Honda has this morning announced it will field a full-factory team in the 2018 Suzuka Eight-Hours for the first time since 1995.
Recently, the FCC TSR and MuSASHi teams have received works support from HRC but now the race department chiefs have decided to put in the same kind of effort as Yamaha.
Whether or not it means Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa will be riding is another matter. It would seem doubtful but lesser Honda employees like Taka Nakagami and Leon Camier could see themselves in ice baths comes August. HRC will also field a team in the All-Japan Superbike series.
“Honda will be competing as a factory team for the first time in ten years in the JRR JSB1000 class, the pinnacle of road racing in Japan and a more intense 2018 season with 13 races over 9 rounds, and the Suzuka Eight-Hours, an extremely challenging race. Team HRC, the challenger, will work together, aim to win. We look forward to the support of our racing fans,” said Yoshishige Nomura, President, Honda Racing Corporation.
There hasn’t been a Team HRC entry since Aaron Slight and Tady Okada won in 1995 on an RC45. Even Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards rode for Cabin Honda in 2001 on the SP2 but managed to win…