Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach won Sunday’s MotoAmerica Stock 1000 race at VIRginia International Raceway over BMW-mounted OrangeCat Racing teammates Jayson Uribe and Andrew Lee. BPR Racing’s Bryce Kornbau was fourth, and Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates was fifth.
25_11_VIR_STK_R2_res
Honda HRC’s Takumi Takahashi and Johann Zarco delivered a heroic performance to win the 46th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, taking victory in Japan’s round of the FIM Endurance World Championship as a duo rather than a three-rider team.
In extreme heat and punishing humidity, the Honda HRC pair were forced to complete more individual riding stints than their rivals but managed the increased physical and mental demands to perfection to score Honda’s fourth consecutive Suzuka victory and its 31st in total. It was also a record-extending seventh win for Japanese star Takahashi and a second in a row for French MotoGP racer Zarco following his debut EWC triumph last season.
Yamaha Racing Team marked its return to the Suzuka 8 Hours for the first time since 2019 by finishing second, 34.243s behind Honda HRC, with Andrea Locatelli, Jack Miller and Katsuyuki Nakasuga.
Suzuki-powered Yoshimura SERT Motul completed the podium for the second year running after Dan Linfoot hit back from a fall to demote SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda rider Yuki Kunii in the closing stages following an intense battle that raged for much of the race. Kunii had led for the opening 40 minutes after audaciously sweeping ahead of pole-sitter Takahashi through Nippo Corner having drawn alongside exiting the “S” Curve on lap one.
By finishing fifth, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team heads to next month’s Bol d’Or season finale one point behind Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team in the race to win the FIM Endurance World Championship for Teams after the Austrian squad suffered a rare retirement.
Team Étoile claimed its maiden victory in the Dunlop-equipped Superstock category to move level on points with National Motos Honda FMA.
Following the race, Gregg Black dedicated Yoshimura SERT Motul’s third place to Luca Guintoli, the son of his former team-mate and former EWC champion Sylvain, who passed away during the week.
Speaking afterwards, Zarco said: “It’s always a good race when you can control a gap. But doing it with two [riders] is really difficult, plus it’s too hot, you sweat a lot and the recovery time is too short. It’s tough sometimes when you go back on the bike but in the end the pace was quite good. We got two safety car [periods] and that always change a bit the game but we could keep an advantage. Thanks to Takumi because he’s always doing the job every stint and that’s so impressive.
“I try to do the same and I hope next year we’ll be three because we’ll be better. It’s a race I enjoy and having one of the best bikes is a pleasure to ride. It’s a nice week to do, you need to control your energy but it’s my special holiday to come in Suzuka.”
Zarco reckoned the superior fuel consumption of his Honda CBR100 RR-R-SP played a key role in Honda HRC’s success. He said: “Honda did a good bike. I think our biggest advantage was this fuel consumption and making only seven stops made the biggest difference for the win today.”
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team was in third place after two and a half hours of running when its hopes of a first Suzuka podium for a European manufacturer were dashed in hugely frustrating fashion. World Superbike racer Michael van der Mark was onboard the number 37 machine when he headed to the pits after a footrest worked loose. However, just as he was turning into the pitlane, it got lodged within his BMW’s back wheel, leading to the Dutchman suffering heavy fall and his team spending more than four minutes making repairs.
Falls for Jason O’Halloran and Marvin Fritz dropped Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team out of contention after it had run as high as fourth. A reported electronic fault hampered its recovery before a further fall for Karel Hanika, caused by an engine issue, ended YART’s unbroken run of podiums that stretched back to the 2024 season opener.
Having impressed by going third fastest in the Top 10 Trial on Saturday, AutoRace Ube Racing Team took sixth following a slow pitstop earlier in the race. TeamATJ with docomo Business finished seventh with Kawasaki Webike Trickstar eighth to continue its points-scoring run.
ELF Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 improved upon its 10th place scored in 2024 by finishing a fine ninth, one place ahead of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo. ERC Endurance took a strong 11th, while Motobox Kremer Racing crossed the line in 23rd.
The race was a little more than one hour old when 8 Hours of Spa Motos winner F.C.C. TSR Honda Franceretired with engine failure shortly after Taiga Hada had taken over from Alan Techer. Tati Team AVA6 Racing was also unable to go the distance due to an engine issue.
Home Superstock joy for Team Étoile
BMW-powered Team Étoile converted the Superstock pole into its first win in the Dunlop-supplied FIM Endurance World Cup courtesy of Japanese trio Motoharu Ito, Hikari Okubo and Kazuki Watanabe.
TONE Team 4413 EVA 02 BMW, which headed Team Étoile home in 2024, finished second after Leandro Marcado and veteran Tomoya Hoshino rode as a pair. Kevin Calia, Flavio Ferroni and Simone Saltarelli rode Revo-M2’s Aprilia to third place on their Suzuka debut.
Team Étoile will now start the Bol d’Or equal on points with National Motos Honda FMA, which retired when Johan Nigon crashed heavily.
Wójcik Racing Team finished an impressive fourth with Kaedear-Dafy-RAC 41-Honda two places behind having led at one stage. Honda No Limits also enjoyed a stint in front but ran out of fuel, leading to Gabriele Gianni heroically pushing the team’s stricken machine for approximately three kilometre back to the pits. Visit FIMEWC.com over the coming weeks for more Superstock news.
The 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship title chase concludes at Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France from 18-21 September with the 88th running of the legendary Bol d’Or 24-hour race.
EWC SPORTITY APP MEDIA CHANNEL REMINDER
The EWC’s dedicated Sportity app media channel for the 2025 season is available using the password 2025EWCMEDIA. The Sportity app is a digital information resource widely used in sports events and championships around the world. It’s attractive to users because it keeps all relevant information in one place and is accessible through smartphones or computers. Users are made aware of new information becoming available through push notifications and the app can be downloaded for free via the App Store or Google Play.
WHATSAPP NEWS CHANNEL
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Kira Knebel took the MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. win at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. She was followed by Miranda Cain, Camille Conrad, Cassie Creer, and Bryanna Everitt.
25_11_VIR_BTR_R2_res
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was fastest in the MotoAmerica Motovation Supersport warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. He was followed by Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen, Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen, Strack Racing’s Blake Davis and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott.
25_11_VIR_SSP_WU1_res
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong topped the MotoAmerica Superbike warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. He was followed by Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne, and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly.
25_11_VIR_SBK_WU1_res
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe earned the top spot in the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. He was followed by Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach, OrangeCat Racing’s Andrew Lee, BPR Racing Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau and Edge Racing’s Jason Waters.
25_11_VIR_STK_WU1_res
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Warhorse Ducati/American Racing’s Alessandro Di Mario took first place in the MotoAmerica Parts Unlimited Talent Cup warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. He was trailed by Jones Honda’s Julian Correa, Tytler’s Cycle Racing’s Hank Vossberg, Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane, and MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher.
25_11_VIR_TCP_WU1_res
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Robem Engineering’s Alessandro Di Mario claimed the top spot in the MotoAmerica SC-Project Twins Cup warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. He was followed by Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher, Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle, RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Matthew Chapin and Robem Engineering’s Hank Vossberg.
25_11_VIR_TWN_WU1_res
Ask ChatGPT
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Kira Knebel led the MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. Miranda Cain, Camille Conrad, Shea MacGregor, and Cassie Creer completed the top five.
25_11_VIR_BTR_WU1_res
Takumi Takahashi and Johann Zarco have won the 46th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race for Honda HRC, the Japanese manufacturer’s 31st victory in the FIM Endurance World Championship event, Takahashi’s record-extending seventh and MotoGP star Zarco’s second.
Starting from pole position, Honda HRC beat Yamaha Racing Team to EWC glory with Yoshimura SERT Motul edging out SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda for third after an intense battle that raged for much of the race.
“It’s always a good race when you can control a gap,” Zarco said. “But doing it with two [riders] is really difficult, plus it’s too hot, you sweat a lot and the recovery time is too short. It’s tough sometimes when you go back on the bike but in the end the pace was quite good. We got two safety car [periods] and that always change a bit the game but we could keep an advantage. Thanks to Takumi because he’s always doing the job every stint and that’s so impressive. I try to do the same and I hope next year we’ll be three because we’ll be better. It’s a race I enjoy and having one of the best bikes is a pleasure to ride. It’s a nice week to do, you need to control your energy but it’s my special holiday to come in Suzuka.”
By finishing fifth overall, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team heads to the season-deciding Bol d’Or next month just one point behind Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team, which retired after a succession of falls and an engine issue.
BMW-powered Team Étoile converted the Superstock category pole into its first win in the Dunlop-supplied FIM Endurance World Cup. TONE Team 4413 EVA 02 BMW, which headed Team Étoile home in 2024, finished second with Aprilia-powered Revo-M2 finishing third. Team Étoile will start the Bol d’Or equal on points with National Motos Honda FMA, which crashed out.
Full press release to follow…
FIM Endurance World Championship - Race - Final results after 8 hours - Provisional Ranking - Amended
More from a press release issued by Honda Racing:
Honda HRC claimed perfect victory at Suzuka 8 Hours, marking Honda’s 31st win in the race.
Takumi Takahashi, the first rider to take to the handlebars of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP #30, made a strong start, taking the lead, but lost it during the first lap. However, just on lap 14, Takahashi regained the race lead.
Back in the pits of his stint, he handed over the Honda #30 to his teammate Johann Zarco who rejoined the track in first place with around 13 seconds gap. The Frenchman controlled the advantage before handling the bike back to Takahashi.
The rest of the stints were perfectly managed and at half of the race, the Honda HRC continued to control the lead with a gap of 40 seconds.
Shortly after Takahashi began his seventh stint, still leading the race, the safety car appearance made the Japanese rider to build an advantage of over one minute.
After a lightning‑fast tyre change and refueling, Zarco had to wait for the safety car to complete its lap before rejoining the track, reducing the gap but the distance was enough for Zarco to cross the chequered flag in first place, winning his second Suzuka 8 Hours victory and seventh for Takahashi.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France was forced to retire from the 46th edition of the Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours due to a technical problem, and is now counting on the Bol d’Or to finish the season on a high.
Starting from 14th on the grid, French rider Alan Techer rode a cautious first stint on the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, without losing any positions. The oppressive heat did not prevent the rider from setting his pace, allowing the Honda#5 team to move into the top 10 on lap 19.
At the end of the first pit stop, Taiga Hada took over. A suspicious noise accompanied by a power loss forced the Japanese rider to return to the pits a few laps later.
After a meticulous examination by the technical team, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was forced to withdraw from the race only 1 hour and 10 minutes of racing.
F.C.C TSR Honda France is now in 6th place in the Championship and the team hopes remain high and looking ahead to victory in the Bol d’Or.
Tati Team AVA6 Racing started from 23rd on the grid and after three-hour race, the Honda#4 climbed up to 16th place. However, recurring electrical issues forced multiple pit stops, and the end Honda #4 was forced to withdraw at half of the race.
In the Superstock category, Kaedear-Dafy-Rac41-Honda, aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP #41, was the best-qualifying Honda on the grid, with a second place in its category.
With Takeshi Ishizuka, Chris Leesch and Kevin Manfredi delivering a solid performance, the Honda #41 ran a competitive race, consistently posting strong lap times and holding a comfortable podium position for the first half of the event.
Unfortunately, a crash required Ishizuka to bring the bike into the pits for repairs. Thanks to the quick work of the technical crew, the team rejoined the race in eighth place in the SST category. Showing resilience and determination, the team staged a remarkable comeback to finish fifth in class, earning precious points for the championship.
The Wójcik Racing Team #777 started the race from seventh on the grid in the SST class and with an excellent pace and team work, the Honda #777 finished in a well-deserved 4th place in the SST class.
Honda No Limits team, riding the Fireblade #44 with Kaito Toba, Gabriele Giannini and Akito Haga, showed strong pace throughout the weekend. After qualifying third in the SST category, they took the class lead three hours into the race. However, a mechanical issue forced Giannini to push the bike back to the pits. A prolonged stop dropped them to 13th place, but the team fought back to eventually finish in 12th place.
National Motos Honda FMA, leaders of the SST World Championship, saw their race cut short after a crash with just two hours to go, forcing the team to retire from the Suzuka 8 Hours. The team still holds the first place in the standings together with Team Etoile and are now fully focused on scoring maximum points at the Bol d’Or to reclaim the SST World Title.
The 2025 FIM EWC championship final will take place on September 20 at the Bol d’Or, on the Paul Ricard circuit (France).
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach won Sunday’s MotoAmerica Stock 1000 race at VIRginia International Raceway over BMW-mounted OrangeCat Racing teammates Jayson Uribe and Andrew Lee. BPR Racing’s Bryce Kornbau was fourth, and Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates was fifth.
25_11_VIR_STK_R2_res
Honda HRC’s Takumi Takahashi and Johann Zarco delivered a heroic performance to win the 46th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, taking victory in Japan’s round of the FIM Endurance World Championship as a duo rather than a three-rider team.
In extreme heat and punishing humidity, the Honda HRC pair were forced to complete more individual riding stints than their rivals but managed the increased physical and mental demands to perfection to score Honda’s fourth consecutive Suzuka victory and its 31st in total. It was also a record-extending seventh win for Japanese star Takahashi and a second in a row for French MotoGP racer Zarco following his debut EWC triumph last season.
Yamaha Racing Team marked its return to the Suzuka 8 Hours for the first time since 2019 by finishing second, 34.243s behind Honda HRC, with Andrea Locatelli, Jack Miller and Katsuyuki Nakasuga.
Suzuki-powered Yoshimura SERT Motul completed the podium for the second year running after Dan Linfoot hit back from a fall to demote SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda rider Yuki Kunii in the closing stages following an intense battle that raged for much of the race. Kunii had led for the opening 40 minutes after audaciously sweeping ahead of pole-sitter Takahashi through Nippo Corner having drawn alongside exiting the “S” Curve on lap one.
By finishing fifth, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team heads to next month’s Bol d’Or season finale one point behind Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team in the race to win the FIM Endurance World Championship for Teams after the Austrian squad suffered a rare retirement.
Team Étoile claimed its maiden victory in the Dunlop-equipped Superstock category to move level on points with National Motos Honda FMA.
Following the race, Gregg Black dedicated Yoshimura SERT Motul’s third place to Luca Guintoli, the son of his former team-mate and former EWC champion Sylvain, who passed away during the week.
Speaking afterwards, Zarco said: “It’s always a good race when you can control a gap. But doing it with two [riders] is really difficult, plus it’s too hot, you sweat a lot and the recovery time is too short. It’s tough sometimes when you go back on the bike but in the end the pace was quite good. We got two safety car [periods] and that always change a bit the game but we could keep an advantage. Thanks to Takumi because he’s always doing the job every stint and that’s so impressive.
“I try to do the same and I hope next year we’ll be three because we’ll be better. It’s a race I enjoy and having one of the best bikes is a pleasure to ride. It’s a nice week to do, you need to control your energy but it’s my special holiday to come in Suzuka.”
Zarco reckoned the superior fuel consumption of his Honda CBR100 RR-R-SP played a key role in Honda HRC’s success. He said: “Honda did a good bike. I think our biggest advantage was this fuel consumption and making only seven stops made the biggest difference for the win today.”
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team was in third place after two and a half hours of running when its hopes of a first Suzuka podium for a European manufacturer were dashed in hugely frustrating fashion. World Superbike racer Michael van der Mark was onboard the number 37 machine when he headed to the pits after a footrest worked loose. However, just as he was turning into the pitlane, it got lodged within his BMW’s back wheel, leading to the Dutchman suffering heavy fall and his team spending more than four minutes making repairs.
Falls for Jason O’Halloran and Marvin Fritz dropped Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team out of contention after it had run as high as fourth. A reported electronic fault hampered its recovery before a further fall for Karel Hanika, caused by an engine issue, ended YART’s unbroken run of podiums that stretched back to the 2024 season opener.
Having impressed by going third fastest in the Top 10 Trial on Saturday, AutoRace Ube Racing Team took sixth following a slow pitstop earlier in the race. TeamATJ with docomo Business finished seventh with Kawasaki Webike Trickstar eighth to continue its points-scoring run.
ELF Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 improved upon its 10th place scored in 2024 by finishing a fine ninth, one place ahead of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo. ERC Endurance took a strong 11th, while Motobox Kremer Racing crossed the line in 23rd.
The race was a little more than one hour old when 8 Hours of Spa Motos winner F.C.C. TSR Honda Franceretired with engine failure shortly after Taiga Hada had taken over from Alan Techer. Tati Team AVA6 Racing was also unable to go the distance due to an engine issue.
Home Superstock joy for Team Étoile
BMW-powered Team Étoile converted the Superstock pole into its first win in the Dunlop-supplied FIM Endurance World Cup courtesy of Japanese trio Motoharu Ito, Hikari Okubo and Kazuki Watanabe.
TONE Team 4413 EVA 02 BMW, which headed Team Étoile home in 2024, finished second after Leandro Marcado and veteran Tomoya Hoshino rode as a pair. Kevin Calia, Flavio Ferroni and Simone Saltarelli rode Revo-M2’s Aprilia to third place on their Suzuka debut.
Team Étoile will now start the Bol d’Or equal on points with National Motos Honda FMA, which retired when Johan Nigon crashed heavily.
Wójcik Racing Team finished an impressive fourth with Kaedear-Dafy-RAC 41-Honda two places behind having led at one stage. Honda No Limits also enjoyed a stint in front but ran out of fuel, leading to Gabriele Gianni heroically pushing the team’s stricken machine for approximately three kilometre back to the pits. Visit FIMEWC.com over the coming weeks for more Superstock news.
The 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship title chase concludes at Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France from 18-21 September with the 88th running of the legendary Bol d’Or 24-hour race.
EWC SPORTITY APP MEDIA CHANNEL REMINDER
The EWC’s dedicated Sportity app media channel for the 2025 season is available using the password 2025EWCMEDIA. The Sportity app is a digital information resource widely used in sports events and championships around the world. It’s attractive to users because it keeps all relevant information in one place and is accessible through smartphones or computers. Users are made aware of new information becoming available through push notifications and the app can be downloaded for free via the App Store or Google Play.
WHATSAPP NEWS CHANNEL
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Kira Knebel took the MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. win at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. She was followed by Miranda Cain, Camille Conrad, Cassie Creer, and Bryanna Everitt.
25_11_VIR_BTR_R2_res
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was fastest in the MotoAmerica Motovation Supersport warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. He was followed by Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen, Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen, Strack Racing’s Blake Davis and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott.
25_11_VIR_SSP_WU1_res
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong topped the MotoAmerica Superbike warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. He was followed by Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne, and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly.
25_11_VIR_SBK_WU1_res
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe earned the top spot in the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. He was followed by Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach, OrangeCat Racing’s Andrew Lee, BPR Racing Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau and Edge Racing’s Jason Waters.
25_11_VIR_STK_WU1_res
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Warhorse Ducati/American Racing’s Alessandro Di Mario took first place in the MotoAmerica Parts Unlimited Talent Cup warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. He was trailed by Jones Honda’s Julian Correa, Tytler’s Cycle Racing’s Hank Vossberg, Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane, and MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher.
25_11_VIR_TCP_WU1_res
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Robem Engineering’s Alessandro Di Mario claimed the top spot in the MotoAmerica SC-Project Twins Cup warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. He was followed by Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher, Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle, RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Matthew Chapin and Robem Engineering’s Hank Vossberg.
25_11_VIR_TWN_WU1_res
Ask ChatGPT
Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!
Kira Knebel led the MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. warmup at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday. Miranda Cain, Camille Conrad, Shea MacGregor, and Cassie Creer completed the top five.
25_11_VIR_BTR_WU1_res
Takumi Takahashi and Johann Zarco have won the 46th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race for Honda HRC, the Japanese manufacturer’s 31st victory in the FIM Endurance World Championship event, Takahashi’s record-extending seventh and MotoGP star Zarco’s second.
Starting from pole position, Honda HRC beat Yamaha Racing Team to EWC glory with Yoshimura SERT Motul edging out SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda for third after an intense battle that raged for much of the race.
“It’s always a good race when you can control a gap,” Zarco said. “But doing it with two [riders] is really difficult, plus it’s too hot, you sweat a lot and the recovery time is too short. It’s tough sometimes when you go back on the bike but in the end the pace was quite good. We got two safety car [periods] and that always change a bit the game but we could keep an advantage. Thanks to Takumi because he’s always doing the job every stint and that’s so impressive. I try to do the same and I hope next year we’ll be three because we’ll be better. It’s a race I enjoy and having one of the best bikes is a pleasure to ride. It’s a nice week to do, you need to control your energy but it’s my special holiday to come in Suzuka.”
By finishing fifth overall, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team heads to the season-deciding Bol d’Or next month just one point behind Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team, which retired after a succession of falls and an engine issue.
BMW-powered Team Étoile converted the Superstock category pole into its first win in the Dunlop-supplied FIM Endurance World Cup. TONE Team 4413 EVA 02 BMW, which headed Team Étoile home in 2024, finished second with Aprilia-powered Revo-M2 finishing third. Team Étoile will start the Bol d’Or equal on points with National Motos Honda FMA, which crashed out.
Full press release to follow…
FIM Endurance World Championship - Race - Final results after 8 hours - Provisional Ranking - Amended
More from a press release issued by Honda Racing:
Honda HRC claimed perfect victory at Suzuka 8 Hours, marking Honda’s 31st win in the race.
Takumi Takahashi, the first rider to take to the handlebars of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP #30, made a strong start, taking the lead, but lost it during the first lap. However, just on lap 14, Takahashi regained the race lead.
Back in the pits of his stint, he handed over the Honda #30 to his teammate Johann Zarco who rejoined the track in first place with around 13 seconds gap. The Frenchman controlled the advantage before handling the bike back to Takahashi.
The rest of the stints were perfectly managed and at half of the race, the Honda HRC continued to control the lead with a gap of 40 seconds.
Shortly after Takahashi began his seventh stint, still leading the race, the safety car appearance made the Japanese rider to build an advantage of over one minute.
After a lightning‑fast tyre change and refueling, Zarco had to wait for the safety car to complete its lap before rejoining the track, reducing the gap but the distance was enough for Zarco to cross the chequered flag in first place, winning his second Suzuka 8 Hours victory and seventh for Takahashi.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France was forced to retire from the 46th edition of the Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours due to a technical problem, and is now counting on the Bol d’Or to finish the season on a high.
Starting from 14th on the grid, French rider Alan Techer rode a cautious first stint on the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, without losing any positions. The oppressive heat did not prevent the rider from setting his pace, allowing the Honda#5 team to move into the top 10 on lap 19.
At the end of the first pit stop, Taiga Hada took over. A suspicious noise accompanied by a power loss forced the Japanese rider to return to the pits a few laps later.
After a meticulous examination by the technical team, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was forced to withdraw from the race only 1 hour and 10 minutes of racing.
F.C.C TSR Honda France is now in 6th place in the Championship and the team hopes remain high and looking ahead to victory in the Bol d’Or.
Tati Team AVA6 Racing started from 23rd on the grid and after three-hour race, the Honda#4 climbed up to 16th place. However, recurring electrical issues forced multiple pit stops, and the end Honda #4 was forced to withdraw at half of the race.
In the Superstock category, Kaedear-Dafy-Rac41-Honda, aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP #41, was the best-qualifying Honda on the grid, with a second place in its category.
With Takeshi Ishizuka, Chris Leesch and Kevin Manfredi delivering a solid performance, the Honda #41 ran a competitive race, consistently posting strong lap times and holding a comfortable podium position for the first half of the event.
Unfortunately, a crash required Ishizuka to bring the bike into the pits for repairs. Thanks to the quick work of the technical crew, the team rejoined the race in eighth place in the SST category. Showing resilience and determination, the team staged a remarkable comeback to finish fifth in class, earning precious points for the championship.
The Wójcik Racing Team #777 started the race from seventh on the grid in the SST class and with an excellent pace and team work, the Honda #777 finished in a well-deserved 4th place in the SST class.
Honda No Limits team, riding the Fireblade #44 with Kaito Toba, Gabriele Giannini and Akito Haga, showed strong pace throughout the weekend. After qualifying third in the SST category, they took the class lead three hours into the race. However, a mechanical issue forced Giannini to push the bike back to the pits. A prolonged stop dropped them to 13th place, but the team fought back to eventually finish in 12th place.
National Motos Honda FMA, leaders of the SST World Championship, saw their race cut short after a crash with just two hours to go, forcing the team to retire from the Suzuka 8 Hours. The team still holds the first place in the standings together with Team Etoile and are now fully focused on scoring maximum points at the Bol d’Or to reclaim the SST World Title.
The 2025 FIM EWC championship final will take place on September 20 at the Bol d’Or, on the Paul Ricard circuit (France).
