The is a motorcycle endurance race held at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan each year. The race runs for eight hours consecutively, and entrants are composed of two or more riders who alternate during pitstops.

History The race began in 1978 as a race for prototype Tourist Trophy Formula One (TT-F1) motorcycles which meant the big four Japanese companies (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha), who had unlimited engineering resources, could use them on the track.

Throughout the years, the race had gone through several rule changes in accordance to the FIM, including the restriction to 750cc for F1 bikes.

One major change for the race came in 1993. Due to the high popularity of Superbike racing, which had been a support class in previous 8 Hours races, the race now centered on superbikes. The Formula One class, which at the time was the pinnacle of the race, would be removed altogether. Another category included in the race is the Naked class (for motorcycles without fairings - similar to the streetfighter bikes).

At the event's peak during the 1980s, the race attracted in excess of 130,000 spectators while presently it attracts a crowd around 85,000. The record attendance figure is 160,000 in 1990. The race is part of the FIM Endurance World Championship for motorcycles and with the exception of 2005, due to the high importance the big four Japanese manufacturers place on the race, the governing bodies set a race date that avoids conflict with any of the other major championship races.

Star riders A main attraction of the Suzuka 8 Hours race is that it usually features international star riders from MotoGP and SBK alike. It is not uncommon for participating riders to have the 8 Hours race written into their contracts upon acquiring a factory ride in MotoGP or Superbike. Also based on their performance history in their respective class during the season, the riders will usually negotiate to have the requirement of racing future 8 Hours races removed from their contract. Most high-level riders often skip the Suzuka 8 Hours because it breaks up their mid-season momentum and is physically draining. Michael Doohan is an example of one such rider who raced the 8 Hours early in his career but had his contractual obligations to the race there removed following his significant success in the 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle class, later known as MotoGP.

On the other hand, high-level Japanese riders return for the Suzuka 8 Hours annually as it is regarded by the Japanese as one of the biggest motorsport events on the calendar in Japan. As the Suzuka 8 Hours is part of the FIM World Endurance Racing Championship, its priority on the international calendar, along with the off-weeks in the FIM calendar, makes this race one of the most crucial on the schedule.

From 2003 to 2013, during which MotoGP had a Laguna Seca round, race winners had almost been exclusively Japanese, with only an occasional international-level star in the race, primarily since the Laguna Seca round either conflicted with the 8 Hours or was days after the event. From 2002-2014, only World Superbike stars participated in the event, and four European riders have won, with the 2013 three-rider team consisting mostly of European riders.

With the US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca discontinued as of 2014, MotoGP stars have once again participated in the race, with Yamaha emerging as the 2015 winners with SBK rider Bradley Smith and MotoGP riders Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Pol Espargaró, the latter of whom was the 2013 Moto2 champion. Double MotoGP champion Casey Stoner also came out of retirement that year to race for Honda, alongside Michael van der Mark and Takumi Takahashi. His team was leading the race until Stoner crashed out when his throttle stuck open, resulting in a fractured tibia and shoulder for the Australian. Espargaró and Nakasuga (now a Yamaha test rider in addition to domestic racing in Japan) repeated the feat in 2016 with Alex Lowes as their third rider. Nakasuga won the race third time in a row in 2017 with Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark, making him the second rider to win three consecutive 8 Hours races, repeating the feat previously achieved by Aaron Slight in the 1990s.

Winners YearNo.TeamRidersManufacturerMotorcycleLapsTime 2026 30 Honda HRC Takumi Takahashi Jonathan Rea Somkiat Chantra Honda CBR1000RR-R SP 188 7:54'19.425 2025 30 Honda Team HRC Takumi Takahashi Johann Zarco Honda CBR1000RR-R SP 217 8:00'26.580 2024 30 Honda Team HRC Takumi Takahashi Johann Zarco Teppei Nagoe Honda CBR1000RR-R SP 220 8:01'29.693 2023 33 Honda Team HRC Tetsuta Nagashima Takumi Takahashi Xavi Vierge Honda CBR1000RR-R SP 214 8:00'09.785 2022 33 Honda Team HRC Tetsuta Nagashima Takumi Takahashi Iker Lecuona Honda CBR1000RR-R SP 214 8:02'09.131 2019 10 Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H Jonathan Rea Leon Haslam Toprak Razgatlıoğlu Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR 216 7:55'36.613 2018 21 Yamaha Factory Racing Team Katsuyuki Nakasuga Alex Lowes Michael van der Mark Yamaha YZF-R1 199 8:00'01.728 2017 21 Yamaha Factory Racing Team Katsuyuki Nakasuga Alex Lowes Michael van der Mark Yamaha YZF-R1 216 8:00'32.959 2016 21 Yamaha Factory Racing Team Katsuyuki Nakasuga Alex Lowes Pol Espargaró Yamaha YZF-R1 218 8:00'40.124 2015 21 Yamaha Factory Racing Team Katsuyuki Nakasuga Bradley Smith Pol Espargaró Yamaha YZF-R1 204 8:00'29.708 2014 634 RT HARC-PRO. Takumi Takahashi Michael van der Mark Leon Haslam Honda CBR1000RRW 172 6:56'13.056 2013 634 RT HARC-PRO. Takumi Takahashi Michael van der Mark Leon Haslam Honda CBR1000RRW 214 8:00'01.280 2012 11 -TSR Honda Kousuke Akiyoshi Tadayuki Okada Jonathan Rea Honda CBR1000RRW 215 8:01'35.450 2011 11 -TSR Honda Kousuke Akiyoshi Ryuichi Kiyonari Shinichi Itoh Honda CBR1000RRW 217 8:00'50.922 2010 634 RT HARC-PRO. Takumi Takahashi Ryuichi Kiyonari Takaaki Nakagami Honda CBR1000RRW 215 8:01'13.428 2009 12 with JOMO Kazuki Tokudome Nobuatsu Aoki Suzuki S-GSX-R1000 183 8:01'59"916 2008 11 Honda Racing Ryuichi Kiyonari Carlos Checa Honda CBR1000RRW 214 8:00'20"726 2007 34 with JOMO Yukio Kagayama Kousuke Akiyoshi Suzuki S-GSX-R1000 216 8:01'35"077 2006 778 -TSR Racing Takeshi Tsujimura Shinichi Itoh Honda CBR1000RRW 214 8:02'07"624 2005 7 Seven Stars Racing Tohru Ukawa Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda CBR1000RRW 204 8:01'22"351 2004 7 Seven Stars Racing Tohru Ukawa Honda CBR1000RRW 210 8:01'35"115 2003 71 Team Sakurai Honda Manabu Kamada Honda VTR1000SPW 212 8:00'38"909 2002 11 Team Honda Daijiro Kato Colin Edwards Honda VTR1000SPW 219 8:02'04"992 2001 11 Team Honda Valentino Rossi Colin Edwards Manabu Kamada Honda VTR1000SPW 217 8:01'30"173 2000 4 Team Honda Tohru Ukawa Daijiro Kato Honda VTR1000SPW 215 8:00'31"775 1999 4 Lucky Strike Honda Tadayuki Okada Alex Barros Honda RC45 213 8:01'59"918 1998 33 Lucky Strike Honda & Iwaki Shinichi Itoh Tohru Ukawa Honda RC45 212 8:01'54"740 1997 33 Hori-Pro Honda with HARC Shinichi Itoh Tohru Ukawa Honda RC45 186 8:02'03"722 1996 45 Yamaha Racing Team Colin Edwards Noriyuki Haga Yamaha YZF750 214 8:02'06"411 1995 11 Team HRC Aaron Slight Tadayuki Okada Honda RC45 212 8:00'00"468 1994 11 Team HRC Doug Polen Aaron Slight Honda RC45 183 6:52'49"056 1993 1 Itoham Racing Kawasaki Scott Russell Aaron Slight Kawasaki Ninja ZXR-7 207 8:01'13"713 1992 11 Oki Honda Racing Team Wayne Gardner Daryl Beattie Honda RVF750 208 8:00'07"117 1991 11 Oki Honda Racing Team Wayne Gardner Mick Doohan Honda RVF750 192 7:59'25"924 1990 21 Shiseido Tech 21 Racing Team Tadahiko Taira Eddie Lawson Yamaha YZF750 205 7:57'35"859 1989 2 Beams Honda with Ikuzawa Dominique Sarron Alex Vieira Honda RVF750 202 7:58'34"328 1988 3 Team Lucky Strike Roberts Kevin Magee Wayne Rainey Yamaha YZF750 202 8:02'21"384 1987 21 Shiseido Tech 21 Racing Team Martin Wimmer Kevin Magee Yamaha YZF750 200 8:01'30"045 1986 4 Team HRC Wayne Gardner Dominique Sarron Honda RVF750 197 8:01'30"738 1985 3 Team HRC Wayne Gardner Masaki Tokuno Honda RVF750 195 8:01'40"102 1984 1 Honda America Mike Baldwin Fred Merkel Honda 191 8:01'30"35 1983 6 HB Hervé Moineau Richard Hubin Suzuki GS1000R 190 8:02'29"32 1982 27 Blue Helmet MSC Shigeo Iijima Shinji Hagiwara Honda CB900F 120 6:02'55"83 1981 1 Honda France Mike Baldwin David Aldana Honda RS1000 199 8:00'47"12 1980 12 Wes Cooley Graeme Crosby Suzuki GS1000 200 8:01'03"54 1979 6 Honda Australia Tony Hatton Michael Cole Honda CB900 197 8:00'23"78 1978 2 Wes Cooley Mike Baldwin Suzuki GS1000 194 8:02'51"53

By manufacturer Wins Manufacturer Years 32 Honda 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 8 Yamaha 1987, 1988, 1990, 1996, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 5 Suzuki 1978, 1980, 1983, 2007, 2009 2 Kawasaki 1993, 2019

References

External links Suzuka 8 hours Official Website Suzuka Circuit Website - English version 2009 Suzuka 8 hours results Suzuka 8 hours - TBS Channel site Suzuka 8 hours Site Moto Race Japan year by year results