Mohd Farid Badrul Hisham and Hazlanshah Mohd Noor is set to make their debut in the Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance Road Race as part of Team Nozuka & Bike ART at the Suzuka Circuit this July, 23 to 26.
The BikeART Kawasaki Racing duo earned the right to compete in the prestigious event based on their strong performance in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (SuperSports 600cc).
Farid will compete in the 8-Hour category and ride alongside Taketo Harada who recently bagged a victory in the Suzuka Road Race Championship (JSB1000) while Naoyuki Yamaguchi fills in the third seat. Hazlanshah on the other hand will partner 19-year old Katsuya Matsuzaki and contest in the 4-Hour event.
Another Kawasaki rider who will make his debut in the world-class event would be Indonesian rider, Ahmad Yudhistira. Fresh from his victory at the Sentul Circuit, the Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki rider will ride for factory outfit, Team Green in the gruelling 8-Hour event and partner Kawasaki legends, Akira Yanagawa and Kazuki Watanebe onboard a Ninja ZX-10R machine.
“I’m looking forward to challenging myself at the iconic 8-Hour race and I would like to extend my thanks to Kawasaki and BikeART for providing this rare opportunity and believing in me. This will be an unforgettable chapter in my career and I think we can do a good job,” said Farid.
The 8-Hour is traditionally the biggest race on the international calendar for all of Japan’s big motorcycle companies. High-level international and Japanese riders return for the race annually as it is regarded as one of the biggest motorsport events on the calendar.
As the Suzuka 8 hours is part of the FIM World Endurance Racing Championship, its priority on the international calendar, along with the off-weeks in the FIM calendar, makes this race one of the most crucial on the schedule.
Other Malaysians who have competed in this event before includes Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, Mohd Zamri Baba, Zaqhwan Zaidi, Mohd Emir Firdaus Hasan, Sasitharen Sukumaran and Ahmad Afif Amran.
