BG at the 2017 Japan Suzuka 8 hr Championship
2017 is the world famous Japan’s Suzuka 8 hr Endurance Championship 40th Anniversary, due to the cancellation of the BG operating China Chengdu SBK Race, so BG boss Steven can finally attend this great event.
Steven’s trip to Japan was under the invitation from World famous Japanese 2/4 wheels lubricant company “Speed Master” Chairman and also Boss of the Japanese Team JP racing, so the whole trip was in VIP class and we’d like to express our great thanks to both of them. BG sincerely hope in 2018, we’ll have much closer co-operation in the Greater China markets.
Due to this is Suzuka’s 40th Anniversary and also the final Round of the world Endurance championship, so there are already a record number of factory teams, Factory satellite teams and spectators attending the event.
And BG’s China Team rider Alex Cudlin will be there racing for the Suzuki Team.
Steven Arrived Friday noon at Japan’s Nagoya Chubu airport at the same time as the Speed Master China’s entourage, and Speed master Japan’s Director Tsunakawa san specially came to the airport to pick up Steven and our friend Mr. Wang from Beijng.
Saturday
Sat was the Super sport 600 class’s 4 hours endurance race and despite there was rain in the 1st hour but the weather cleared up for the rest of the race and over 60 bikes entered the race and the scene was electrifying.
In the afternoon was the final qualifying for the 10 best Qualifying team on Friday, this QF is for each rider of the top 10 teams to do a fast lap and decided the order of Grid on Sunday, Yamaha Factory Team won the pole.
BG’s partner Team at the Zhuhai Pan Delta race : Japan’s Team JP racing’s 2017 line up was strong with the 2015,2016 Zhuhai Pan Delta SBK Winner, Aussie rider Mark Aitchison, partnering Japan Kawasaki Factory rider : Shinjo and World Super Sport Pro rider Watanabe entering into the 1000cc Super sport class and presented a formidable combination.
But unfortunately, Mark suffered a bad crash on Friday qualifying and dislocated his shoulder and has to withdraw from the Sunday race, this has added huge pressure to the Japanese Duo as 8 hours with 2 riders will be more then exhaustion …
Sunday
On Sunday morning, huge crowds already gathered at the Paddock and Grandstands, all the exhibitors and teams all presented their racing girl models adding to the already hot temperature of the day
Japan is one of the Greatest Motorcycle country in the world with Millions of motorcycle riders and Motorcycle sport fans, the passion for motorsport has always been the highest in all Asia and the rest of the world, at the 8 hr event, families came to the event as early as Thursday and erected tents allover and the whole family enjoys a great weekend of one of the best event in the world.
The official entry figure from the Circuit was over 70,000 on Sunday and due to the weather over the weekend was not too steady, orelse the entry number will be far greater then this.
There was a bit of rain before the main event starts at 11.30 am Sunday, and all the teams were getting ready for tyre change and bike setup, but luckily, the weather remain dry for the rest of the day.
The Suzuka 8 hour has to be one of the best 2 wheel racing event in the world today, and also a Mecca for Motorcycle sport fans from allover the world, we’d met a lot of bikers from China and Hong Kong there and everyone was having a great time chasing for autographs from all the Super stars at each team.
The Super sport 600 race on Sat and the SBK race on Monday both has over 60 bikes entering the race and the race itself was amazing to watch as bikes roaring past the grandstand and Pit Lane practically non stop, fans all return the support by cheering and roaring their approval when their supported riders thundering past the grandstands. All the 4 Japanese Factories has their huge number of fans at their designated areas at the Grandstand, so team colours and banners and flags was seen like a sea of flags, it was a great scene to behold !
The race finished at 7:30 in the evening, the Factory Yamaha Team won the race with Kawasaki Factory team came 2nd and the Honda Team came 3rd, this is the 3rd years in a row Yamaha took the win at this Honda own Circuit which Honda has been winning this event for the past many years.
The World endurance race was won by BG’s old friend, he French Yamaha GMT94 team, The French Factory Suzuki Team came into the last round with 1 point over GMT, but they could not come up to the expectation and give up the crown to the hard fought GMT team.
At the night fall, all the fans break out their Light bars and start waving and the sea of lights of different color was electrifying and adding to the already exploding atmosphere. This is what Racing is all about !
BG’s partner Team JP Racing, Despite suffering a crash in the middle of the race, after repairing the bike and going out at 54 places, BUT the 2 riders rode their heart out all through the rest of the race, Team JP finally came home in 22 place and came 2nd in the 1000cc Super sport class..
After all the congratulation and backing padding has been done, the team held a post race celebration and over 20 of the Team member and all of us had a great time and we all look forward to meet up with the Team again at the Sept Zhuhai Pan Delta race…
After our participating at the Suzuka race, looking at the event organizing, the event management, the number of teams, spectators and all the consideration for all small details, we can see that China Motorsport still has a long way to learn and come, but with the Chinese people’s achievement in the past few decades, if all the motorcycle industry and Motorsport operators all get our acts together and work together as a team, we can see it won’t take long for China to come up to the same world’s top level of racing sports. But we need all of us to put aside only thinking of making profit for individuals and contribute more to the greater clause.
