National Motos Honda FMA boss Stéphane Haddadj has likened the challenge of contesting the upcoming 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race to climbing Mount Fuji.
The points-leading FIM Endurance World Cup Team has embraced new rules for 2024 that allow European Superstock squads to contest Japan’s round of the EWC.
It’s also benefiting from the tyre support package offered jointly by FIM Endurance World Championship promoter Warner Bros. Discovery Sports and Dunlop, the official tyre supplier to the Superstock category.
Through the arrangement, 10 sets of tyres are being provided free of charge to each European Superstock team contesting the third event of the EWC season from 19-21 July. The Wójcik Racing Team from Poland is another Superstock squad to benefit from this incentive.
After winning its class in the season-opening 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans in April and placing second in the 8 Hours of Spa Motos last month, National Motos Honda FMA heads to Suzuka on a high with riders Guillaume Raymond from France and the Swiss Suchet brothers, Sébastien and Valentin.
Speaking during the final preparations for the 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race from 19-21 July, National Motos Honda FMA’s Stéphane Haddadj (pictured left below) said: “It will be an honour for National Motos Honda to be able to race on Soichiro Honda’s legendary circuit. The opportunity to open this mythical race to the European Superstock teams is a kid’s dream opening up before us and all our volunteers. It’s our reward for our investment in endurance for more than 50 years now.”
Haddaj continued: “What comes to mind is The Power of Dreams. For motorbike enthusiasts, we’re clearly part of Soichiro Honda’s philosophy, and to be able to take part in it is incredible. It involves colossal sums of money for transport, you have to take into account the travel for the volunteers and the people working in the pits and for the riders, but also the equipment, it’s the biggest budget. It was a challenge to put together the budget to be able to go. We know fully well that we won’t be able to match the performance of the Japanese teams and riders, because they know this circuit very well. But to be able to organise, plan, prepare and take on such a challenge is really like climbing Mount Fuji, and we want to succeed.”
Valentin Suchet, 28 (pictured above), said: “I’m expecting to suffer. My brother [Sébastien] had the opportunity to go twice [to Suzuka], once as a pair, and he said that this eight-hour race was the hardest test of his life, so it must be quite a challenge. Then there’s the championship. Even if there are four races in the championship, the Stocks take the points for the three best races, so it’s still a hell of a joker for the championship, and it could be a good plus for the end of the season.”
The 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race takes place from 19-21 July. Click HERE for more event information including details of how to buy tickets.
AloJapan.com