Source: Supplied.

The Yamaha Factory Racing team has claimed pole position for Sunday’s 2016 Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race after Pol Espargaro led the Top 10 Trial.

Espargaro was the fastest in the Superpole-style qualifying, claiming the Suzuka 8 Hours pole for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team for the second year in a row.

The factory Yamaha will take top spot on the starting grid, ahead of Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance and Team Green. F.C.C. TSR Honda, which placed fourth, is the first Honda.

The Top 10 Trial yielded a great show of diversity and the promise of a wide open and hotly-fought race. A Yamaha, a Suzuki, a Kawasaki and a Honda – in that order – will be starting the race Sunday morning in the four top spots.

Espargaro didn’t beat his own 2015 record (pole position with a 2m06.000s lap), but he did convert Yamaha Factory Racing Team’s provisional pole into the number one slot on the grid at the start of the Suzuka 8 Hours, posting a 2m06.258s lap.

The Superpole enabled Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance to jump to second place on the grid thanks to a 2m06.405s lap by Takuya Tsuda. Yoshimura Suzuki Shell Advance were in fifth place after yesterday’s qualifying.

Team Green confirmed its earlier performance and took third place on the grid after Leon Haslam completed a 2m06.469s laptime. F.C.C. TSR Honda moved up one place to fourth after PJ Jacobsen delivered a 2m07.248s, making the team the first Honda on the grid, ahead of Musashi RT Harc-Pro.

The Top 10 Trial was a letdown for Musashi RT Harc-Pro. Michael van der Mark and Takumi Takahashi were unable to top their best performances in qualifying, which had provisionally scored them second place.

Team Kagayama (Suzuki) will start from sixth on the grid ahead of YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Toho Racing (Honda) and Moto Map Supply (Suzuki).

JP DogFightRacing Australia held on its qualifying 10th place after a lone 2m14.223s lap by Corey Turner following Mark Aitchison’s crash on his run.