Haslam and van der Mark claim Suzuka

Honda trio Leon Haslam, Michael van der Mark and Takumi Takahashi have won the Suzuka 8-hour world endurance race in Japan for the second year in succession, with the 2014 running turned upside-down by heavy rain.

The start was delayed by one hour because of a heavy rain storm, and then more precipitation during the race and a number of crashes brought out the pace car no fewer than four times. Eventually, the winning Honda team completed 172 laps of the classic circuit, to finish just under one minute ahead of the Yoshimura Suzuki team of Australia’s Josh Waters, Frenchman Randy de Puniet and Japan’s Takuya Tsuda – the latter crashing early on in the wet conditions. A lap down in third place was another Suzuki piloted by Noriyuki Haga, Yukio Kagayama and recent Moto2 race winner Dominique Aegerter.

“What an amazing feeling! I was ready for the third hour but it started raining and team decided to go with Takumi in the rain because he has more experience,” said van der Mark. “The fourth hour was for me and I got faster and faster with a steady pace and rhythm. The bike worked perfect, the team did an amazing job.

“My last stint was at a really good pace and I could ride quite easily. To be here again in my second year is amazing feeling. We did it all together.”

Honda’s win was its fifth consecutive in the prestigious classic, and its 27th overall – kickstarted by Australian dup Mick Cole and Tony Hatton in 1979.

Seven of the 10 Australians in the 2014 race finished inside the top 10, with Josh Brookes and Broc Parkes battling hard alongside Katsuyuki Nakasuga to finishing fourth on their Yamaha after battling early with a technical issue; Josh Hook (Honda) was seventh; Damian Cudlin (Suzuki) eighth; and Wayne Maxwell/Rick Olson (Yamaha) in 10th. Gareth Jones (Suzuki) was 19th, while Jamie Stauffer and Troy Herfoss (Honda) failed to finish.

The last Australians to win the race were Wayne Gardner and Daryl Beattie in 1992.

One of those to crash in this year’s race was Kosuke Akiyoshi (Honda), winner of the 2012 event with Jonathan Rea who was again his team-mate. Remarkably, Akiyoshi managed to return his CBR1000RR to the pits, despite fracturing his femur in the crash.

When Akiyoshi crashed out, van der Mark took over the lead, which he eventually built to more than a minute by the time his team-mate Takahashi took the chequered flag after just under seven hours of racing.

For full results, click here.