FIM Endurance World Championship

Rather than the 13.626-kilometre Circuit de La Sarthe, the traditional EWC curtain-raiser takes place on the 4.185-kilometre Bugatti Circuit. The demanding layout comes complete with the famous Le Mans start/finish straight, Dunlop Esses and Ford Chicane, while a twisty infield ensures there’s little respite. Riders also face the prospect of shorter daylight hours and colder temperatures during the night and early morning. Although the inaugural 24 Heures Motos took place in 1978, when Jean-Claude Chemarin and Christian Léon rode a Honda to victory, the ACO staged its first motorbike race in 1912, long before the Bugatti Circuit’s September 1966 inauguration.

After two memorable 24-hour races at the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium’s EWC round will run over eight hours in 2024, a recognition that having three 24-hour races on the calendar in the current economic climate is no longer achievable due to the significant financial investment required. The 8 Hours of Spa Motos will run from 6-8 June with testing on Thursday, free practice and qualifying on Friday followed by the eight-hour race, which is due to run from 13h00-21h00 CET on Saturday. But there’s no change to the demanding 6.985-kilometre track layout, which was specifically modified for EWC racing.

Suzuka Circuit will continue to play an integral role in the ongoing success of the EWC with the Japanese venue’s iconic eight-hour event taking place from 19-21 July. Featuring a mid-morning start and early evening finish, the Suzuka 8 Hours isn’t the longest on the EWC calendar, but it’s always one of the toughest. This is due to the highly-demanding figure-of-eight track layout and the expected hot and humid conditions that requires the EWC stars to be at the peak of their physical powers. The event is a round of the Superstock-based FIM Endurance World Cup for the first time.