Yoshimura Suzuki Win the 30th Annual Suzuka 8 Hours - For the first time since 1983, Suzuki — in the form of Team Yoshimura Suzuki — won the Suzuka 8 Hours race in Japan. Leading the team to victory were riders Yukio Kagayama and Kosuke Akiyoshi.

The Yoshimura duo completed 216 laps on their way to victory in the famed event, and in doing so, put a stop to Yoshimura Suzuki’s 27-year long losing streak in the race (the last win taking place in 1980 with riders Wes Cooley and Graeme Crosby won). But perhaps even more gratifying to the Yoshimura outfit was the fact that their win at Suzuka ended Honda’s ten-year long winning streak at the 8 Hours. When the checkered flag signaling the end of the endurance race, Kagayama and Akiyoshi had nearly a full lap over the second place duo, Honda Racing Corporation riders Tadayuki Okada and Carlos Checa.

“This feels good,” said Kagayama on the podium. “To win this race against HRC was really rewarding because they are serious and here to win. They encourage us to race better and race harder. I thank all the fans for patiently waiting for Yoshimura to win again."

Yohei Kato, Team Yoshimura team manager and nephew of the late Hideo ‘Pops” Yoshimura was, understandably both proud and emotional on the victory podium. “Grandpa, we did it!” in reference to the late Hideo “Pops” Yoshimura.

FCC Technical Sports Honda riders Yusuke Teshima and Shinichi Itoh finished third overall, one lap down. Itoh, the current All Japan superbike champion, still fighting his way back from serious injuries suffered in 2007, was happy with the team’s result.

“Although my preparation time was short, I am happy to be back racing,” said Itoh. “It feels good to get this result in the 30th anniversary of the race.”

A second Yoshimura Suzuki, piloted by Atsushi Watanabe and Daisaku Sakai, finished fourth, while the Moriwaki Honda team of Tatsuya Yamaguchi and Leon Camier was fifth.