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After thrilling his fans, and the crowds on the streets of Paeroa this year, and taking out both the Formula One and sports production open classes at the event aboard his Suzuki GSXR750, Kiwi Tony Rees has been keeping the pressure on in his build up to this year’s Suzuka 8 Hour World Endurance Championship event.
Despite two DNF’s in the first two rounds of the World Endurance Championships Rees is philosophical.
”We had brake problems in the Le Mans round and then at Spa in Belguim we were placed 3rd after the first five hours and were lapping comfortably until the eleventh hour when we struck gearbox problems, but that’s racing…”
The 4th gear had disintegrated completely and the team were forced to retire at 1.45am after 232 laps. At least three Suzuki GSXR750’s had failures of the factory race kit 4th gear.
Undaunted the “Phase One” Suzuka team of Rees, and Swedish rider Peter Linden will head to Japan fully prepared.
”Suzuka is tough, you’re competing against factory based teams with everything laid on, they already know the track well and have heaps of support. We’ve got an awesome support crew of ten under English Team Manager Russell Benny, so we expect to at least be in the top twenty on the finish line…”
The Suzuka event attracts huge international attention from the media and is a favorite stomping ground for Kiwi riders with both Aaron Slight, who’s won the event twice, and Simon Crafar expected to join their Kiwi counterpart.
Known for it’s punishing physical requirements Rees is well prepared for the grueling eight hour high speed event.
”In some of the longer 24 hour endurance races you can’t afford to button of the brain, the Spa circuit for example is very fast, around 300k’s and in one corner especially, you’re in top gear, full throttle and cornering at probably 260k – you need to keep up the stamina and stay focussed. Suzuka can be very hot and downing lots of fluids will be important” say Rees.
