This weekend, the best riders in the world are congregating at the Suzuka Circuit. The clock ticks down to the start of the 40th Suzuka 8hours, the grand finale of the 2016-2017 World Endurance Championship.
Based on the entry list published on July 16th, the entry list this year boasts 69 teams and 207 riders. Of these we find 17 riders in the 8 hour list who are current or former ARRC riders. Here’s a brief overview of each rider.
SUZUKA 4 HOURS
#7 RHEZA DANICA AHRENS
| Rider: | Rheza Danica Ahrens |
| Nationality: | Indonesia |
| Age: | 19 |
| 4Hours Team: | Astra Honda Racing Team |
| 4Hours Comp: | #7 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 4th overall in the Asia Production 250cc |
| The most exciting new talent to enter the ARRC in 2017. Rheza has had a successful debut season with two podium finishes to his credit.
This will be Rheza’s second appearance in the Suzuka 4 Hours. He is the current defending champion in the Suzuka 4 Hours Category. |
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#7 AWHIN SANJAYA
| Rider: | Awhin Sanjaya |
| Nationality: | Indonesia |
| Age: | 19 |
| 4Hours Team: | Astra Honda Racing Team |
| 4Hours Comp: | #7 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 6th overall in the Asia Production 250cc |
| This will be Awhin’s first appearance in the Suzuka 4 Hours. | |
#74 DONI TATA PRADITA
| Rider: | Doni Tata Pradita |
| Nationality: | Indonesia |
| Age: | 27 |
| 4Hours Team: | Akeno Speed – Yamaha |
| 4Hours Comp: | #74 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | Nil |
| Doni was a riding protégé who burst into the Asian motorsports scene circa 2004/2005. He won the Yamaha Asean Cup in 2004 at the age of 14. In 2005, he became the Underbone 115cc Asian Champion of the Asia Road Racing Championship. Doni still holds the record as the youngest rider to win a title in the Asian series.
The rider from Yogyakarta was put on the fast track and became the first Indonesian to race full season in the 250cc class of the World Championships. Doni participated in two seasons of the 250cc class (2007 and 2008). 2009 brought Doni to the World SuperSports series. In 2013, Doni got himself back in the spotlight when he secured a full season ride in the Moto2 class of the MotoGP. |
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#99 ANUPAB SARMOON
| Rider: | Anupab Sarmoon |
| Nationality: | Thailand |
| Age: | 24 |
| 4Hours Team: | Yamaha Thailand Racing |
| 4Hours Comp: | #99 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 3rd overall in the Asia Production 250cc class |
| Currently third overall in the Asia Production 250cc class, Anupab is the lone Yamaha rider against a field of Honda rivals. The gutsy Thai rider has clinched five podium finishes out of six races in the 2017 season to date.
This will be his Suzuka 4 Hour debut. |
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#99 PEERAPONG BOONLERT
| Rider: | Peerapong Boonlert |
| Nationality: | Thailand |
| Age: | |
| 4Hours Team: | Yamaha Thailand Racing |
| 4Hours Comp: | #99 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 12th overall in the Asia Production 250cc class |
| Son of former Underbone ARRC champion Surapong Boonlert, Peerapong is taking part in his first full season of the Asia Road Racing Championship, in the Asia Production 250cc category. | |
#108 ANDY MUHAMMAD FADLY
| Rider: | Andy Muhammad Fadly |
| Nationality: | Indonesia |
| Age: | 17 |
| 4Hours Team: | チーム能塚 & Manual-Tech Kawasaki |
| 4Hours Comp: | #108 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 9th overall in the Asia Production 250cc class |
#149 VORAPONG MALAHUAN
| Rider: | Vorapong Malahuan |
| Nationality: | Thailand |
| Age: | 31 |
| 4Hours Team: | AP Honda Racing Thailand |
| 4Hours Comp: | #149 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 11th overall in the Asia Production 250cc class |
#SITTHISAK ONCHIAWIANG
| Rider: | Sitthisak Onchiawiang |
| Nationality: | Thailand |
| Age: | |
| 4Hours Team: | AP Honda Racing Thailand |
| 4Hours Comp: | #149 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | – |
| Sitthisak was 19th overall in the Asia Production 250cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship in 2016. | |
SUZUKA 8 HOURS
#3 MITSUNORI OKAMURA
| Rider: | Mitsunori Okamura |
| Nationality: | Japan |
| Age: | 29 |
| 8Hours Team | KRP Sanyokogyo & RS-Itoh |
| 8Hours Comp: | #3 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | – |
| Okamura raced in the SuperSports 600cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship in 2014 and 2015. In both seasons, he ranked 15th overall. | |
#11 AZLAN SHAH KAMARUZAMAN
| Rider: | Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman |
| Nationality: | Malaysia |
| Age: | 33 |
| 8Hours Team | Kawasaki Team Green |
| 8Hours Comp: | #11 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | Championship leader in the SuperSports 600cc class |
| Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (together with his 2011 team mate Mohd Emir Firdaus Hasan) was the first South East Asian rider to break into the prestigious Suzuka Endurance series. The duo made a high profile 4-hour debut in 2011 when they defied the odds to become the winners of the 4 Hour race that year.
The 2011 4-hour win was a big boost for Azlan, the first major title of his career. He then went on to win the national Malaysian Cub Prix title in 2012, was crowned FIM Asian SuperSports 600cc Champion in 2013, and then embarked on a two-season sojourn in the Moto2 class of the MotoGP.
2016 and 2017 brought Azlan back to the Asia Road Racing Championship. He is the current SuperSports 600cc championship leader.
This will be Azlan’s fourth entry into the Suzuka 8 Hours. In 2012, Azlan competed with team mates Makoto Tamada and Chosun Kameya. They finished 25th.
In 2013, he partnered with Makoto Tamada and Yuki Takahashi. However, disaster struck during the free practices when Tamada suffered an injury following a bad crash. Azlan and Takahashi were left to soldier on. They eventually finished 6th – the only team with a 2-rider strategy.
In 2015, Azlan was a last-minute replacement for the injured Mohd Zamri Baba. Partnering Dimas Ekky Pratama and Ratthapong Wilairot, the team ended their race in 18th place.
This year, Azlan joins factory team Kawasaki Team Green and will race alongside Kazuma Watanabe and British Superbike icon, Leon Haslam (who was also the 2014 Suzuka 8 hour winner). |
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#13 TEPPEI NAGOE
| Rider: | Teppei Nagoe |
| Nationality: | Japan |
| Age: | 20 |
| 8Hours Team | Mistresa with ATJ Racing |
| 8Hours Comp: | #13 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 13th overall in the SuperSports 600cc class |
| Nagoe was 3rd overall in the 2014 Asia Dream Cup which ran as part of the Asia Road Racing Championship.
This season, he races in the SuperSports 600cc class in the Asian series. |
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#19 YUKI TAKAHASHI
| Rider: | Yuki Takahashi |
| Nationality: | Japan |
| Age: | 33 |
| 8Hours Team | Moriwaki Motul Racing |
| 8Hours Comp: | #19 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | – |
| Former GP rider Yuki Takahashi spent more than a decade racing at the world level. In 2001, he made his debut in the 125cc World Championship. From 2002 to 2008, he raced in the 250cc class of the world series. 2009 brought him into the MotoGP class but he went back to the Moto2 category from 2010 to 2013.
Takahashi was the 2015 SuperSports 600cc Champion of the Asia Road Racing Championship. |
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#19 RYUICHI KIYONARI
| Rider: | Ryuichi Kiyonari |
| Nationality: | Japan |
| Age: | 33 |
| 8Hours Team | Moriwaki Motul Racing |
| 8Hours Comp: | #19 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | – |
| Kiyonari’s career has spanned both the European and Asian continents. He was the British Superbikes Champion in 2006, 2007 and 2010. He won the SuperSports 600cc Asia Road Racing Championship title in 2012.
The accomplished Japanese rider also has four Suzuka 8 hours wins to his name – in 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2011. |
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#22 DIMAS EKKY PRATAMA
| Rider: | Dimas Ekky Pratama |
| Nationality: | Indonesia |
| Age: | 25 |
| 8Hours Team | SatuHati Honda Team Asia |
| 8Hours Comp: | #22 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | – |
| Dimas was consistently a top-10 ranked rider in the SuperSports 600cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship.
This year, he is competing in the Spanish Championship (CEV) where he is ranked 7th overall in the Moto2 class with a third place podium to his credit. Dimas was also Suzuka 4-hours winner in 2013. This will be the third Suzuka 8-hour foray of his career. He had previously participated in the race in 2014 and 2016. |
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#22 RATTHAPONG WILAIROT
| Rider: | Ratthapong Wilairot |
| Nationality: | Thailand |
| Age: | 25 |
| 8Hours Team | SatuHati Honda Team Asia |
| 8Hours Comp: | #22 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 10th overall in the SuperSports 600cc class |
| This will be Ratthapong’s second Suzuka 8 hours. His first endurance race was in 2015 when he partnered Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Dimas Ekky Pratama. With Makoto Tamada as team coach, they finished 18th in the 38th Coca Cola Suzuka 8hours. | |
#22 MOHD ZAQHWAN ZAIDI
| Rider: | Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi |
| Nationality: | Malaysia |
| Age: | 22 |
| 8Hours Team | SatuHati Honda Team Asia |
| 8Hours Comp: | #22 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 3rd overall in the SuperSports 600cc class |
| Only 22, Zaqhwan has emerged as one of the most consistent and talented riders in Asia. He won the Suzuka 4 Hours in 2012.
In 2014, he achieved a rare double when he clinched both the Asia Road Racing SuperSports 600cc title and the Malaysian Cub Prix national title in the same year. In 2016, Zaqhwan took back the SuperSports 600cc title after a season-long battle against Tomoyoshi Koyama. This will be Zaqhwan’s second Suzuka 8 hour appearance. In 2016, Zaqhwan partnered Dimas Ekky Pratama to finish 8th in the race. |
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#71 YUKIO KAGAYAMA
| Rider: | Yukio Kagayama |
| Nationality: | Japan |
| Age: | 71 |
| 8Hours Team | Team Kagayama |
| 8Hours Comp: | #71 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | – |
| World Superbike legend Yukio Kagayama is the General Manager of the Suzuki Asian Challenge – a talent development platform that is held in conjunction with the Asia Road Racing Championship.
Most recently, Kagayama entered the ARRC SuperSports 600cc class as a wildcard at the Suzuka round where he stole the limelight with a thrilling third place finish. 2017 will be Kagayama’s 16th campaign in the Suzuka 8 hours. He won the 8hour in 2007, and has 7 podium finishes under his belt. |
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#71 HAFIZH SYAHRIN ABDULLAH
| Rider: | Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah |
| Nationality: | Malaysia |
| Age: | 23 |
| 8Hours Team | Team Kagayama |
| 8Hours Comp: | #71 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | – |
| A racing protégé, Hafizh was, at one time, the youngest rider to ever clinch the national Malaysian Cub Prix Championship title. He won the Novice title in 2009 (15 years old) and the Expert title in 2010 when he was 16.
In 2010 to 2011, Hafizh raced in the SuperSports 600cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship where he ranked 4th overall in 2011. Hafizh’s career took him to the Spanish Championship (CEV) in 2012 and 2013. By 2014, Hafizh earned his full-season stripes in the Moto2 class of the MotoGP. He finished his Moto2 debut season in 19th overall. In 2015, he ranked 16th. 2016 brought a big improvement when he ended the year 9th overall. Hafizh is currently ranked 11th in the 2017 Moto2 World Championship. This will be Hafizh’s first foray into the Suzuka 8hour race. |
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#74 MAKOTO INAGAKI
| Rider: | Makoto Inagaki |
| Nationality: | Japan |
| Age: | 42 |
| 8Hours Team | Akeno Speed * Yamaha |
| 8Hours Comp: | #74 (SST Class) |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | – |
| A long-time competitor in the SuperSports 600cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship, Inagaki has successfully transitioned as team owner of team Akeno Speed. | |
#74 ANTHONY WEST
| Rider: | Anthony West |
| Nationality: | Australia |
| Age: | 36 |
| 8Hours Team | Akeno Speed * Yamaha |
| 8Hours Comp: | #74 (SST Class) |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 6th overall in the SuperSports 600cc class |
#79 JOSH HOOK
| Rider: | Josh Hook |
| Nationality: | Australia |
| Age: | 24 |
| 8Hours Team | Team SuP Dream Honda |
| 8Hours Comp: | #79 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | – |
| Hook was the first batch of riders to take part in the inaugural Asia Dream Cup in 2012 – a talent development initiative by Honda that ran as part of the Asia Road Racing Championship. He finished 3rd overall behind Hikari Okubo and Hiroki Ono.
Hook currently races in the British Superbikes Championship. |
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#83 MARK AITCHISON
| Rider: | Mark Aitchison |
| Nationality: | Australia |
| Age: | 34 |
| 8Hours Team | teamJP, DFR & RS-ITOH |
| 8Hours Comp: | #83 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | – |
| WSBK rider Mark Aitchison took part in the 2014 Asia Road Racing Championship. | |
#090 HIKARI OKUBO
| Rider: | Hikari Okubo |
| Nationality: | Japan |
| Age: | 24 |
| 8Hours Team | au & Teluru * Kohara RT |
| 8Hours Comp: | #090 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | – |
| Okubo was the first Asia Dream Cup Champion in 2012.
He currently races in the World SuperSport Championship and is ranked 12th after eight rounds. |
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#104 TOMOYOSHI KOYAMA
| Rider: | Tomoyoshi Koyama |
| Nationality: | Japan |
| Age: | 34 |
| 8Hours Team | Honda Dream Racing |
| 8Hours Comp: | #104 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 6th overall in the Asia Production 250cc class |
| Tomoyoshi Koyama finished 3rd overall in the 2007 GP125 World Championships. He raced in the Moto2 class from 2011 to 2012.
He raced in the SuperSports 600cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship from 2013 to 2016. He twice finished second overall in the Asian premiere class (2015 and 2016). |
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#104 TATSUYA YAMAGUCHI
| Rider: | Tatsuya Yamaguchi |
| Nationality: | Japan |
| Age: | 41 |
| 8Hours Team | Honda Dream Racing |
| 8Hours Comp: | #104 |
| Current ARRC Rankings: | 8th overall in the SuperSports 600cc class |
| A seasoned campaigner, Yamaguchi had raced in the World SuperSports Championship as well as the Moto2 class of world series.
This season, Yamaguchi is contracted to Thai team AP Honda Thailand for the Asia Road Racing Championship. |
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Editor’s note: With the exception of the ARRC results, much of the information here is culled from online sources. While a lot of effort has been poured into researching so many years of the Suzuka 8hours, we cannot vouch for the full accuracy of the information.