ASBK series leader Josh Waters on his way to second at Suzuka in 2011.

Australian Superbike Championship leader Josh Waters will compete in next month’s Suzuka 8 Hours round of the 2012 QTEL FIM Endurance World Championship in Japan on 27-29 July.

The Team Suzuki ASBK regular will join the iconic Yoshimura Suzuki squad for the event aboard a World Superbike specification GSX-R1000, partnering with experienced Japanese star Nobuatsu Aoki and Crescent Suzuki World Superbike regular Leon Camier.

Waters made his Suzuka 8 Hours debut with Yoshimura Suzuki in 2011 and finished an exceptional second position, which was enough for the team to invite the 25-year-old back for 2012.

“I was very surprised and honoured when Yoshimura Suzuki asked me to race at Suzuka again,” Waters explained. “There are so many great Suzuki riders worldwide who want to do the 8 Hours, so to be chosen was a really good feeling.

“I’ll definitely be trying my best and I learnt a lot last year, so hopefully this year we can go even better. I’ll spend two weeks testing in July, staying with Nobu as I’ve become good friends with him.”

Waters will travel to Japan in July to commence initial testing, re-acclimatising himself with the team’s highly modified GSX-R1000 and factory Bridgestone tyres that the team will compete on during the historic race.

“It’s the bike that I raced in World Superbike last year with Yoshimura Suzuki,” Waters added. “The engine will be very good this year as Yoshimura supplies the World Superbike team now, so it will be a great experience. To race on the Bridgestone tyres is also a positive and they’re MotoGP-spec, which is awesome.”

The 2009 ASBK Champion has been a regular in the Yoshimura Suzuki team during the past couple of seasons, competing in three World Superbike rounds as a wildcard last year alongside his Suzuka duties. Yoshimura president Fujio Yoshimura welcomes Waters back to Japan.

“This year’s Suzuka 8 Hours will be a very exciting one because our team will have WSBK star Leon Camier and veteran rider Nobu Aoki, who has a long career of developing race-winning machinery,” Yoshimura explained.

“As for Josh’s second challenge of the event, our team will have an upgraded version of GSX-R1000 for him to achieve what Yoshimura and two other brilliant riders are waiting for – victory at Suzuka!

“It is Suzuka’s 50th anniversary this year, therefore the result will be important to all media and fans around the world and I know ‘Challenging Josh’ will help make history at Suzuka this year.”

This year’s Suzuka 8 Hours will take place at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan on 27-29 July.