Paris (AFP)
The Suzuka 8 Hours have been postponed to November 1 instead of July 19 due to the new coronavirus pandemic, organizers of the World Endurance Motorcycle Championship (EWC) and the race announced on Monday.
"The restrictions on entry into the territory currently in force in Japan and the reception at Suzuka of teams and drivers from different countries affected by the coronavirus impose this postponement in the fall", justify the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), Eurosport Events and Mobilityland in a press release.
The race thus becomes again the last event of the motorcycle endurance season and "will therefore again benefit from a 150% increase in points at the finish", note the organizers.
There are three out of five events in the 2019-2020 season to go. The 24 Hours of Motorcycles at Le Mans have been postponed from April to 29 and 30 August, and the 8 Hours of Oschersleben canceled and replaced in the calendar by the edition of the Bol d'Or 2020 at Le Castellet.
The updated calendar of the 2019-2020 season of the World Endurance Motorcycle Championship (EWC):
September 21-22, 2019: Bol d'Or (24-hour race) / Le Castellet (France)
December 14, 2019: 8 Hours of Sepang (Malaysia)
August 29-30, 2020: 24 Heures Motos / Le Mans (France)
September 19-20, 2020: Bol d'Or (24 hour race) / Le Castellet (France)
November 1, 2020: 8 Hours of Suzuka (Japan)
© 2020 AFP