Team HRC with Japan Post Sets 2 Min 7s Lap in Suzuka 8 Hours Stint-length Test

I feel relieved now that Tetsuta has joined us. If we had two WSBK riders instead of Tetsuta, I would have felt a lot of responsibility to perform strong, since I have a lot of experience in Suzuka 8 Hours, so I’m relieved. In the morning sessions, I was able to do the laps needed for tire selection, checked the data, and narrowed down my choices. Thanks to this test, I think we were better prepared for the race. In terms of lap times, 2 min 8s flat was the best I could do, but I didn't do a hot lap, so I'm not too concerned. It was a good test that gave us time to prepare well!

I have been working hard to recover from my injuries in preparation for the Suzuka 8 Hours, so I am honestly happy that I have been selected to participate in the race and am now able to ride like this. I cannot say that I am 100% recovered from my injury, but I am at 60-70%, and there are no problems with my riding. If there was a problem, I would not be here, so I am fine, even though I was a bit worried. In today's tests, I was only on track for one session, but I was able to maintain 2 min 7s laps while the track temperature was high. We were able to check the bike and I think I was able to ride smoothly. Looking at our rivals, I think our team is the most consistent. We’ll continue to maintain our good form through qualifying and the race.

Since I was switching from a WorldSBK bike to an endurance bike, I did some basic checks and verified my riding in dry conditions. I was also able to do some long tests. Since this is an endurance race, I’m not too particular about the lap times, but I was able to average 2 minutes and 7s. I am in good shape, and I’m comfortable changing bikes without any problems, even though the tires I’m on are Bridgestones instead of the Pirellis in SBK. Last year I was just watching the Suzuka 8 Hours, but this time I’m racing so I am super happy. I hope to have a good week preparing for a good race!