2018 Suzuka 8 Hours Top 10 Qualifying Results
Rennie Scaysbrook | July 28, 2018
2018 Suzuka 8 Hours Top 10 Qualifying Results—The much-anticipated one-lap Top 10 Shootout for the 2018 Suzuka 8 Hours had to be canceled due to showers dowsing the Honda-owned track on Saturday. In its place ran a traditional qualifying format for the top 10 teams was conducted, with Team Green once again taking top spot and the official pole position for the 41st running of the endurance classic.
2018 Suzuka 8 Hours Top 10 Qualifying Results
Team Green cemented their race favorite status with another lap from Jonathan Rea in the 2:05s, the current WorldSBK Champion knocking home a 2:05.403, four-tenths of a second out from his own lap record he set during yesterday’s first qualifying session.
Rea was backed up by teammate Leon Haslam, who also netted a 2:05 time with a 2:05.722. It was Kawasaki’s first pole in the Suzuka 8 Hours since 1995.
Second went to red Bull Honda with Japan Post (Takumi Takahashi, Takaaki Nakagami, and PJ Jacobsen) with a 2:06.127. They were a scant 0.043 seconds up on defending 8 Hours champions, Yamaha Factory Racing (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, and Michael van der Mark).
Fourth was the Musashi RT Harc-Pro Honda with Moto2 rider Dominique Aegerter, Japanese Superbike star Ryo Mizuno and former MotoGP rider Randy de Puniet. Fifth went to the factory-backed Yoshimura Motul Racing Suzuki team of Takuya Tsuda, Sylvain Guintoli, and Bradley Ray.
The 41st Suzuka 8 Hours will be flagged off at 11.30am local time (GMT + 9) this Sunday, with a late night-time scheduled for 7.30pm.
Follow the race on the website fimewc.com, via the live timing www.fimewc.com/live-timing, on Facebook, Twitter and the new FIM mobile EWC app for iOS and Android.
2018 Suzuka 8 Hours Top 10 Qualifying Results
For Friday’s qualifying report, click here