Nico Canepa single-handedly won the inaugural Sepang Eight-Hours for the YART team, riding for three hour-long stints on his own in a race that was more than halved due to torrential rain.
The race was started behind the safety car due to rain at 1pm but after nine laps and many riders waving their arms, it was suspended and bikes returned to parc ferme.
Five hours later, it was back on with Yamaha Sepang’s Michael van der Mark and TSR Honda’s Mike Di Meglio in the lead. However, disaster struck soon after.
With only half an hour gone, Di Meglio tried to pass van der Mark at the last corner, lost the front and the pair went down - the Dutchman being spat over the highside - and the Yamaha team were out of contention.
“It was a stupid move. It’s an endurance race, I don’t know why he was in such a rush,” said the Yamaha WorldSBK star.
TSR kept the lead until Di Meglio crashed again, which promoted YART and Canepa to the lead.
“I had an early problem and did one hour without electronics - no traction control or quickshift - before I could reset the bike,” Canepa said. “Then every time I stopped in the pits the team manager asked me if I wanted to continue, so I said ‘OK’.”
After starring with second place in qualifying, Moto2’s Somkiat Chantra celebrated a runner-up finish as part of Honda Asia. Third place went to the BMW Endurance team with last year’s Superstock champions Moto Ain fourth and SERT fifth.
Sepang Eight-Hours race result
1 YART - YAMAHA Yamaha 1 EWC 80 05:50:03.837 - - 2:18.616 49 3
2 Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA Honda 2 EWC 80 05:51:53.459 1:49.622 1:49.622 2:20.692 55 3
3 BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM BMW 3 EWC 79 05:50:35.678 1 Lp. 1 Lp. 2:22.090 29 3
4 MOTO AIN Yamaha 1 SST 79 05:50:46.957 1 Lp. 11.279 2:20.927 75 3
5 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Suzuki 4 EWC 79 05:52:06.904 1 Lp. 1:19.947 2:23.585 16 3
6 WEBIKE SRC KAWASAKI FRANCE Kawasaki 5 EWC 78 05:50:43.776 2 Lp. 1 Lp. 2:23.081 64 3
7 Yamaha Sepang Racing Yamaha 6 EWC 78 05:51:11.394 2 Lp. 27.618 2:17.817 67 3
8 BMW Sepang Racing BMW 7 EWC 78 05:51:23.846 2 Lp. 12.452 2:23.039 17 3
9 3ART- MOTO TEAM 95 Yamaha 8 EWC 78 05:51:35.699 2 Lp. 11.853 2:23.133 17 3
10 Team ERC Endurance Ducati 9 EWC 78 05:51:36.192 2 Lp. 0.493 2:24.227 77 3
11 TEAM PLUSONE BMW 10 EWC 78 05:51:37.102 2 Lp. 0.910 2:21.149 24 3
12 Team R2CL Suzuki 11 EWC 78 05:51:54.570 2 Lp. 17.468 2:24.541 53 3
13 F.C.C. TSR Honda France Honda 12 EWC 78 05:52:16.715 2 Lp. 22.145 2:18.099 51 3
14 GERT56 by GS YUASA BMW 2 SST 78 05:52:22.086 2 Lp. 5.371 2:24.020 17 3
15 TONE RT SYNCEDGE 4413 BMW BMW 3 SST 78 05:52:23.857 2 Lp. 1.771 2:22.007 59 3
16 Bolliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki 13 EWC 78 05:52:24.385 2 Lp. 0.528 2:26.079 66 3
17 Team 33 Coyote Louit Moto Kawasaki 4 SST 78 05:52:33.665 2 Lp. 9.280 2:24.549 17 3
18 National Motos Honda 14 EWC DIT 77 05:50:23.449 3 Lp. 1 Lp. 2:24.787 71 3
19 No Limits Motor Team Suzuki 5 SST 77 05:50:35.184 3 Lp. 11.735 2:25.678 57 3
20 Team LRP Poland BMW 15 EWC 77 05:50:44.795 3 Lp. 9.611 2:24.795 67 3
21 Rac 41 Honda 6 SST DIT 77 05:51:21.698 3 Lp. 36.903 2:26.487 69 3
22 Team Kodama Yamaha 16 EWC 77 05:52:11.500 3 Lp. 49.802 2:26.019 25 3
23 KRP SANYOKOUGYOU & will raise RS-ITOH Kawasaki 17 EWC 76 05:50:04.030 4 Lp. 1 Lp. 2:23.368 25 3
24 Bertl K. Racing Team BMW 18 EWC 76 05:50:07.864 4 Lp. 3.834 2:23.910 62 3
25 VRD IGOL PIERRET EXPERIENCES Yamaha 19 EWC 76 05:50:15.006 4 Lp. 7.142 2:22.106 20 3
26 TEAM HANSHIN RIDING SCHOOL Kawasaki 7 SST 76 05:50:30.021 4 Lp. 15.015 2:24.654 72 3
27 TATI TEAM BEAUJOLAIS RACING Kawasaki 20 EWC DIT 76 05:51:18.569 4 Lp. 48.548 2:27.753 74 3
28 Motobox Kremer Racing #65 Yamaha 21 EWC 75 05:50:12.155 5 Lp. 1 Lp. 2:27.677 62 3
29 T.MOTOKIDS icu Takada I.W NAC SANYO Yamaha 22 EWC 75 05:50:59.144 5 Lp. 46.989 2:28.779 23 3
30 TransMapRacing with ACE CAFE Suzuki 23 EWC 75 05:51:12.963 5 Lp. 13.819 2:28.405 26 3
31 British Endurance Racing Team Suzuki 24 EWC DIT 74 05:50:52.276 6 Lp. 1 Lp. 2:30.899 67 3
32 Yamashina Kawasaki KEN Racing & Auto Race UBE Kawasaki 25 EWC DIT 74 05:50:59.874 6 Lp. 7.598 2:28.811 67 3
33 JMA MOTOS ACTION BIKE Suzuki 8 SST DIT 74 05:52:14.200 6 Lp. 1:14.326 2:32.837 18 3
34 Wójcik Racing Team 2 Yamaha 9 SST DIT 73 05:50:33.558 7 Lp. 1 Lp. 2:28.167 23 4
35 BMRT 3D MAXXESS NEVERS Kawasaki 10 SST DIT 73 05:51:22.506 7 Lp. 48.948 2:26.616 57 3
36 PITLANE ENDURANCE Yamaha 11 SST DIT 72 05:51:43.321 8 Lp. 1 Lp. 2:28.555 24 4
37 AM Moto Racing Competition Kawasaki 12 SST DIT 71 05:50:10.361 9 Lp. 1 Lp. 2:31.199 37 3
38 OG MOTORSPORT BY SARAZIN Yamaha 13 SST DIT 71 05:51:27.571 9 Lp. 1:17.210 2:28.659 42 5
39 ENERGIE ENDURANCE 91 Kawasaki 14 SST DIT 71 05:52:12.559 9 Lp. 44.988 2:28.108 71 4
40 TEAM SUGAI RACING JAPAN Aprilia 26 EWC 71 05:52:15.113 9 Lp. 2.554 2:25.135 54 4
41 TEAM 202 Yamaha 15 SST DIT 71 05:52:30.507 9 Lp. 15.394 2:32.006 17 4
42 HRT 100 - Hertrampf Racing Endurance Ducati 27 EWC 69 05:51:03.791 11 Lp. 2 Lp. 2:28.179 64 5
43 SUZUKI JEG - KAGAYAMA Suzuki 28 EWC 69 05:52:21.811 11 Lp. 1:18.020 2:20.535 22 3
44 MACO RACING Team Yamaha 29 EWC 68 05:51:27.321 12 Lp. 1 Lp. 2:24.311 67 2
45 Team Aviobike Yamaha 16 SST 59 05:50:37.944 21 Lp. 9 Lp. 2:23.369 17 5
46 Extéria KSPCS Racing Team by EKO Suzuki 17 SST 70 05:38:23.680 10 Lp. - 2:27.865 53 4
47 MOTOTECH EWC TEAM Yamaha 30 EWC DIT 47 04:45:57.571 33 Lp. 23 Lp. 2:30.470 46 3
48 TECMAS BMW GMC BMW 31 EWC 27 03:38:49.125 53 Lp. 20 Lp. 2:21.273 18 1
49 Wójcik Racing Team Yamaha 32 EWC DIT 26 04:02:23.960 54 Lp. 1 Lp. 2:22.156 17 3
50 MOTORS EVENTS Suzuki 18 SST DIT 13 03:12:27.387 67 Lp. 13 Lp. 2:26.879 12 2
