Kevin Schwantz to Race 2013 Suzuka 8 Hours

Former Grand Prix World Champion Kevin Schwantz has been making the headlines a lot recently, and not necessarily for good reasons. But finally there’s some good news: Schwantz is  coming out of retirement to race in the 2013 Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race.

Schwantz is joining Yukio Kagayama‘s team for the July 28 race, riding a Japanese Superbike-spec Suzuki GSX-R1000. Schwantz will be Team Kagayama‘s third rider, behind Kagayama and former World Superbike star Noriyuki Haga.

The last month and a half had been a trying period for Schwantz when it should have been a positive experience with the first ever MotoGP race to be held in his home state of Texas. In a perfect world, Schwantz would have been the event’s promoter, playing the welcome host to the Grand Prix circus. Instead, Schwantz has been surrounded by controversy.

First, Schwantz was barred from Circuit of the Americas during a private MotoGP test because of an ongoing legal dispute with the Austin track. Then came the cries of protest from Schwantz’s legion of supporters. Most recently, Schwantz kicked a beehive named Alberto Puig by making comments critical of Puig’s disciple Dani Pedrosa.

But now, Schwantz can focus on some actual racing, getting ready the July 28 endurance race at Japan’s Suzuka circuit.

[Source: Team Kagayama]

By Dennis Chung