Images: Foremost Media.

Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) standout Max Stauffer will contest next month’s Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan, round three of the 2024 Endurance World Championship (EWC), with Team Kodama onboard Yamaha machinery.

Stauffer, 20, will be teamed with Yuta Kodama and Sugawara Riku on the Superbike-specification YZF-R1 with Bridgestone tyres and is in Japan this week for a shakedown ahead of the race weekend on July 18-21.

Team Kodama finished 22nd in the race last year, with Penrite Racing SBK regular Stauffer a new addition to the program. He is on a high following a 2-3 result for second overall at Queensland Raceway, and will contest the Morgan Park round of ASBK a week prior to Suzuka.

The addition of Stauffer sees him join EWC series contender Josh Hook (TSR Honda France), ASBK points leader Josh Waters (Ducati Team Kagayama), and Ant West (AutoRace UBE Racing Team) in the 2024 Suzuka 8 Hours.