Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Team Honda Racing’s Australasian Superbike Championship leader Troy Herfoss and Honda Racing British Superbike contender Jason O’Halloran are on target for a strong Suzuka 8 Hours appearance on 23-26 July.

Herfoss, 28, will return to the Sakurai Honda outfit this month, after being credited 64th in a troublesome race in 2014, and has hopes of a top 10 finish alongside O’Halloran this time out.

“It’s like 35 degrees and 100 percent humidity,” Herfoss explained. “You are out on track for about an hour at a time with one teammate and doing 3-4 one-hour stints with about 50 other bikes on track. There is never a dull moment during the whole eight hours.

“Even the teams who finish 50th feel as if they have won at the end of the race. Everyone celebrates as it’s such an honour to finish the 8 Hour, because the bikes are so highly strung and going so fast for eight hours.

“I think we can get a good result, maybe even finish inside the top 10. “It’s not a race where the fastest lap rider wins. You have to be both fit and strong, which Jason and I are. We will be good over eight hours. It’s all about being consistent and having fast pit stops. The Sakurai Honda team does have a lot of experience. Between Jason and I, we are both really excited.”

Source: Honda Racing.

For 27-year-old O’Halloran, who in fact grew up racing dirt track with Herfoss, he is excited to team up together and has had an impressive opening five rounds of BSB with Honda to date this year.

“We grew up racing dirt track together and then when Troy started road racing I had ready moved to England,” said O’Halloran. “It will be cool to team up and share a bike for the 8 Hour, that’s for sure.

“It’s a special event with so many top riders from all of the international and domestic championships. The 8 Hour has a relaxed feel about it and it’s cool to catch up with all the Aussies there as well.”

While Herfoss will be back on track this week testing the endurance-spec CBR1000RR at Suzuka, O’Halloran remains in the UK for this weekend’s Brands Hatch BSB round.