The undisputed leader of the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy right from the start, KRP Sanyo Kogyo & RS-Itoh lapped in and around 20th place throughout the race: a praiseworthy performance by the Japanese team competing in the Superstock class after starting from 37th spot on the grid and running the entire race with only two riders, Mitsunori Okamura and Takeshi Ishizuka. The KRP Sanyo Kogyo & RS-Itoh team won the €4,000 purse awarded to the winner of the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy at Suzuka.

They finished ahead of Clever Wolf Racing & 3ART. This Yamaha-mounted Japanese team had recruited two French endurance specialists to shore up their rider Mitsuo Saito: Alex Plancassagne, the 2016 FIM EWC Superstock World Cup winner, and Anthony Dos Santos, who raced for Maco Racing Team this past season. Clever Wolf Racing & 3ART finished 28th, having started from 42nd place at Suzuka, and received €3,000 in prize money.

HKC & IMT Racing rounded off the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy podium at the Suzuka 8 Hours. The Japanese team (Takaharu Kishida, Tadashi Asahina and Tomoki Namekata) on a Yamaha R1 finished 33rd at Suzuka and collected a €2,700 prize.

The EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy – renewed this season by FIM EWC promoter Eurosport Events, the organizers of individual FIM EWC races and tyre manufacturer Dunlop – gives backing to Dunlop-shod private teams that do not benefit from direct support from a manufacturer.

Suzuka 8 Hours 2017 – EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy final standings