Yoshimura Suzuki have taken pole position for this year’s Suzuka Eight-Hours with a stunning 2’06.703 lap by Takuya Tsuda also breaking the lap record, set last year by Monster Yamaha’s Kats Nakasuga, to end the top ten shootout in first place.

Tsuda, who is partnered by former MotoGP star Randy De Puniet and Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Waters, had a lap of 2’07.398 to beat, set by Jonathan Rea on the FCC TSR Honda and was up by three tenths at the second sector, four at the third and a whopping seven by the time he crossed the line.

Only two more teams had the chance to beat it, with Nakasuga going next but he could only muster a 2’07.094 to take his team, which also features Josh Brookes and Broc Parkes, to second place.

Rea’s squad remained third with Team Green in fourth and Leon Haslam’s MuSashi Honda team in fifth. Rider Michael Van Der Mark was last to go but couldn’t quite find the pace to take top spot as he did in qualifying yesterday.