Britain’s Bradley Smith and the Factory Yamaha team have won the 2015 Suzuka Eight-Hours at their first attempt with the new R1, taking victory from the FCC TSR squad in a race that saw former MotoGP champion Casey Stoner break a leg and shoulder (click here).
It is the first time Yamaha have won the prestigious Japanese race since Colin Edwards partnered Noriyuki Haga to glory in 1996.
“It’s a really special moment. To give the Yamaha factory its first win in 19 years with the work that has gone in, us riders haven’t really done much. A hundred people worked behind this project and we stood there on Tuesday and promised them this trophy. I am glad we were able to deliver,” said Smith, speaking in parc ferme.
Smith, who was partnered by fellow Monster Yamaha MotoGP rider Pol Espargaro and Yamaha golden boy Kats Nakasuga, had to battle back from a ride-through penalty to take the win by 1’17.11s from the FCC team, which featured Moto2 rider Dominique Aegerter and British World Supersport star Kyle Smith, whose girlfriend gave birth to their first child yesterday.
Team Kagayama, with Yukio Kagamaya, Haga and Ryuichi Kiyonari, bagged the final podium spot with Alex Lowes’ Yoshimura Suzuki squad fighting back from a crash by Takaya Tsuda to take fifth. Josh Waters was given the final stint to bring the bike home in the dark. SERT were the first of the regular World Endurance teams home in fourth place despite a pitstop in the final minutes.
GMT 94 Yamaha took sixth place, one ahead of the British-based Honda Racing team. The Honda Suzuka Racing Team were eighth, Team Green Kawasaki ninth and Motomap Suzuki completed the top ten.
Tommy Bridewell’s Penz13.com BMW team were forced to retire after pitting to solve a fuel tank problem and then Bastien Mackels crashed out. Jason O’Halloran’s Sakurai Dream Honda team also retired after a crash.
More in a minute
