Experience the 8 Hours ｜ Want to Know! Want to Go! 8 Hours!

EXPERIENCE

Experience the 8-hour Endurance Race

Experience the 8-hour Endurance Race!
Want to See Behind the Scenes of the Race & Inside the Race Pits
!

AMBASSADOR

8 Hours Endurance Race Youth Ambassadors

Taisei
Ichika
Reon
Minori

TEAM FRONTIER Director. After retiring as a former World Championship Rider, he has been active as a TV broadcast commentator and a commentator for motorcycle racing-related programs.

Director Noboru Ueda (NOBBY)
Professional racer, mainly active in the All Japan Road Race Championship (MFJ).
Made his first entry in the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2018.

Soji Mihara
A motorcycle enthusiast who watched the full Suzuka 8 Hours last year.
Participating this time as a commentator for SUZUKA CIRCUIT.

Ms. Koharu Kuroe
An Insider at SUZUKA CIRCUIT
Event Producer of the Suzuka 8 Hours

SUZUKA CIRCUIT
Mr. Yoshioka

Racing is all about how amazing the riders are, right?
Four ambassadors who had that impression entered the pit, a place they usually can’t access.
Behind the scenes of the race—what did they see and feel?

EXPERIENCE 01

Behind the Race’s Scenes,Feeling the Heat of the Pit

The guides were Team FRONTIER’s Manager Ueda and Rider Soushi Mihara.
The “8 Hours Tryout” held that day was a serious one-shot battle for the right to participate in the Suzuka 8 Hours.
Team FRONTIER successfully passed in 5th place and secured their participation in this year’s Suzuka 8 Hours as well.
The pit right after the race is still buzzing with energy. It is truly the "base of battle."
It is the bike maintenance area, where during the race, all tasks such as tire changes, Rider swaps, and refueling are carried out in seconds.
"Tire changes about every hour," "refueling completed in just 7 seconds," "the director’s eye requiring split-second decisions"
— and here, the preparations and decisions to support machines running at about 300 km/h are accumulated.
There were many such “invisible battles” taking place behind the scenes of the race.

In the 8-hour endurance race, tire changes, rider swaps, and refueling are performed together approximately every hour. Both the front and rear tires need to be replaced about every hour as well. To complete these tasks in just a few seconds, the machines themselves are designed with features optimized for pit work. Thanks to specialized tools and structures, what unfolds each time the bike returns to the pit is truly an all-out battle measured in seconds.

One crucial pit operation not to be missed is "refueling." From a specially made large tank, 24 liters of fuel are poured into the bike all at once.
The person supporting, the assistant, and the operator—three people working together, giving their all in just 7 to 8 seconds. This task, harder and more delicate than it looks, is truly a momentary team battle.

The “Camelbak” built into the racing suit. It’s a “backpack water bottle” that allows riders to drink water while running, with a hose that extends inside the helmet. Considering the harshness of running in that suit in the middle of summer, it’s an indispensable piece of equipment.
The pit area that the four entered for the first time was filled with countless innovations like these, all designed to battle through the grueling 8-hour race in midsummer.

EXPERIENCE 02

Finally Mounting the Machine I Admired

A bike that actually raced on the track.
The chance to straddle that “real” bike came to the four for the first time.
It was already impressive just to see it up close, but when they actually sat on it,
the narrow field of vision, the demanding posture, the feel of the seat... everything exceeded their expectations.
It was an experience that conveyed the greatness of riding through the whole body.

Director Noboru Ueda (NOBBY): Racing isn’t just about being fast. Temperature, tire wear, the opponent’s moves…
You have to “feel” all of it and make decisions. The bike runs, but it’s the rider’s senses and strategy that decide the outcome.

There are things you only understand once you sit on the bike.
Just maintaining that posture is tougher than you’d imagine.
The field of vision is narrower than expected, the footpegs are higher, and the seat is rock hard.
Just "riding" sharpens your senses to the max.
◈ But that’s exactly why the sight of a Rider in action is so convincing.
The sound of cutting through the wind, the sensation of the tires slipping, and the unity with the bike.
Grasping all of that with only their own senses,
they take on the challenge of an 8-hour race――.
That greatness was conveyed just a little through my body.

EXPERIENCE 03

Not Just Watching.
Race Viewing Where the “Sound Pierces”

The moment a bike speeds right in front of you, the air ripples. The engine sound isn’t just “noise” — it’s more like a shockwave. When watching up close, you can’t hear the person next to you at all. It’s not just your ears; the deafening roar shakes your whole body, and you can’t help but catch your breath. This is a real race. Maybe this is what it means not to just “watch” but to “immerse” yourself in it.

What was it like to experience the race site?

Taisei

I used to think only the Rider stood out in a race, but I realized that the entire team fights together. The passion they put into every single minute and second is incredible, and even something like refueling involves strategy... I became really interested in those behind-the-scenes aspects.

Minori

I was really moved when I heard that although only one person is riding, many people are involved and supporting that rider. Even something like a tire change is done with everyone working together to make it as fast and safe as possible.

Reon

They are really particular about even the smallest details, and I realized this is a world where everyone has to be fully committed. I felt like this is what it means to carry the hopes of so many people into battle, and it made me want to learn more about the 8-hour race—I even want to go see it as soon as tomorrow!

Ichika

I felt that tire changes, maintenance, and managing the Rider’s condition… it’s all a race created by the entire team. The preparations and strategies before even hitting the track are filled with the passion of so many people, and I truly think the 8-hour Endurance Race is a race where everyone fights together.

Next, let's plan how to enjoy the 8-hour Endurance Race even more deeply on our own!
Watching the race, gourmet food, supporting your favorites... With the theme of "It would be great if there was something like this," ambassadors fully imagine the 8 Hours!

How would you enjoy it?