Team HRC won the Suzuka 8 Hꦬours on Sunday, meaning Johann Zarco became a rookie winner.

The LCR Honda MotoGP rider, rather than enjoying a weekend off during the summer break, was taking part in the famous endurance motorcycle race in Japanཧ.

Alongside&🤪nbsp;Takumi Takahashi and Teppei Nagoe, he delivered v🎶ictory for the Japanese manufacturer.

The win was a record eighth for Ta🤪kahashi, and a first on his debut attempt for Zarco.

🍃The final minutes of the eight-hour race were nail-biting as Team HRC were slapped with a 40-second 🌠time penalty.

But theওy survived, finishing 7.8🌼60s ahead of second-placed Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team.

Team HRC’s win was the♊ir 30th 🌃in 45 editions of the Suzuka 8 Hours in the FIM Endurance World Championship.

Victory was a welcome reprieve for their ongoin💛g struggles in MotoGP.

The manu🥀facturer, who saw star man Marc Marquez walk out at the end of the last season, are enduring another poor year.

Despite the new concessions rules which they benefit most greatly fro꧙m, Honda have not yet been able to turn around their misfiring proj🧸ect.

Zarco has finishe🉐d no higher than P12 in nine Sunday grands prix this season, his first since leaving Ducati to꧋ join LCR Honda.

Factory🌟 teammates Luca Marini and Joan Mir continue t⛎o struggle similarly.

Zarco will be the oldest rider on ꦛthe MotoGP grid next season, when Aleix Espargaro retires🍌, and Honda are banking on his experience to aid their development.

Victory at the Suzuka 8 ෴Hours was, at least, a reminder that the once-powerful brand hasn’t forgot how to win.