Was this Valentino Rossi's most ignored and overlooked triumph?

Valentino Rossi’s maiden campaign in the 500cc world championship was one for the ages, as it immediately marked him out as a future superstar. Riding a third factory Honda, Rossi won two races and finished on the podium in 10 out of the 16 events, setting the stage for a legendary career.

But it was also the year he had his first crack at the Suzuka 8 Hours, a race that has always been a prestigious battleground for Japanese manufacturers.

At that time, it was commonplace for 500cc and World Superbike riders to make the trip to Japan in July for the eight-hour enduro. In fact, Japanese manufacturers ensured their 500cc stars would participate in the event by including a clause in their contracts. This was the most prestigious individual race for them, and they spared no effort in making sure they had the best riders to tackle the race.

Given Rossi’s title wins in the 125cc and 250cc categories, he was naturally chosen for Honda’s multi-bike assault at the figure-of-eight circuit.

The Tokyo-based marque paired him with the 1999 WSBK runner-up and 1996 Suzuka winner Colin Edwards, creating a rare all-gaijin (foreign) rider line-up in its roster.

The two were riding Honda’s new V-twin VTR1000SPW, adorned in Castrol’s famous white-red-and-green livery. The pressure was certainly high on the pair, given that Honda entered the race as the reigning three-time champion. To ensure they were prepared for the race, Honda flew them multiple times to Japan to test the bike successor to the all-conquering RC45.

'Stupid mistake' cost Valentino Rossi

Edwards took the start and grabbed the lead early in the race, laying the foundation to what could have been a strong finish for their first outing as a duo.

However, their challenge was derailed before the first hour was up when Valentino Rossi made an error and crashed, necessitating repairs in the pits.

"It was a stupid mistake for me to make,” he said afterwards.

"I lost the front, but I was pushing too hard when there was no need. I also think I was a little unlucky because a few laps later the pace car came out."

Despite the time loss, the pair were making a quick recovery and Edwards was battling for a spot inside the top eight when he suffered a crash of his own in the fourth hour. This time the damage was terminal and the two future stars of motorcycle racing were out of the world’s most prestigious endurance event even before reaching the halfway point.

"My motivation was dented a little when Valentino crashed, but I got going again in my second session,” Edwards said at that time.

“I don’'t know what happened. The front of the machine just slid away from me. I suffered a little bit of a burn on my back from sliding but apart from that I'm okay.

“I’m disappointed because Valentino and myself could have won.”

Although Honda still came away with a victory in the race, courtesy of local stars Daijiro Kato and Tohru Ukawa, attention quickly shifted to a second attempt for Rossi and Edwards in 2001.

Honda’s contract with Rossi had a two-race clause for the Suzuka 8 Hours as it knew winning that enduro was going to be impossible at the first attempt.

Valentino Rossi

For Rossi, getting that win at the second time of asking was important for more reasons than one. While such a feat would have been great for his career and would have earned him the admiration of Honda’s brass, Rossi had been put off by the demands of the Suzuka enduro and wanted to get that win so he’d never have to return there again.

The heat, humidity and the length of the race were all a huge inconvenience for Rossi, who was more accustomed to the sprint-style format of the series now known as MotoGP. This was also at a time when the race only permitted two riders per bike, meaning each rider had to complete around four hours of racing in the heat.

Further, he also had to share the bike with another rider, which naturally came with too many compromises on the set-up.

As such, Rossi approached the following year’s race with renewed determination, while Edwards’ stock was also higher after he had won the 2000 WSBK title.

Now part of the Cabin Honda squad, Rossi and Edwards were joined by Manabu Kamata, although the regulations didn’t require the third rider to actually ride in the race.

Valentino Rossi overcomes physical toll at Suzuka

Rossi took the start in the No. 11 Honda and slipped past the polesitting Suzuki of Akira Ryo on the second lap to grab the lead. Despite a number of riders chasing him down, the Italian held his advantage at the front until the first round of pitstops, when he handed over the bike to Edwards.

The American carried on the good work of Rossi into his first stint, although the fight at the front got much closer during the middle part of the race.

In particular, Edwards engaged in a thrilling duel with Pons Honda 500cc racer Alex Barros, with the duo changing lead multiple times during their scrap. The American somehow held firm and headed into the pits on lap 101 with a slight advantage at the front.

Another key moment came on lap 117 when Barros’s teammate Tadayuki Okada crashed in front of Rossi at the chicane, having grabbed the lead shortly before. Rossi had to take evasive action, but he kept the bike straight to avoid a fall of his own.

Okada managed to remount on the No. 33 Honda and, together with Barros, they remained consistent challengers to Rossi and Edwards for the remainder of the race  - aided by the safety car neutralising the gaps at the front.

Their battle was decided in the final hour when Barros made a critical error during a pitstop, turning on the engine while a pit crew member was still working on the bike. This lost him and Okada over 30 seconds, giving Rossi and Edwards the buffer they needed to cruise to the finish.

Edwards eventually took the chequered flag 14 second in front and was joined by Rossi in the victory lane as they celebrated Honda’s fifth successive triumph in the Suzuka 8 Hours.

“I am the first Italian rider to win the Suzuka 8 Hours race so I am very happy,” Rossi, who was already a 500cc star by then, said.

“When Okada crashed in front of me, I was a bit surprised because I could only see his machine. I thought we could win this easily then, but No. 33 caught up again when the pace car came onto the track.

“So during my last run, I was determined to get some advantages and hand the machine to Colin.

“Last year, I was disappointed so I  am really happy to win the race today. This race was really important for me.”

The race took a serious physical toll on everyone, including Rossi, who later admitted it took him months to fully recover from the strain and intensity of the event.

Rossi would never return to the Suzuka 8 Hours, but his 2001 victory remains one of the most remarkable achievements in his glittering career.

Edwards, however, continued to race at Suzuka and scored his third career win the following year after partnering with Daijiro Kato.

In the decades since, Suzuka 8 Hours has remained an extremely important fixture for Japanese manufacturers; however fewer and fewer MotoGP riders are now tackling the enduro.

Despite the obvious demands of testing and racing at Suzuka during a busy MotoGP schedule, which now stretches to 22 races, two riders will compete this year.

Honda's Johann Zarco (a winner last year) and Yamaha's Jack Miller will be in action this weekend, aiming to follow in Rossi's footsteps.