Suzuka 8 hour 2008

[Cleve]

An AWESOME event. Will write a longer report when I get a chance at home.

[Cleve]

Suzuka report

The race started at 11.30am in searing hot sunshine. The first 10 laps were inspiring with the top 3 Honda's and top 2 Suzuki's gapping the rest and battling amongst themselves and swopping positions.
By the 9th lap they were already lapping back markers. Unbelieveable on a track that takes the fast guys 2.08 minutes to circulate!
After running through back markers the front 5 started to space out a bit and the race settled down.
Kiynari's pace into the first corner was awe inspiring and regularly left large black lines as he powered out and up into the S's.
About nearly 4 hours into the race large ominous clouds appeared overhead.
This had the effect cooling things down a bit. A welcome relief to all of us baking in the hot sun. A spectacular lightening show with loud thunder then suddenly turned into a tropical downpour. Huge drops of rain pounded down and the track turned from baking hot to steaming wet. The speed differential then coming into turn one was immense. The fast guys so much more faster in the much more trickier and unpredictable conditions.
This period of the race allowed for quite a bit of entertainment. As most of the other parts of the track were dry (the heavy rain just affecting the front straight turn 1 and S's area (as far as I could see) and with some riders over compensating and some under compensating for the sudden change a number of riders ran wide, fell off or exited turn 1 with rear wheel spinning wildly.
The most spectucular being the unfortunate SBK rider Kagayama. He was at that stage winning the 8 hour and was by far the fastest into turn one while it was wet. I watched him once more come into the wet turn one thinking, shit he is going even faster than before. Then the rear wheel let go in a long and slow motion slide before flicking him off and into the deep run off area. Huge cheers erupted from the grandstand as he immediately picked up his GSXR and powered out of the sand, rear wheel spinning and sand flying all over the place.
After 1/2 an hour of that kind of entertainment the sun was out and had dried things up pretty quick and it all returned back to normal.
By then unfortunately the sole Ducati had fried its brains and was not longer circulating. For a few laps I saw the Duke blowing smoke and then I saw it no more. Perhaps some solace can come from the fact that a couple of Honda's blew up as well...
Pole setter (for the 7th time?) and home town favourite Shinichi Ito crashed while chasing for the lead and after that the race stayed pretty stable with Kiyonari (still spectacular out of turn one) with Carlos Checa (very smooth and fast) staying out in front of the other Yoshimura Suzuki (despite Checa having to come in for a stop go penalty - I think for passing under yellow flags).
They gave it to Checa to bring the bike home. Honda back to its winning ways at the 8 hour.
One should not only talk about the racing when reporting on the 8 hour. There is the scene behind it all. It is Japans biggest motorcycling day, so there is a huge number of distributor and merchandise stands, with lots of displays and shows and other stuff going on. A lovely amount of eye candy as scantily clad ladies try to promote; spark plugs, mobile phones, Coca Cola etc to you.
If you are ever in Japan in late July. Go to it.
If you ever get the chance to race in it. Do it! (So where were the Kiwis this year anyway??!!)