Suzuka 8H endurance race in 2026: What is the abolition of tryouts and the new selection system? 10 Teams Won Tickets to the Main Race in the First Round of Selection

　Important changes have been made to the entry quotas and entry system for the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race, the third round of the FIM World Endurance Championship (EWC) in 2026. The most significant change is that the long-standing tryout system for domestic teams will be abolished, and the selection system will be shifted to a full selection by the Selection Committee. The background and specific details of the changes are presented here in an easy-to-understand manner. In addition, on December 10, 10 teams received tickets to the main competition through the first round of selection, so we will also review the seeding announced on August 6 and provide a list of the 30 teams (20 seeded teams + 10 teams from the first round).

■The number of teams entered in the competition is now 60. Class structure will be maintained, with limited practical impact.

First of all, the number of teams for the 2026 competition has been revised from 65 to 60. However, looking at the number of teams in recent years, 55 teams competed in 2025, 46 teams in 2024, 50 teams in 2023, and 45 teams in 2022. The three categories of Formula EWC, SUPERSTOCK, and EXPERIMENTAL will be maintained, and since challenging projects will not be eliminated, there will be no hindrance to the entry of teams with their own originality. While this part of the competition appears to be largely unchanged from previous years, the overall structure of the race will be significantly affected by the following changes to the selection process.

Team SUZUKI CN CHALLENGE/2025 Suzuka 8 Hours ©T.Yamaguchi

■Tryouts abolished and new selection system. Final initiative goes to the domestic management.

One of the issues that has been attracting attention is the treatment of spot entry teams in the domestic competition. The "8 Hours Tryout," which has functioned as an opportunity for Japanese teams to gain entry, has been completely abolished, and the selection committee consisting of Honda Mobilityland Corporation, the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme), and the EWC promoter will now examine whether a team can enter or not. The shift to this new selection system is the result of the decision made by the EWC Selection Committee. The shift to this selection system is closely related to the change in the EWC's overall promotional structure: the 2026 EWC will be promoted by a new company to be established by PHA, organizer of the 8 Hours of Spa, ACO, operator of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Éditions Larivière, organizer of the 24 Hours of Bol d'Or. The new company will serve as the promoter, and the management staff will be drastically replaced, making major changes to the overall operational structure of the EWC inevitable. The maximum number of teams for selection will be 20, which together with the 20 annual entries and the 20 seeded teams based on 2025 results, will make up a total of 60 slots. The selection process will be conducted in three rounds, with the final decision given to Honda Mobilityland Corporation. 10 teams, mostly from Japan, have qualified for the first round, which was announced on December 10.

Press conference by the former promoter / Round 4 of the 2025 EWC, 24 Hours of Bol d'Or ©T.Yamaguchi

The teams will be confirmed on April 20. Preparations for the domestic teams are tighter than usual.

For the first round, applications were accepted from November 20 to 30, and the results were announced on December 10. For the second round, applications were accepted from February 1 to 20, and the results were announced on March 1. It is expected that the majority of domestic teams will have finalized their entries by April 20, when the final selection results will be announced. The official entry deadline will be May 10, followed by the Suzuka Circuit 8 Hours Pre-Event Test on May 12-13, and the pit allocation is scheduled to be announced on June 1. The pit allocation is scheduled to be announced on June 1, and the teams' preparation schedule will follow this schedule. The race weekend itself will remain largely unchanged, starting with the delivery on Sunday and Monday, followed by tests on Tuesday and Wednesday, vehicle inspections on Thursday, qualifying and night session on Friday, top 10 trials on Saturday, and the race on Sunday. As a result, the change in the selection process seems to have allowed domestic teams to move more quickly than in previous years. With the selection process already underway, it is no exaggeration to say that the 2026 season has essentially begun. On the other hand, many teams in the All Japan Road Race Championship have yet to finalize their rider lineups, so the focus will be on how far they can go in their preparations.

■The teams that have passed the first round of selection have been announced. Ten teams selected from Suzuka 8 Hours regulars.

On December 10, the teams qualified for the first round of the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race in 2026 were announced. This year, five teams were selected from the Formula EWC class, three from SUPERSTOCK, and two from the EXPERIMENTAL class, making up a wide range of teams from both manufacturers and privateers. With the new selection system, the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours will be a year that will require a different preparation schedule and a more systematic entry strategy.

Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing / 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours ©T.Yamaguchi

Formula EWC

Astemo ProHonda SI Racing SHINSYU Re:N with TOTEC Team Frontier Honda Blue Helmets MSC Kumamoto & Asaka Team Matsunaga KDC x GEARS

Team SUPERSTOCK

Team TATARA aprilia NCXX RACING with RAIDERS CLUB Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team

EXPERIMENTAL*FIM approval required

Team SUZUKI CN CHALLENGE Honda Tochigi Racing & Koyokai DREAM RT *Team names are as indicated in the application .

■Total 20 teams seeded according to the results of the 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours.

On August 6, the Secretariat of the Suzuka 8 Endurance Race announced the 20 teams that will be granted seeding rights for the 2026 Suzuka 8 Endurance Race. The conditions for being granted seeding rights are to be among the top 15 teams in the Formula EWC class and the top 5 teams in the SUPERSTOCK (SST) class in the final race results of the 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours. Note that teams with annual contracts are excluded, so as a result, teams that finish 34th overall (21st in class) in the EWC class and 26th overall (9th in class) in the SST class are eligible.

Honda HRC / 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours ©T.Yamaguchi

Formula EWC

Honda HRC YAMAHA RACING TEAM SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda AutoRace Ube Racing Team TeamATJ with docomo Business Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo SANMEI Team TARO PLUSONE with SDG MARUMAE Team KODAMA Honda Suzuka Racing Team Team BabyFace Titanium Power BAKUON! TRIPOINT FUCHS Silkolene SDG-DUCATI Team KAGAYAMA TEAM SUGAI RACING JAPAN Honda Dream RT SAKURAI HONDA

SUPERSTOCK

TONE Team 4413 EVA 02 BMW Honda Kumamoto Racing & Hamamatsu ESCARGOT NICHIRIN RACING Team38 BALZ & ADVANCE MC with FUJIKI KOGYO *Team names are for 2025 "Official Final Results Table" as issued

TONE Team 4413 EVA 02 BMW / 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours ©T.Yamaguchi