EWC: Lowes and van der Mark out for Suzuka triple

World Superbike duo Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark say they’re out for a historic triple win this weekend for the factory Yamaha squad at the Suzuka 8 Hours, as the Pata Yamaha pair join Japanese Superbike champion Katsuyuki Nakasuga as Yamaha try to win the crown for the third year in a row.

Lowes, a winner last year alongside MotoGP racer Pol Espargaró and the Japanese champion, says he can’t wait to get the prestigious event underway after a successful test last month for them.

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“I cannot wait for Suzuka! It’s such an amazing race and it will be an honour to represent Yamaha again. The tests have gone well and all three riders have been fast and consistent throughout. We know that if we all do our job to the best of our ability, then we will be challenging for Yamaha’s third straight win. I know what this race means to Yamaha and also to myself, so I’ll be giving 100 percent for our team to achieve victory. I enjoy the different challenge of riding with – not against – my teammate, so I can’t wait to get started!”

And van der Mark, a double winner himself as a Honda rider for the Musashi Harc Pro team before the current run of Yamaha form, says it’s a big honour to be asked to line up for the event.

“I am looking forward to the Suzuka 8 Hours. It will be my fifth time doing the race but this one will be more special because it’s the 40th Anniversary. To ride in the Yamaha Factory Racing Team with such strong teammates is a big honour. The good thing is that during the test we all had a similar pace and all three of us felt good with the setup of the bike, which is the most important thing in an endurance race. It’s going to be a tough race with so many strong teams and riders, but we are going to do everything we can to get the third victory in a row for Yamaha!”

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