Edwards and Haga Reunite for Suzuka 8-Hour.

Yamaha has finalized its plans for round five of the 2006 EnduranceWorld Championship, the Suzuka 8-hour race held at the Japanese circuiton 30 July.

A three-team entry will be headed by the YAMAHA BLUE RACING team, whichwill feature riders Colin Edwards and Noriyuki Haga riding a speciallyprepared YZF-R1 SP. The event will mark a reunion of the rider pairingwhich won the event in 1996, when they rode a Yamaha YZF750SP.

Edwards is currently riding a Yamaha YZR-M1 for the factory's MotoGPteam and is seen as one of the most consistent riders in the class. TheAmerican has won the Suzuka 8-Hour three times and the Superbike WorldChampionship in 2000 and 2002.

Haga is currently second in the Superbike World Championship, where hecompetes on a Yamaha YZF-R1 for the Yamaha Motor Italia squad. It willbe Haga's first entry in the 8-hour since 2001.

The other two factory-supported entries are the YSP Racing Teamsponsored by PRESTO Corporation and Team Cha-llenger. The YSP RacingTeam sponsored by PRESTO Corporation will enter the pair of KatsuyukiNakasuga, who is competing this season in the JSB1000 class of the AllJapan Championships, and Shinichi Nakatomi, who rides for Yamaha MotorFrance in the Superbike World Championship.

Team Cha-llenger will enter with riders Norihiko Fujiwara, who hasridden in the 8-hour almost every year since 1992, and Nobuyuki Osaki, aJapanese supersport championship competitor.

Many of the Endurance World Championship regulars will also make thetrip to Japan, including Yamaha Austria Racing Team and Yamaha Phase OneEndurance, who are currently second and fifth in the championship.