The Honda TT Legends team completed its second day on track at the Suzuka 8-hour event by qualifying in 20th place. John McGuinness, Keith Amor and Cameron Donald took part in two 30-minute timed practice sessions each as temperatures at the legendary Japanese circuit reached over 33 degrees.

The road racing experts shaved valuable seconds off their lap times and managed to hold their own in a field of Suzuka veterans and specialist Japanese teams. After all three riders posted 2’14 laps in the first session, McGuinness ended his second stint by securing the first 2’13 lap for the team. Donald was the last of the Honda TT Legends to head out and his impressive session resulted in the team’s best lap of the day – 2’13.961.

In accordance with Suzuka 8-hour rules, the fastest lap time posted by each team dictates the grid positions. The top ten teams will take part in a superpole session tomorrow afternoon, while the remainder of the field will be allowed track time for free practice. This will provide the Honda TT Legends the chance to further improve their knowledge of the circuit before a decision is made on the final rider line-up for Sunday’s race.


Neil Tuxworth

The team has done an excellent job today – I said if we got in the top 25 we’d be doing well and if we were in the top 20 we’d be doing brilliantly. None of the riders knew the track, yet they have all qualified well and their lap times are actually very similar – Cam and John were just slightly quicker than Keith. It’s a good pace round here when you don’t know the track very well so we are really pleased and I think we are in a good position for the race on Sunday. We will make a decision late Saturday afternoon as to our rider strategy for the race, but for now we are happy.


John McGuinness

I think 20th is a realistic position. As a rider you want more all the time but considering we hadn’t been on a bike round here until yesterday, we’ve done ok. A lot of people I’ve spoken to here have said that you can’t learn the track in a day and they are probably right! Anything can happen and we just need to put in eight consistent hours between us. We’re all on a similar pace within half a second of each other so if we can stay consistent there’s no reason why we can’t get in the points and that’s what we’re looking for really.


Keith Amor

I’ve started to enjoy it now. I’m happy with the fact that I know roughly where I’m going now and that has helped a lot. It’s still difficult and every single lap we’re out there I’m learning where not to go and where to go. Tomorrow we’ll get a little bit more free practice in, do a bit more work with the bike and you never know, we might improve a bit more.


Cameron Donald

Today’s been great. We’ve continued to learn the track each time we’ve gone out and I tried a bit of race replication with the tyre in the last session, putting a lot of laps in and it was really interesting. It was hot and it was slippery but it was good fun. I did my personal best lap time that turned out to be the best lap for the team. I walked in here this morning hoping to end in the top 20 so I’m happy.




Qualifying positions

1 Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team 2'07.884 SUZUKI Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team
2 F.C.C. TSR Honda 2'08.113 HONDA F.C.C. TSR Honda
3 MuSashi RT Harc-Pro 2'08.927 HONDA MuSashi RT Harc-Pro
4 Monster Yamaha-YART 2'09.045 YAMAHA Monster Yamaha-YART
5 Honda SuzukaRacing Team 2'09.405 HONDA Honda SuzukaRacing Team
6 Crown Keibihosyou Racing 2'09.661 HONDA Crown Keibihosyou Racing
7 BMW Motorrad France 99 2'09.852 BMW BMW Motorrad France 99
8 Honda Dream RT Sakurai Honda 2'09.971 HONDA Honda Dream RT Sakurai Honda
9 Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone 2'10.429 YAMAHA Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone
10 Evangelion RT Test Type-01 Trickstar 2'10.569 KAWASAKI Evangelion RT Test Type-01 Trickstar
11 Teluru HoneyBeeRacing 2'10.681 HONDA Teluru HoneyBeeRacing
12 TOHO Racing Hiroshima Desmo 2'10.992 DUCATI TOHO Racing Hiroshima Desmo
13 Woodstock BEET Racing Team 2'11.426 KAWASAKI Woodstock BEET Racing Team
14 MotoMapSupply 2'12.103 SUZUKI MotoMapSupply
15 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team 2'12.103 SUZUKI Suzuki Endurance Racing Team
16 Bolliger Team Switzerland 2'12.315 KAWASAKI Bolliger Team Switzerland
17 Team M II R 2'13.003 SUZUKI Team M II R
18 Team Tras 2'13.047 BMW Team Tras
19 Confia H.M.F 2'13.860 APRILIA Confia H.M.F
20 Honda TT Legends 2'13.961 HONDA Honda TT Legends

Championship standings

1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team 54 pts SUZUKI Suzuki Endurance Racing Team
2 BMW Motorrad France 99 52 pts BMW BMW Motorrad France 99
3 Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone 35 pts YAMAHA Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone
4 Team SRC Kawasaki 28 pts KAWASAKI Team SRC Kawasaki
5 YMES Folch Endurance 25 pts YAMAHA YMES Folch Endurance
6 Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT Assurances 18 pts SUZUKI Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT Assurances
7 Bolliger Team Switzerland 18 pts KAWASAKI Bolliger Team Switzerland
8 Monster Yamaha-YART 16 pts YAMAHA Monster Yamaha-YART
9 Van Zon Boenig Motosportschool PENZ13 RT 15 pts BMW Van Zon Boenig Motosportschool PENZ13 RT
10 Honda TT Legends 15 pts HONDA Honda TT Legends
11 National Motos 14 pts HONDA National Motos
12 Maco Racing 13 pts YAMAHA Maco Racing
13 Atomic Motorsport 12 pts SUZUKI Atomic Motorsport
14 Metiss JLC Moto 10 pts METISS Metiss JLC Moto
15 No Limits Motor Team 8 pts SUZUKI No Limits Motor Team
16 TRT 27 City Bike 7 pts SUZUKI TRT 27 City Bike
17 MCS Racing - Ipone 7 pts SUZUKI MCS Racing - Ipone
18 AM Moto Racing Competition 5 pts SUZUKI AM Moto Racing Competition
19 Endurance Moto 45 4 pts SUZUKI Endurance Moto 45
20 MCP Starteam 67 3 pts SUZUKI MCP Starteam 67
21 Team R2CL 2 pts SUZUKI Team R2CL
22 Rodi Circuit Alcarras 1 pts YAMAHA Rodi Circuit Alcarras
23 Infiniti Team / Power Bike 1 pts KAWASAKI Infini Team / Power Bike
24 Y D Motos Racing 0 pts KAWASAKI Y D Motos Racing
25 Viltais Racing Division 0 pts YAMAHA Viltais Racing Division
26 Team V-Racing 0 pts BMW Team V-Racing
27 Team R2CL Plus 0 pts SUZUKI Team R2CL Plus
28 Team FMA Assurances 0 pts HONDA Team FMA Assurances
29 Team Dunlop Motors Events 0 pts SUZUKI Team Dunlop Motors Events
30 TMS Racing 0 pts SUZUKI TMS Racing
31 Sport Passion Endurance 0 pts SUZUKI Sport Passion Endurance
32 Slider Endurance 0 pts YAMAHA Slider Endurance
33 Serbian Racing Team - Dijamant 0 pts SUZUKI Serbian Racing Team Dijamant
34 SH Technologie - Scrubs 0 pts BMW SH Technologie - Scrubs
35 Racing Team Sarazin 0 pts KAWASAKI Racing Team Sarazin
36 Qert 0 pts SUZUKI Qert
37 Motoplanete Racing Team YAM 74 0 pts YAMAHA Motoplanete Racing Team Yam 74
38 Motobox Kremer Racing by Shell Advance 0 pts SUZUKI Motobox Kremer Racing by Shell Advance
39 Moto 39 Competition 0 pts KAWASAKI Moto 39 Competition
40 Maccio Racing 0 pts KAWASAKI Maccio Racing
41 MAS 14 0 pts SUZUKI MAS 14
42 DG Sport 0 pts YAMAHA DG Sport
43 Boening PENZ13 RT 0 pts BMW Boening PENZ13 COM
44 Adrenatem Esprit M 0 pts SUZUKI Adrenatem Esprit Moto
45 3 D Endurance Moto Center 0 pts KAWASAKI 3 D Endurance Moto Center


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