The famous Suzuka 8 Hours is the final race of the 2018-19 FIM Endurance World Championship, and it is set to take place this weekend.
Celebrating a fruitful 20 year partnership, this weekend Dunlop head to the iconic Japanese circuit hoping that long-term partner Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) can wrap up the FIM EWC team championship. Supplying tyres to Team SERT has helped Dunlop to claim 13 World Endurance Championship titles, 7 Le Mans 24hr race victories, 11 Bol d’Or wins and multiple EWC victories.
Currently sitting second overall on 127 points, SERT are only five points behind the leaders. However, the pressure is really on this weekend as the points allocated for the final round have been increased by 150%.
As well as Team SERT challenging for overall victory in the EWC class, VRD Igol Pierret Experiences and Honda Endurance Racing are still pushing for a strong result in the FIM EWC teams ranking, while in the Superstock class the Moto AIN team have already wrapped up the FIM World Cup title.
The tyre manufacturer backed EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy is also hotly contested once again this year, and this separate series supports privateer teams with financial incentives and a league table.
The Suzuka 8 hours represents a major test for the tyres, Dunlop’s NTEC and Jointless Belt Technology have been developed to cope with the demands of endurance racing and give riders the confidence and stability to consistently push throughout the 8 hours.
First contested in 1978, the rich history of the Suzuka 8 hours has seen multiple MotoGP World Champions Valentino Rossi and Mick Doohan winning in 2001 and 1991 respectively.
The Suzuka 8 hours plays a huge role in deciding this season’s champions of the EWC and Superstock team titles. Increased points and a decision by factory teams to introduce top riders from other series all have an impact on the final result as championship regulars ride alongside one-off factory entries and privateer squads.
Roland Wozniak, International Event Manager, Dunlop Motorsport, understands the importance of a strong Suzuka 8 Hours:
“Competing against the top teams and other tyre manufacturers at the challenging Suzuka 8 hours and coming away with the 2018-19 EWC teams title will be extra special. Dunlop have worked tirelessly to give their partners the optimal tyre performance at every round and we believe it will give Team SERT the best chance of wrapping up the teams title.”
