YART Set Fastest Time of Pre-Event Test, Ready for Friday's Official Qualifying

On August 2-3, an unofficial pre-event test was held for the 43rd "Coca-Cola" Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race at the iconic Suzuka Circuit in Mie, Japan. Taking part in it was the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team.

After arriving in Japan at the end of July and taking some time to get over the jet lag, the YART squad got straight to work on Day 1 of the test, heading out for two runs in the morning and three in the afternoon on August 2. The first run consisted of 24 laps with a best time of 2:07.970; the fastest overall time at that point. The second run followed 15 minutes later, and the team's 2:07.357 was once again fastest overall.

The afternoon session saw YART up against Team HRC and Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H. Though their lap times did not improve (2:08.249 for 3rd, 2:07.884 for 2nd, and 2:08.011 for 2nd) they were able to confirm consistency in the hot conditions. The fastest time of the day was set by Team HRC with a 2:06.966.

YART continued smoothly into Day 2 of the test. In their first run in the morning, the team broke into the 2:06 range with a 2:06.684. The remainder of their runs were consistently in the 2:07s to 2:08s, but in the end, their 2:06.684 went on to be the fastest overall time of the entire two day test. In all, the team put together a solid two days of testing with fast, consistent laps, ending in a strong position before the first official Qualifying sessions kick off the race weekend on Friday, August 9.