Steve Martin fourth in 2009 Suzuka 8 Hour
Monsoonal rain, intense heat, safety cars galoreJapan and inclement weather are often bedfellows at this time of the year, as everyone involved in today’s running of the famous Suzuka 8 Hour endurance race discovered first-hand.
While ordinary citizens were particularly hit hard in the south island of Kyushu, on the largest land mass of Honshu 59 motorcycle teams had to battle a constant supply of rain, in addition to the exhausting heat and humidity.
After four safety car stoppages and numerous crashes, Australia’s Steve Martin has finished a very creditable third alongside Igor Jerman and Gwen Giabbani on their Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) YZF-R1. That was even after the team was hit with a stop-go penalty for breaking the speed limit in pitlane.
Martin’s fellow Australian Damian Cudlin was 12th on a Yamaha.
Suzuki riders Daisaku Sakai, Kazuki Tokudome and Nobuatsu won the event from Kawasaki trio Hitoyasu Isutzu, Shinya Takeishi and Ryuji Tsuruta.
Third was the Honda of Chojun Kameya and Takumi Takahashi, the latter replacing injured Australian Josh Brookes.
The favoured team of Kosuke Akiyoshi, Shinichi Ito and Yoshiteru Konishi crashed on lap two while holding the early lead.
The winners completed 183 laps, with second and third one lap behind. YART finished with 181 laps.
To put the conditions into perspective, in 2008 the two top two teams completed 214 laps in the eight-hour marathon.
Suzuki has now won the Suzuka 8 Hour five times – three in the first six years, and now two in the last three.
Click the following link for official results in the 2009 Suzuka 8 Hour.
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