NST-CBR's #080 Teruru MotoUP Racing wins the 11-hour endurance race!

The second day of the 2017 Motegi Open 11-Hour Endurance Road Race. On August 27 (Sun), there was sunshine in the morning, but by the time of the restart, clouds covered the sky. The temperature and humidity were lower than the previous day, making it more comfortable for the riders and staff.

As scheduled, the intervention will end at 8:15, and teams that need to change machine setups, tires, brake pads, or make repairs will start working in front of the pit. They will line up on the grid according to the positions received from the previous day's KOCHIRA flag, and the safety car run will start at 8:30, resuming the race. After three laps of the safety car run, the green signal will be lit, and the race will fully resume.

The previous day, the team #090 Teruru MotoUP Racing that was in the lead early on made an early pit stop. In their place, teammate #080 Teruru MotoUP Racing took the lead, but #11 BLUE EYES & DREAM Kashiwa, who had been chasing at a high pace, rose to the top. After an hour and a half from the restart, and six hours into the race, #5 Team KYOEI & STRIKER Racing's player Toshihiro Nakazawa, who was running a long run at a high pace while managing fuel consumption, took the lead. Similarly, #1 YSS Racing Bulldozer Tagos, who was also on a long run, began to improve their position. #080 Teruru MotoUP Racing and #15 WIN-RF were also continuing on the same lap as the leaders.

After noon, the sun shines through the clouds, and the temperature rises. The track temperature also increases. With less than 3 hours remaining in the race, it means that they have been racing for over 8 hours at this point, entering an unknown territory in the "Mote tai (Mote endurance)". There were machine troubles and falls, but the race continued without a safety car. 【#5 Team KYOEI & STRIKER Racing】 experienced troubles and dropped in rank, while conversely, 【#31 31Spec & G!trax】, leading the NST-Ninja, moved up in position.

As the race approached its final stages, #080 Teruru MotoUP Racing extended their lead while #1 YSS Racing Bulldozer Tagos closed in. Both teams had mentioned they were low on fuel, but while #080 Teruru MotoUP Racing performed their pit work as scheduled, #1 YSS Racing Bulldozer Tagos had to refuel one extra time than planned, resulting in a decisive outcome. Furthermore, #090 Teruru MotoUP Racing made a high-paced charge in the final stint, overtaking #1 YSS Racing Bulldozer Tagos to rise to second place.

Leading the pack, #080 Teruru MotoUP Racing completed 262 laps with stable riding and took the checkered flag. They won the 11-hour endurance race, a first in Mote tai history. "We could register 6 people but only had 4. Among them, 2 were international license Riders, so the 2 with domestic licenses did their best. Nakamura maintained a good pace, and Nakadai, Watanabe, and Yoshino all did their best, but the fact that there were no troubles was the most important," said Director Sugawara.

2nd place was taken by [#090 Teruru MotoUP Racing], achieving a 1-2 finish. [#1 YSS Racing Bulldozer Tagos], aiming for a three-peat, unfortunately finished in 3rd place. 2nd and 3rd places recorded 261 laps. 4th place was [#15 WIN-RF], and 5th place was [#31 31Spec & G!trax], both with 260 laps.

In terms of speed, the Honda CBR250RR, which debuted this year, was overwhelming, but the difference in pit stop time during refueling was significant, resulting in the single-cylinder Honda CBR250R winning the 11-hour endurance race. The 20th "Mote tai (Mote endurance)" became a race that exemplifies the essence of the Motegi 4 Major Endurance events, proving that being fast alone is not enough to win.

As for the weather, during the official qualifying on Saturday, there was a light drizzle, but once the race started, the track conditions became stable, allowing many entrants to enjoy the Mote tai (Mote endurance). Next year, we aim to provide an even more enjoyable Mote tai for everyone. We hope to see you at the 21st Mote tai as well.