Mark (BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM), who was riding ahead of me, also nearly crashed, and since the track was wet, it was hard to tell the difference between water and oil. I think it was a truly unfortunate incident. Even so, after that, all the riders maintained a steady average pace, and our pit work was flawless. I was reminded once again that the difficulty of the Suzuka 8 Hours lies in how a single momentary mishap or accident can drastically affect the outcome. As a team, our overall level has definitely improved thanks to the progress we’ve made leading up to this race. Although it didn’t translate into a win, I believe we gained a great deal from the experience. Thank you to the team for doing a perfect job without giving up until the very end, and to everyone who cheered us on.
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- Rider: Taiga Hada
Things had been going smoothly since the pre-race tests, and our pace wasn’t bad once the race started either. That’s exactly why the unfortunate incident early on was truly disappointing, but I suppose that’s just an unavoidable part of racing. All three of us had good pace, and even though I wasn’t in peak physical condition myself, my average lap time was the best on the team, so I really wanted to race in dry conditions. It rained during the race, but I don’t think our pace was bad. I feel that, barring a major incident, we had the potential to finish in the top six at the very least, and we could have even contended for a spot on the podium. Our pit stops were quick, and I could really feel the growth of the entire team. Although we didn’t achieve the results we’d hoped for this time, I want to use this experience to build toward the next race. Thank you very much for all your support.
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- Rider: Kohta Arakawa
Looking back on the race week as a whole, it was an event marked by numerous crashes and incidents. I had a crash myself, but I was lucky to avoid any serious injuries and was able to finish the race, which I’m glad about. There was also an incident in the final race where I slipped on oil left by another bike. That aside, the team’s overall pace was good, and I think it was a major achievement that we were able to compete effectively, especially in the challenging wet conditions. While I’m not entirely satisfied with the results, I could really feel that we’re definitely getting stronger as a team. The pit stops were incredibly fast, and I think this race week really showed that not only the riders but the entire team has stepped up their game. While I’m still disappointed, this experience will definitely help us moving forward. I’d like to thank the team and everyone involved who has supported us up to this point, as well as everyone who cheered us on. Thank you very much.
