Broc Parkes and Josh Waters will share the Yamaha Austria Racing Team mount at the Suzuka 8 Hour.

Australia will be one of the most capably represented nationalities in the upcoming Suzuka 8 Hour endurance challenge, with seven riders from a variety of different disciplines lining up to take part.

Aussies feature amongst the most-favoured teams to challenge for victory at the 36th running of the event which marks the second round of the World Endurance Championship.

Fresh from his first British Superbike Championship win of 2013, Josh Brookes is riding high on confidence and believes his Yoshimura Suzuki outfit is a strong chance at a podium finish.

Brookes will bolster the three-rider lineup which features accomplished Japanese riders Takuya Tsuda and Nob Aoki.

“After getting my first BSB race win of the season at Brands Hatch last weekend with the Tyco Suzuki guys, I’m really fired-up and looking forward to racing at Suzuka this coming weekend,” said a buoyant Brookes.

“The test at Suzuka a fortnight ago gave me a good insight to what we need to achieve with the Yoshimura Suzuki team if we are to be in with a chance of a podium.

“It’s a prestigious event and an honour to be representing Suzuki and Yoshimura, so hopefully I can bring home some great memories and also some silverware.”

While Brookes has a breadth of experience behind him, Australia will also field two debutants to the gruelling eight-hour race.

The youngest rider in the field, 20-year-old Josh Hook will pair with experienced Honda Superbike teammate Jamie Stauffer on the Honda Dream RT Sakurai mount, the pair one of only 10 teams electing to field a two-rider lineup.

Current British Superstock 600 frontrunner Levi Day will not only make his Suzuka 8 Hour debut this weekend – he’ll also be racing a 1000cc machine for the first time in his career.

Day, who has acquitted himself well in the competitive UK series thus far, recognises the height of the challenge but is hopeful of scoring a solid finish.

“This is something completely new for me having tested the bike for two days a few weeks ago, that was my first time on a 1000cc machine and my first time at Suzuka,” said Day.

“It is a huge learning curve and great experience for me and I will be working hard to make the team proud of the efforts that we will all be putting in.”

He will share the Over Racing Aprilia RSV4 with Japanese rider Toshiyuki Aragaki and Italian rider Daniele Veghini.

Josh Waters and Broc Parkes will join Katsuyuki Nakasuga on the Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team R1, one of the nine permanent WEC teams in the contest and a good chance at victory.

Damian Cudlin will share the BMW Motorrad France S 1000 RR mount with World Superstock 1000 frontrunner Sylvain Barrier and fellow IDM German Superbike rider Erwan Nigon.

Wayne Gardner and Daryl Beattie were the last Aussie riders to claim victory at the Suzuka 8 Hour, pairing up on a Honda RVF750 for the 1992 event.