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# Honda HRC Triumph at Suzuka 8 Hours as Yamaha, NCXX Racing and Suzuki Deliver Standout Recovery Drives
- URL: https://www.thehairpin.co/honda-hrc-triumph-at-suzuka-8-hours-as-yamaha-ncxx-racing-and-suzuki-deliver-standout-recovery-drives/
- Published: 2026-07-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Description: The 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours delivered another demanding chapter in the FIM Endurance World Championship, with Honda HRC converting pole position into victory in the premier EWC category while recovery drives across the field reshaped the podium battles in SST and EXP.
- Author: Sasha Mathews
- Tags: This Week in Motorsport

In EWC, Honda HRC's trio of Takumi Takahashi, Jonathan Rea, and Somkiat Chantra controlled the race from the front after topping the Final Starting Grid, converting pole position into a commanding victory. Yamaha Factory Racing Team's Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Jack Miller, and Andrea Locatelli produced one of the standout performances of the event, recovering from outside the front row to secure second. BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team's Markus Reiterberger, Steven Odendaal, and Michael van der Mark completed the podium after matching their starting position with a consistent run to third.

The SST category produced a change at the top on race day. Team Étoile's Takumi Okubo, Yuki Ito, and Kaito Toba started from pole, but NCXX Racing with Riders Club's Takuya Nagashima, Taiga Kamei, and Kazuya Date converted a second-place grid position into victory. Team Étoile settled for second, while Wójcik Racing Team #77 SST climbed from outside the front three to finish third after a strong race-long recovery.

EXP followed a more familiar script. Team SUZUKI CN CHALLENGE's Etienne Masson, Sodo Hamahara Tsuda, and Hideo Mizuno led from pole to claim the class victory, while Honda Hamamatsu ESCARGOT RT with DREAMO advanced from third on the grid to second. Honda Tochigi Racing & Koyokai Dream Racing completed the podium after slipping one position from their front-row start.

While pole position proved valuable across the weekend, Suzuka once again rewarded consistency over eight hours. Honda HRC converted opportunity into victory, Yamaha and Wójcik Racing delivered the day's strongest recoveries, and Suzuki maintained its grip on the EXP category as the endurance season continued.