Somkiat Chantra, together with Nakarin Athiratphuvapat, are making history as the first two Thai riders to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance World Championship, aiming for the Thai flag to wave on the podium.
The FIM Endurance World Championship 2026 event, the 47th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race, is scheduled for 3-5 July at Suzuka Circuit in Japan. This year marks the first time in history that two Thai riders from Honda Racing Thailand, Somkiat Chantra and Nakarin Athiratphuvapat, will compete simultaneously.
Somkiat Chantra has earned the important opportunity to race bike number 30 for the Honda HRC factory team alongside top riders Takumi Takahashi and Jonathan Rea, aiming for a fifth consecutive championship. Meanwhile, Nakarin Athiratphuvapat will compete on bike number 88 for Honda Asia Dream Racing with Astemo, joining Malaysian rider Khairul Idham Pawi and Indonesian rider Adnananta Putra.
Recently, Somkiat Chantra tested his bike to gain more distance and experience, as well as to become more familiar with the bike, team staff, and team procedures ahead of the race. The popular Thai rider stated, “The bike testing was quite good for me. I tried to learn more about the circuit and better understand the bike setup. Overall, it was a very useful day, and I was able to ride several long stints, which is beneficial for me.”
“My overall speed was also quite good, even though my best lap time is not yet at the level I want. We still have one more test session, and I will continue to work hard. I hope we can make further progress. Let’s see what I can do.”
The 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours race has been moved up by one month, resulting in less intense heat than in previous years. Daytime temperatures remain below 30 degrees Celsius with moderate humidity and intermittent cloud cover, providing riders with a stable and consistent environment for competition.