Release Date: Monday 22 July 2013
Honda TT Legends on the hunt for points in Japan
Following a successful outing at the Isle of Man TT, the Honda TT Legends team will return to the Endurance World Championship this week for one of the toughest races of the year – the Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan.
Fresh from securing his 20th TT victory, John McGuinness will step up to the challenge for the third year in a row and will be joined by Suzuka first-timers Michael Rutter and Simon Andrews. The three-strong squad will be pitted against a vast field of teams, including its regular EWC rivals and a host of specialist Japanese outfits.
The main aim for the riders and the super-slick Honda TT Legends crew will be claiming all-important championship points as they battle the extreme heat and humidity at the notoriously difficult Honda-owned circuit. Following three days of free practice and qualifying, the Suzuka 8 Hours race will begin at 11.30am Japanese Standard Time on Sunday 28 July.
Neil Tuxworth - team manager
The Isle of Man TT couldn’t have gone better for us as a team so we’re in good spirits as we return to the Endurance World Championship and one of the hardest races of the year, the Suzuka 8 Hours. This is John’s third year at Suzuka so it’s far less daunting for him now and with a bit of track familiarisation, he should be ready to go. Simon and Michael will have some work to do to learn the circuit and get accustomed to the heat and humidity, but I’m confident that we can achieve a good result and score some championship points.
John McGuinness
This is my third year at Suzuka so I know what to expect and I’m looking forward to it. It’s an iconic circuit and the Japanese fans are great – we always get a really good welcome and it’s brilliant to meet TT fans so far from home. We finished in the top ten last year and it would be good to do that again, but the main aim is to get some points and get our EWC season started. It will be tough without a doubt – it’s hot, it’s humid and we’re up against Suzuka experts who know the place like the back of their hand, but if we can bring the bike home in a respectable position it’ll be a job well done.
Simon Andrews
Suzuka is a very historic circuit and it’s on my list of things to do so I’m really pleased to get the opportunity to go, especially after missing it last year. I’m really looking forward to racing alongside the likes of Kevin Schwantz and Jonathan Rea and riding at a new track will be a good experience. It will be good to be back with the EWC team and on the endurance machine and our main aim as a team will be scoring points in the championship. I’ve never been to Japan before so the trip is pretty exciting and I can’t wait to see what it brings.
Michael Rutter
I’m looking forward to Suzuka as it’s one of those iconic races that everyone would like to do at least once. Endurance racing is still new to me and I’ve never been to Japan before so the whole experience will be a bit of an eye-opener. I’m hoping I can get the hang of the track pretty quickly and we can score some decent points for the championship effort.
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Suzuka 8hours schedule:
Thursday 25 July
13.30 Free Practice
15.40 Free Practice
Friday 26 July
9.00 Free Practice
11.00 -13.00 First Qualifying
15.15-17.15 Second Qualifying
18.15 - 9.15 Night Practice
Saturday 27 July
14.15-15.00 Free Practice
Sunday 28 July
8.30-9.15 Warm-up
11.30-19.30 Suzuka 8hours
