Jack Miller has revealed what he finds “kind of fun” about the legendary Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race, highlighting the unique challenge of adapting to another rider’s bike setup.
Having made his Suzuka debut in 2017 and returned the past two years with Yamaha’s factory team—claiming back-to-back runner-up finishes—Miller relishes the event’s distinct demands. “At Suzuka, you’ve kind of got to ride somebody else’s bike,” Miller explained to Crash.net. “Might not love it in certain spots of the track, but you’ve got to wrap your head around it, what that setup does better. You’ve just got to get on the bike and ride it, which is kind of fun… you’re just focusing on the riding, what you can do as a rider.”
Miller, who has raced in Superbike, motocross, and MotoGP, says this approach is a refreshing change: “It’s nice to step away and approach a race at a different angle, and just try and work on what you have control over—which is basically how you’re riding the bike.”
This year’s Suzuka 8 Hours was made even tougher by non-stop rain and back-to-back stints, but Miller embraced the challenge: “Eight hours in the rain was a long time in the rain, I can assure you… I enjoyed it. Suzuka’s an unreal event, especially to fly in, smash it out, and then get back out and go racing [each] weekend either side of it was really cool.”
Miller praised the Japanese fans and race organization, calling Suzuka “phenomenal, especially there on the endurance bikes.” For Miller, it’s that blend of unpredictability and pure riding focus that makes the Suzuka 8 Hours a highlight on his racing calendar.
