The No.11 HRC Dream Honda still leads the No.12 Yoshimura Suzuki by one lap. Third placed Kyubo Harc Pro Honda are on the same lap as the No.34 Yoshi Suzuki, who fought their way past the factory Yamaha and Moriwaki Honda.

Yamaha Austria have worked their way up to 12th place, with Folch Yamaha in 13th place and Yamaha Phase One in 14th.

Damian Cudlin from Phase One: "That was my best stint so far, but I'm f*cked… and I know I've got to do two more. I'll be ready for that beer tonight." Damo and Scott Smart are doing back-to-back stints in an effort to close on YART and Folch.

Yamaha Moto38 are 17th, SERT Suzuki are 18th, Maco Moto 19th and Diablo Kawasaki 23rd.

Jason Pridmore from Maco Moto: "We've had a couple of problems with the front wheel in pitstops that has cost us two and a half minutes and we got a stop/go penalty that cost a bit more, but apart from that we're going good."

Jeff from Diablo: "We've had no major problems, but lots of minor ones like a stand-lug breaking off and a mix up with the gearchange at a pitstop. The riders are really feeling fatigued now, as well. We all are…"

Bolliger Kawasaki are out of the race after David Morillon's crashed caused the bike to overheat.

YMES Folch Endurance Yamaha YZF-R1

Diablo 666 Bolliger Kawasaki ZX10R

Hour Five - Three to Go
Dream Honda 11, Yoshi Suzuki No.12, Harc Pro Honda, Yamaha 218
In the points: None of the permanent teams!...

Just as this report was about to be published, Akiyoshi crashed the No.34 Yoshi Suzuki out of second place. He has ridden back to the pits with the left hand clip-on dangling by it's cables and the team are working on the bike.

SERT Suzuki have also just dropped out of the points; at the time of writing, they are in 19th place, behind YART in 16th, Folch in 17th and Phase One in 18th. More news on SERT to follow.

Moto38 are 21st, Maco Moto are 22nd and Diablo 66 are 27th.

Update 1: SERT Suzuki pitted with an alternator problem while running in 10th place, and have rejoined the race in 24th place. The chasing permanent teams all move up a place, leaving Yamaha Austria within sight of the points!

Update 2: HRC Dream Honda No.33's Johnny Rea crashed at Spoon Curve, demolishing the bike and ending the team's race. Kyubo Harc Pro Honda have moved up to third and the factory Yamaha No.218 up to fourth. Yoshi No.34 have rejoined in 6th place.

Update 3: The leading HRC Dream Honda has just been given a Stop/Go penalty...

Hour Four - Four to Go
Dream Honda 11, Yoshi Suzuki No.34, Yoshi Suzuki No.12, Dream Honda 33
In the points: SERT Suzuki, 10th...

A brief but heavy and thundery shower hit part of the circuit, allowing Yukio Kagama on the No.34 Yoshi Suzuki to close in on and then pass Carlos Checa on the No.11 Dream Honda to take the race lead. Kagayama - still on slick tyres on a very wet circuit - was lapping around 5 seconds a lap faster than Checa, so what followed was almost inevitable. A couple of laps after taking the lead he lost the rear while entering turn one, sliding into the gravel. The bike was not seriously damaged and Kagayama remounted and rejoined the race in second place, staying on track rather than pitting for repairs.

The permanent team dog-fight rages on. Yamaha Austria are now up to 17th, Folch 18th, Phase One 19th, Moto38 21st, Maco Moto 23rd, Diablo 24th and Bolliger have recovered to 32nd after Morillon crashed in the wet conditions, along with several local riders. SERT Suzuki are up to 10th, and on the same lap as 8th and 9th places.

Hour Three - Five to Go
Dream Honda 11, Yoshi Suzuki No.34, Yoshi Suzuki No.12, Dream Honda 33
In the points: SERT Suzuki, 11th...

FCC TSR No.2 rider Shinichi Ito has crashed while running in fourth place, damaging the bike's throttle and switch gear. He was able to get the bike running and has ridden slowly back to the pits.

Sakurai Honda's Kameya came off in a separate incident on the same lap but was able to ride the bike back to the pits. Moto74's Kokes has also just crashed and is returning to the pits.

The battle continues for the permanent teams; Phase One are now 16th, Bolliger are 18th, Folch 19th, YART are up to 21st, Moto38 are 24th, Diablo 26th, Maco Moto 28th and RMT21 31st.

Damian Cudlin can no longer stand the Phase One team's relentless Karaoke singing...

Pitstop for RMT21 Honda. Note ever-present pitlane official...

Maco Moto's Jason Pridmore finds out just how determined the Suzuka souvenir hunters can be...

Game over for X One...

No Karaoke worries for Damo's brother Alex Cudlin in the Diablo pit; he's wearing earplugs...

Hour Two - Six to Go
Dream Honda 11, Yoshi Suzuki 34, Yoshi Suzuki 12, FCC TSR Honda 2
In the points: SERT Suzuki, 13th ...

The No.11 HRC Dream Honda is about 30 seconds in front of the No.34 Yoshimura Suzuki, with the No.12 Yoshi bike a further 30 seconds adrift. These three are still on the same lap, everyone else has been passed at least once.

SERT Suzuki are in 13th place overall, but a real battle is developing amongst the rest of the permanent teams just behind them. Yamaha Phase One are 17th, Bolliger are 18th, Folch 21st, Maco Moto 22nd, YART 24th (and climbing), Moto38 26th, Diabo 33rd and RMT21 36th.

Amadeus X One Yamaha are out of the race with a very sick sounding engine.

Start and First Hour - Seven to Go
Yoshi Suzuki 12, Dream Honda 11, Yoshi Suzuki 34
In the points: SERT Suzuki, 10th ...

Yoshimura Suzuki No.34 took the lead from the start, with the No.11 HRC Dream Honda snapping at its heels. The Honda took the lead then lost it again at the Casio Chicane, before repassing the Suzuki on the start/finish straight, to cheers from the crowds packing the grandstand. The No.12 Yoshi Suzuki was in a close third place

The FCC TSR Honda began picking its way through the top ten, catching the leaders on lap 11. A lap later they were in traffic, having caught the backmarkers, and it became obvious that this race will be as much about being able to overtake quickly and cleanly as being able to put in fast laps.

SERT Suzuki settled into a position just outside the top ten, with Bolliger 19th, Phase One 23rd, and Folch 29th. Plater ran off the track at the Casio chicane on the YART bike, rejoining in 44th place.

Before the first round of stops, Dream Honda 11 was leading FCC TSR Honda 1 and Yoshi Suzuki 34. At the end of the first hour Yoshi SuzukiNo.12 took the lead as the Dream and FCC TSR Hondas and the No.12 Suzuki pitted for fuel.

Phase One are 23rd, Bollger 24th, Folch 28th, Diablo 30th and Yart 46th

Everyone and his dog join the grid before the start...