Team HRC Tops Suzuka 8-Hour Provisional Qualifying

Miller and O’Halloran star for Yamaha squads as Aussie quartet features strongly

The 46th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours has kicked off in style, with First Qualifying delivering scintillating speed in sweltering Suzuka conditions, and the Australian contingent putting in strong times ahead of Saturday’s Top 10 Trial shootout. The factory Honda HRC team set the pace with an average lap time of 02:05.187, courtesy of Takumi Takahashi and MotoGP gun Johann Zarco, who topped the Yellow Rider group with a red-hot 02:04.820.

Aussie MotoGP race winner Jack Miller  had a stellar showing on his debut with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team, clocking a 02:05.816 in the Yellow Rider session to help secure third overall for his team with an average lap of 02:05.539, just behind AutoRace Ube Racing Team.

Miller’s teammates, multi-time Suzuka champion Katsuyuki Nakasuga and WorldSBK star Andrea Locatelli, were also consistently quick, posting a 02:05.893 and 02:05.262 respectively to slot the Yamaha Racing Team into 3rd position heading into the Top 10 Trial.

Naomichi Uramoto recorded the fastest individual lap of the day with a blazing 02:04.796, but the No. 76 AutoRace Ube Racing BMW ended up two tenths shy of the top HRC team based on the average of their times.

O’Halloran Keeps YART in the Mix

Australia’s Jason O’Halloran posted a 2:07.201 aboard the YART – Yamaha Official EWC Team bike, helping YART secure fifth overall with a combined lap time of 2:06.522 with EWC teammates Karel Hanika and Marvin Fritz.

Josh Brookes Goes to Work for Honda Sakurai

Veteran Aussie Josh Brookes made his return to the Suzuka 8 Hours with the Honda Dream RT Sakurai Honda squad, setting a 2:08.263 in the Blue Rider session. Teammates Daijiro Hiura and Kazuki Ito pushed hard, with the trio’s average of 02:06.668 placing them 11th overall. The team is outside the Top 10 Trial but still well placed to move up come race day.

Young Gun Max Stauffer Gains Experience

Rounding out the Aussie presence is Max Stauffer, who delivered a respectable 02:08.330 in his Red Rider stint for Marumae Team Kodama, helping the team secure 17th overall with a 02:07.398 average. For the EWC rookie and Supersport graduate, it’s a valuable learning experience on one of the world’s greatest circuits.

Unlike other EWC rounds, the starting grid for the Suzuka 8 Hours is decided not after Qualifying 2, but through the all-out Top 10 Trial showdown on Saturday afternoon. With Miller and O’Halloran’s teams locked inside the top five, Aussie fans have every reason to be glued to the action.

SUZUKA 8-HOUR PROVISIONAL QUALIFYING