Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team set the fastest lap in yesterday’s opening free practice sessions at Suzuka, Japan for this weekend’s third round of the World Endurance Championship, the Suzuka 8 Hour.

Team riders Yukio Kagayama, Josh Waters and Nobuatsu Aoki clocked the fastest lap of 2’10.336 aboard the GSX-R1000 just before the end of the session to lead FCC TSR Honda’s Kosuke Akiyoshi, Shinichi Ito and Ryuichi Kiyonari on 2’10.352 and Musashi Harc Pro Honda’s Takumi Takahashi, Makoto Tamada and Tadayuki Okada with 2’10.789.

Reigning World Endurance Champions and current series leaders, SERT, is down in 13th position, but riders Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Daisaku Sakai are expected to be fighting for higher positions in tomorrow’s qualification.

With a bad storm disrupting the afternoon programme at Suzuka, the opening free practice session was cancelled.

The track remained tricky in the second session, with lap times more thank two seconds down on normal; and the weather remains uncertain for the whole weekend.

Friday qualifying gets underway at 11am local time (GMT + 9).