I remembered the promise I had made to myself and didn ’ t race in 2007 . But couldn ’ t help myself and was back again in 2008 with Sakurai Honda , where I was teamed up with young Japanese rider , Kazuma Tsuda . Not a factory team but definitely a step up from optimistic Yoshiharu . However , it didn ’ t turn out to be quite the step up as we finished tenth . A very important lesson was learned about the race in this move . The first two years we were on Bridgestone tyres because Sugai was a long term test rider for the brand - at the time I didn ’ t think much of it . Now as part of the sponsorship deal for the Sakurai team , we would race on Dunlop tyres . In normal temperature range ( 15-20-30 degrees ) this would have a very small effect on the final result , but at Suzuka with 36-38 degree ambient temperature and around 60 degree track temperature , tyre composition becomes very important .
For 2009 I was convinced I wouldn ’ t return unless it was with a Bridgestonesupported team , but again I had no offers from any of the top teams and the draw of the race was too much . I agreed to ride for Sakurai again , even on the Dunlops . Unfortunately , just one week before the race I crashed in my regular BSB championship race . I hyperextended my thumb and snapped the ligament . It required an operation to reconnect it and obviously I was also forced out of the 8 Hours .
All the big name riders were taking big pay cheques riding for big factory teams - with big support crews - while I was going year after year riding for free and for the love of the race . I ’ d had enough and wanted to show I don ’ t ride for free anymore . So guess what ? I didn ’ t ride in 2010 , ‘ 11 or ‘ 12 . My point wasn ’ t being heard and it was just as painful to watch each year as it was to suffer in the race with no financial incentive .
In 2013 I was riding for Tyco Suzuki in the British Superbikes and so the stars aligned and I was invited to join Yoshimura Suzuki - one of the favourites to win and the only team to have competed every year since the beginning . I was teamed up with Takuya Tsuda ( older brother of Kzuma from ‘ 08 ) and Nobu Aoki . In my first stint I was riding particularly hard in an attempt to make back some time lost by Nobu , who had a ride though penalty for going over the speed limit in pit lane . I was baulked by a lapped rider and crashed . The screen was gone but the damage was minimal so I picked it up and carried on . Tsuda and I rode the bike like that was till the end . We were agonisingly close but finished 2nd . I was so pleased to stand on the podium but couldn ’ t stop thinking about all the what-ifs .
In 2014 I was riding for Milwaukee Yamaha in the BSB and was invited to join YART ( Yamaha Austria Racing Team ) with Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Broc Parks . The start of the race was delayed for an hour because of torrential rain . Kats and Broc both rode before me and said the bike was terrible to ride in the wet . We were well outside the top ten , but it was back to dry by the time it was my turn to ride and stayed dry till the end . We worked our way back to finish fourth .
2015 I was again with Milwaukee Yamaha in the BSB and winning with the all new Yamaha R1 . It was all through the press how Yamaha factory were coming back to challenge for the Suzuka 8 Hour win , with a full factory prepared bike . I thought I was in the hot seat for the position , but was disappointed to find out I didn ’ t make the selection and didn ’ t compete that year .
Onto negotiations for the 2016 season and a possible return to World Superbike with my Milwaukee team , there were long delays over what brand we would merge with . I had many messages from Yoshimura Suzuki asking if I could join them again . I was using all the stalling tactics I could , but it was getting out of hand . So I put my boss Shaun Muir on the spot and he gave me permission to do a deal with the Suzuki team . He would honour it even if we were with another brand . As it would turn out , we went to WSBK ’ s with BMW , but I had the deal already in place to ride the 8 Hours with Yoshimura .
I arrived in Japan straight from the USA round of WSBK at Laguna Seca . The season to-date has been tough , I ’ m not getting the expected performance from the BMW , so results are down . Only twice scraping inside the top ten takes its toll on the team and the atmosphere is starting to suffer . I ’ m thinking to myself this is a good opportunity to wipe the slate clean . A change of bike and team just for one event , and not just any event but one I love . Testing and practice went reasonably well ; my teammates Takuya Tsuda , Nori Hara and I were all within a few tenths of each other and we were happy enough with the compromised settings of the bike to suit the three of us .
Yoshimura is a tuning company that goes up against the well-funded factory teams every year but they go in with the objective to win and this year felt like it could be the one . The race went very smoothly - no crashes and no mistakes at the pit stops - but the ageing Suzuki wasn ’ t enough to put up a real challenge . Yamaha went on to take the win with us locked in a battle with Team Kawasaki for the entire race , regularly exchanging positions . With only a 10-second gap in the dying laps we were forced to accept third .
But I ’ ll be back . The experiences of this race have been life changing for me and I hope one day to soak up the glory and feeling of the ultimate victory . T
/ JoshBrookes25 @ JoshBrookes
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