Plater makes top step as Yamaha dominate Qatar 8 hour
Added on Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor
Plater makes top step as Yamaha dominate Qatar 8 hour
Luton-born Steve Plater was amongst the trio on the top of the podium yesterday as Yamaha took a clean sweep at the Qatar 8 hour.
After an intense endurance event in Losail, Yamaha claimed all three podium spots with Britain’s Steve Plater part the winning Austria Racing Team alongside Igor Jerman and Steve Martin.
For Jerman and Martin it was a case of sweet revenge after narrowly missing out on victory in Losail twelve months previously. Their triumph, together with Plater on this occasion, gave YART their first set of winner’s garlands in 2008 and confirmed their vice-champion standing in the ‘08 competition.
The Qatar event represented the third consecutive podium finish for YART as they took 2nd position at Oschersleben in August and 3rd spot at the Bol d’Or in France in September.
The team ended the eight-hour session three laps ahead of Folch Endurance, with the Spanish duo of Daniel Ribalta and Pedro Vallcaneras losing precious time to a rear wheel problem whilst minor problems also impeded the progress of third-placed Maco Moto Racing, with Jason Pridmore and Thomas Hinterreiter joined by WSB runner Jakub Smrz for a what proved to be a well deserved podium.
