On Wednesday, 31-year-old Jonas Folger got a first taste of what to expect this weekend in Japan during the final official test runs for this weekend’s «Suzuka 8 Hours».
Extremely hot conditions with high humidity, an unfamiliar track, and a completely unknown race bike in a new team. All these factors combined make for a real adventure, which Jonas Folger is facing this week in the Land of the Rising Sun. After arriving on Tuesday, Folger headed straight for the legendary Suzuka International Circuit, about an hour and a half’s drive south of Nagoya.
Folger, who will be riding a Suzuki Superbike for his friend Marcel Schrötter’s former Japanese team S-PULSE DREAM Racing, has quickly settled into his new surroundings and familiarized himself with the track, which in its current form is 5.807 km long and is considered one of the most demanding race tracks in the world due to its many changes of direction and almost every type of corner imaginable.
Together with his two Japanese team mates, Suzuka veteran Hideyuki Ogata and Sodo Hamahara, S-PULSE DREAM Racing was consistently around 10th place on the timesheets after each session on Wednesday. This raises hopes of finishing Friday’s qualifying sessions in the top ten. This would secure a spot in the «Suzuka 8 Hours» where the ten fastest teams after qualifying will battle for the front starting positions on Saturday afternoon.
Pan-European broadcaster Eurosport will report on the 46th edition of the legendary eight-hour race on Sunday. Whether full or partial live coverage is planned can be found in the broadcaster’s program listings.
Jonas FOLGER (S-PULSE DREAM RACING, Suzuki GSX-R100R):
«My first day as a rookie in endurance racing went well. But as expected, it was tough for me. With a completely unfamiliar track and a bike that was new to me, the challenge could not have been bigger. Above all, the track is very difficult to understand and get to know because it is technically very demanding. There are also sections with different asphalt surfaces. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it. The collaboration with the team and my colleagues, with whom I share the bike, worked well from the start. We already have some ideas for Friday that will help us to further improve. The sessions on Wednesday were definitely a successful start to this adventure for me. I still need to find a second or two for Friday and Saturday. If I can do that, I will be well in the game for my first time at Suzuka.»
Jonas FOLGER’s Profile:
Age: 31 (Date of Birth 13 August 1993)
Occupation: Test rider in Two-wheels motorsport
Residence: Mühldorf am Inn (Bavaria, Germany)
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 72 kg
Bike: Suzuki GSX-R1000R
Racing No: 95
#2025Suzuka8Hours: Time Schedule (CEST):
Friday 1 August: 01:30 - 03:30 Free Practice
Friday 1 August: 05:00 - 05:20 Official Qualifying Session 1 Rider BLUE
Friday 1 August: 05:35 - 05:55 Official Qualifying Session 1 Rider YELLOW
Friday 1 August: 06:10 - 06:30 Official Qualifying Session 1 Rider RED
Friday 1 August: 08:30 - 08:50 Official Qualifying Session 2 Rider BLUE
Friday 1 August: 09:05 - 09:25 Official Qualifying Session 2 Rider YELLOW
Friday 1 August: 09:40 - 10:00 Official Qualifying Session 2 Rider RED
Friday 1 August: 11:30 – 12:30 Night Practice
Saturday 2 August: 07:15 - 08:00 Free Practice
Saturday 2 August: 08:30 - 09:00 «Top 10 Trail»
Sunday 3 August: 01:30 - 02:15 Warm Up
Sunday 3 August: 03:40 Race Starting Procedure
Sunday 3 August: 04:30 - 12:30 Race
