PIC: Nakasuga slides at Suzuka

This great shot by Steve English captures Yamaha Factory Racing's Katsuyuki Nakasuga sliding his YZF R1 on the way to the fastest lap time in Friday morning's qualifying at the Suzuka 8 Hours.

Nakasuga plus World Superbike team-mates Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark are aiming to hand Yamaha its fifth successive victory in the legendary endurance event.

Factory Yamaha MotoGP test rider Nakasuga - who claimed a podium finish at Valencia 2012 and has made an annual wild-card appearance in the Japanese Grand Prix every year since – is the only member of Yamaha's Suzuka team to have been part of the past four victories.