41th Team Lineup

Fujio Yoshimura / President

It will be the 41st Suzuka 8 Hours for us!
This event has been the world championship series ever since 1980! Back in 1976 to 1978, Honda RCB was called “Unsinkable Fleet” at World Endurance Series in Europe. Well, the first Suzuka 8 hours in 1978 was going to be Honda’s “Homecoming Victory”, as any of the Japanese fans have never seen RCB in home country but it was not. Racing fans always remember Yoshimura beat factory teams and won the first Suzuka 8 hours! They always expect to see “Unthinkable Result” from the racing, especially, from Suzuka 8 Hours and they always give the best cheers to “underdog” teams. We do not know what sort of “drama” we may encounter during the coming 8 Hours as we have finished the race at the 7th place overall despite the 2nd lap accident in the last year. Nonetheless, Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing was rewarded for “Anthony Delhalle EWC Spirit Trophy” by race organizer for our fighting spirit.
“Yoshimura’s Challenging Spirit” is the key word which we would like to share with our fans at the Suzuka Circuit!
See you all guys in Suzuka!

President of Yoshimura Japan Co., Ltd
Fujio Yoshimura

Team Manager: Yohei Kato

Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL racing is going to take part in the 41st FIM Suzuka 8hours Endurance World Championship. Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing is calling four riders, Sylvain Guintoli & Takuya Tsuda, the Suzuki MotoGP test riders, Bradley Ray, one of the most distinctive riders in the British Superbike, and Kazuki Watanabe, new Yoshimura JSB1000 rider. Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing will select three riders to make the strongest package for the final race. Suzuka 8 hours this year will be the one of the hardest races because in addition to Yamaha Factory team who is successively winning past three years, Honda has reorganized factory team and Kawasaki will take a part with the world champion rider. Yoshimura and Suzuki worked together more than ever to make the GSX-R1000R faster to challenge these rival teams. In 2017, our crash in the second lap made Yoshimura Suzuki supporters really disappointed. This year, I make a promise to all supports that Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing will beat factory teams with great riders and powerful teamwork. Let’s enjoy two years’ worth of Suzuka 8 hours.
Thank you very much for your great support of Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing.
I’ve Got The Power!

Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing
Team manager Yohei Kato.

Takuya Tsuda

Name	Takuya Tsuda
Place of birth	Wakayama, Japan
Date of birth	27 April, 1985
Height	171cm
Weight	71kg

I am proud of racing Suzuka 8 hours in this summer from Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing Team. It is known as one of the most difficult races and rival teams are getting faster and faster every year. However, I am confident of our GSX-R1000R that is improved much and faster than the last year. I will concentrate on my all energy to make the race machine faster until the last minute for the victory of Suzuka 8 hours.

Race Career

2012	All Japan Championship R-2 JSB1000 (Wildcard) 7th / Yoshimura Suzuka 8H 4th place All Japan Championship ST600 Ranking 7th
2013	Suzuka 8H　2nd place All Japan Championship JSB1000 Ranking　Ranking　4th
2014	Suzuka 8H　2nd place All Japan Championship JSB1000 Ranking　Ranking　3rd place
2015	Suzuka 8H　5th All Japan Championship JSB1000 Ranking　Ranking　4th
2016	Suzuka 8H　3rd place All Japan Championship JSB1000 Ranking　Ranking　2nd place
2017	Suzuka 8H　7th All Japan Championship JSB1000 Ranking　Ranking　2nd place
2018	Suzuka 8H / Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing All Japan Championship JSB1000

Sylvain Guintoli

Name	Sylvain Guintoli
Place of birth	France
Date of birth	24 June, 1982
Height	179cm
Weight	62kg

The last year was the first time for me in Suzuka 8hours and it was an unforgettable experience. The level of bikes and riders are very high and the track and weather conditions make for what is probably the toughest race in the world. We enjoyed, we suffered and made a great team effort with all Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing Team to come back from the last to the 7th place. I am looking forward to riding again Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000R on this fantastic track and hopefully improve our result from last year.

Race Career

2014	World Superbike Championship　Series Champion
2015	World Superbike Championship　Ranking　6th
2016	World Superbike Championship　Ranking　11th
2017	Suzuka 8H　7th British Superbike Championship　Ranking　13th
2018	Suzuka 8H / Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing

Bradley Ray

Name	Bradley Ray
Place of birth	England
Date of birth	16 May, 1997
Height	180cm

I am so honored and privileged to be invited by Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing Team to take part in the famous Suzuka 8hours endurance race. This will be my first time taking part in the 8hours event and I am extremely excited. I’m looking forward to teaming up selected riders from Sylvain Guintoli, Takuya Tsuda and Kazuki Watanabe as they have all done the Suzuka 8hours race before and have an experience in the Yoshimura Suzuki team. We will all be pushing hard as a team to get on the top step of the podium this year.

Race Career

2016	British Supersport Championship　Ranking　3rd place
2017	British Superbike Championship　Ranking　11th
2018	Suzuka 8H / Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing British Superbike Championship

Kazuki Watanabe

Name	Kazuki Watanabe
Place of birth	Yamanashi, Japan
Date of birth	2 October, 1990
Height	170cm
Weight	68kg

It is a great honor to be invited as one of Yoshimura Suzuka 8 hours riders. I feel the passion and sprits of Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing Team by racing JSB1000 Championship and I am very looking forward to racing Suzuka 8hours from this team. It is difficult to evaluate my contribution to the team at the moment but I will try my best to lead the team on the top of the podium.

Race Career

2013	All Japan Championship JSB1000 Ranking　Ranking　7th
2014	Suzuka 8H　12th All Japan Championship JSB1000 Ranking　Ranking　7th
2015	Suzuka 8H　9th All Japan Championship JSB1000 Ranking　Ranking　3rd place
2016	Suzuka 8H　2nd place All Japan Championship JSB1000 Ranking　Ranking　6th
2017	World Supersport Championship
2018	Suzuka 8H / Yoshimura Suzuki MOTUL Racing All Japan Championship JSB1000

2018 Denso Suzuka 8H Promotion Girl

Name	Akimi Tsukinaka
Date of birth	25 August, 1994
Height	168cm
B/W/H	83/53/85
Place of birth	Iwate, Japan
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