Honda announced the details of its factory team^*1, Team HRC, to compete in 2024 FIM^*2 Endurance World Championship “Coca-Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race 45th Tournament (Suzuka 8 Hours), to be held at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture, Japan, on Sunday, July 21, 2024.

Team HRC, which last year won its second consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours, will compete again this year as Honda’s factory team with a factory bike based on the CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP. This year, MotoGP class CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco (age 33, France) will join the team to compete in his first Suzuka 8 Hours.

Zarco will be joined by 2023/2024 champion Takumi Takahashi (age 34, Saitama) and a newcomer to Team HRC, Teppei Nagoe (age 26, Tokyo). This season, Takahashi is competing in the JSB1000 class of the MFJ^*3 All Japan Road Race Championship (JSB1000) with Japan Post Honda Dream TP, while Nagoe is also competing in JSB1000 with SDG Honda Racing. If Takahashi wins this upcoming Suzuka 8 Hours, six overall will set an all-time record for the race.

*1 Factory team: Racing team managed by the bike manufacturer.
*2 FIM: Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
*3 MFJ: Motorcycle Federation of Japan