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8 Hours of Doha - Last Round in Qatar
Issued 13th October 2008
 The last round of the Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship will take place in on Saturday, November 8th, for the 8 Hours of Doha on the Losail international racetrack.
If the stakes are down for the 2008 World title and the Superstock FIM World Cup as well, there will be some intense battle for runner-up.
After its Bol d’Or victory last September, Suzuki Endurance Racing Team has secured its 2008 World title.
The French official team took its ninth world crown this season. It’s also its fourth consecutive title in the World Endurance Championship, despite a difficult season with a few crashes and technical problems.
The SERT will be at Doha with Matthieu Lagrive and Julien Da Costa, but without Vincent Philippe, injured after a crash at the French Moto Tour.
Guillaume Dietrich will replace him.
Behind the SERT, places are still open for the challengers on the final 2008 podium. Yamaha Austria Racing Team currently holds the best position.
After a rather disappointing beginning of season, YART came back strongly with a second place at Oschersleben 8 Hours in August and a third place, at the Bol d’Or in September, behind the two SERT Suzuki.
YART is entering at Doha with a trio who expects no less than a podium, Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Steve Plater.
 Yamaha Folch Endurance have great hope for a final third place for their first full-time participation in the Qtel FIM World Endurance Championship, since Suzuki SERT 2 and Kawasaki France, respectively standing in third and fourth position, won’t enter the race.
The Spanish Yamaha will enter with its two best riders, Dani Ribalta and Pedro Vallcaneras.
With a podium at Doha, Folch Endurance can even take the championship second place, in case of a YART counter-performance.
Phase One Endurance (Yamaha), Bolliger Team Switzerland (Kawasaki) and RMT 21 Racing (Honda) will all try to score big points to end up the season in the Top-5.
For their first season in the Superstock class, the Qatar Endurance Racing Team IJT (Suzuki) took the FIM World Cup.
LTG 57 had to retire at the Bol d’Or after several crashes and is out of the race for the Superstock crown.
LTG 57 has now to focus on defending hardly its second place against Endurance Moto 45 (Suzuki).
In fifth place in the provisional Superstock ranking, ABG Performance will have to fight hard and secure a second place in the Superstock class, in order to deprive the Suzuki Junior Team LMS, who is not entering the 8 Hours of Doha, from a final fourth position.
The first qualifying session of the 8 Hours of Doha will take place on Thursday November 6th with a night arrival at 9 pm.
For information visit www.fimendurance.com
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