Yamaha Factory Racing Team has just confirmed its winning trio last year to secure a 5th victory in a row at the 8 Suzuka 2019 Hours. Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark will be riding an R1 in the colors of the 1st Official Yamaha Tech 21 Shiseido from 1985.
Outright winner since 2015, the year of its return with a factory machine to the Suzuka 8 Hours, Yamaha Factory Racing Team is setting out to conquer a fifth victory at the 8 Suzuka 2019 Hours. After triumphing last year ahead of the Honda HRC and Kawasaki Team Green, Katsuyuki Nakasuga, alex lowes et Michael van der Mark are back at the controls of the official Yamaha in Tech 21 Shiseido colors. This year, this YZF-R1 takes on the name and historic colors of the very first factory Yamaha entered in the Suzuka 8 Hours in 1985 with Kenny Roberts and Tadahiko Taira.
The Shiseido Yamaha Tech21 took its first victory in 1987 with Magee and Wimmer, in 88 with Magee and Rainey and in 1990 with Taira and Lawson.
Each year the mission becomes more difficult as explained Wataru Yoshikawa, Team manager Yamaha Factory Racing Team Tech21 Shiseido. “ It has never been easy to win the Suzuka 8 Hours but this year we must aim for 220 laps to win (199 laps completed in 2018). HRC rider Takumi Takahashi set an incredible time at Suzuka last April during the JSB Superbike in 2'03.874 (2'05.168, best Superpole lap by Jonathan Rea in 2018) and Kawasaki is back with a real factory machine but we will do everything to get a 5e victory in a row ».
Alex Lowes: “It is a great honor for me that Yamaha has asked me to represent them at the Suzuka 8 Hours this year. We are trying to get the fifth victory in a row for Yamaha and we have the same riders as the last two years. We know each other really well and get along really well, so the line up is fantastic. Another thing I'm really excited about is the new colors, the TECH 21 livery. I can't wait to see the bike in person and I can't wait to be at Suzuka! ".
Michael Van der Mark: “I'm really happy to return to the Suzuka 8 Hours again this year and I'm really proud that Yamaha has asked me again to join the Yamaha Factory Racing Team with Alex Lowes and Katsuyuki Nakasuga. Our goal is of course to win for the fifth time in a row and it will be really difficult, but I'm really looking forward to it. We have some really special memories from the last two years and we will do everything to win again. This year we will have a special livery again, the TECH 21 livery. A lot of people have known it for many years, so it will be a really special weekend and I can’t wait to see all the Japanese fans at the race.”
