Suzuka 8 Hour Endurance Road Race - Bridgestone Preview

has won two successive victories at the Suzuka 8hours with Bridgestone.

In the Suzuka 8 hours, tires are one of the key factors in the performance of the teams and the Endurance World Championship is one of the few remaining road racing series where multiple tire manufacturers go head-to-head in competition. The teams supported by Bridgestone benefit from the Japanese tire manufacturer’s years of MotoGP™ experience and proven track-record at developing tires with superior performance, safety and durability.

The Suzuka 8 hours is held in July during the hot summer season in Japan, so track temperatures are usually high. In 2012, the high ambient temperatures of 30-32°C resulted in track temperatures ranging from 38-56℃ during the race. In such severe conditions it is necessary for the tires to be stable, durable and provide consistent performance. The winning team at the Suzuka 8hours usually completes about 215_{217laps in dry conditions and in this time will use eight sets of tires. Each stint is about an hour in duration, meaning one set of tires will complete approximately 26}27 laps (151.3~157.2Km), so good tire durability is a necessity.