Scott Smart helped the Yamaha Phase One Endurance team to an impressive 13th place finish at this year’s Suzuka 8-hour race.

Smart, from Maidstone, was riding with German Rico Penzkofer and Australian Damian Cudlin, and the trio finished 10 laps behind the winners but ahead of the reigning world champions and current series leaders.

The race was won by World Superbike pair Carlos Checa and Ryuichi Kiyonari - both of whom will be appearing at Brands Hatch this weekend.

The team finished just seconds behind the 12th place Folch Endurance team and on the same lap as the 10th place finisher.

After eight hours two minutes and four seconds Smart’s team has completed 204 laps. Fifty-four teams completed the race while 16 failed to finish.

Suzuka 8-hour debutant Smart and the Phase One team were always up against it, as they raced a number of factory financed bikes, but team manager Russell Benney was happy enough.

“This is a very pleasing result for us,” he said. “We had a super race with Folch Yamaha. Right from the word go there was never more than a minute between us. It was just great; an absolutely fantastic race.”

The Suzuka 8-hour race forms part of the World Endurance motorcycle racing series of which Phase One Endurance a permanent race team.