World Endurance Championship
/
Round 6: Suzuka 8 Hours
win the race today. This race was
very important to me."
Edwards was gushing with praise
for Rossi.
"Valentino rode great. That's the
one thing I want to stress is that
Valentino rode an unbelievable race."
Second-placed Okada and Barros
were unlucky twice in the race:
Okada fell in the second hour while
negotiating the chicane, but rider and
machine sustained only scratches
and were able to continue. Later, at
the final pit stop, the Okada/Barros
team blew their chances for victory
with a rare mistake-filled pit stop.
"I must say sorry to Alex [Barros]
because I crashed at the chicane,"
apologized Okada. "I will make
revenge for [it] next year."
Barros was one minute and 12
seconds behind at the start of the
dark eighth hour, and retrieved all but
14 seconds from Edwards.
By
points leader. "Valentino is a really
splendid rider. I have been on the
podium many times in the past, but
being on top' is something special."
It was the second year that
Edwards and Rossi raced the 8 Hours
together. Last year, both Rossi and
Edwards crashed in the race, and it
left a bitter memory. That was erased
this year with a commanding ride that
saw the Italian and Texan lead 178
laps, including the final 52.
"I am the first Italian rider to win
the Suzuka 8 Hours, so I am very
happy," Rossi said. "Last year, I was
disappointed, so I am really happy to
TRACY HAGEN
PHOTOS BY MARK WERNHAM
SUZUKA CITY, JAPAN, AUG. 5
olin Edwards and Valentino Rossi
held off a determined challenge
from a fellow Honda team of Tadayuki Okada and Alex Barros to win the
Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours, round 6
of the FIM Endurance World Championship. Despite the appearance of
the pace car, the pair completed 217
laps, a new distance record for the
event.
"I had the best teammate this
year," Edwards said about Rossi, the
current 500cc World Championship
C
6
AUGUST 22, 2001 •
cue I
e
n
e
_
s
(Top and above)
Arguably the most
Important road race of
the year - the Suzuka 8
Hours· gets underway
at the Suzuka Circuit in
Japan with polesitter
Akira Ryo (7) leading
the Le Mans-style start.
(Right) In the early
going, it was Colin
Edwards (11) vs. Alex
Barros (hidden) for the
lead. The two factory
Honda teams traded
punches for eight
hours, with Edwards
and Valentino Rossi
eventually taking the
victory.
