Sunstar Supplies Evolved Environmentally Friendly Brake Discs and Pads for Suzuka 8 Hours Race Vehicle for the Third Consecutive Year

Sunstar Group announced that it will provide brake discs and brake pads with reduced environmental impact to "Team Suzuki CN Challenge," which will compete in the Experimental class at the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours. This marks the third consecutive year of adoption, with improvements made to the brake pads this year to balance braking performance and controllability.

Sunstar's Brake System Supports the Challenge for Carbon Neutrality

Sunstar Group announced that it will provide brake discs and brake pads with reduced environmental impact during their manufacturing process to "Team Suzuki CN Challenge" (participating vehicle: Suzuki GSX-R1000R), which will compete in the Experimental class of the "2026 FIM World Endurance Championship 'Coca-Cola' Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race 47th Competition (Suzuka 8 Hours)" to be held from July 3rd (Friday) to July 5th (Sunday), 2026.

"Team Suzuki CN Challenge" is an initiative by Suzuki Motor Corporation aiming to complete the race at the Suzuka 8 Hours with the theme of "challenging carbon neutrality (CN) and reducing environmental impact," and to lead to improvements in environmental performance technology. The team has been participating in races since 2024 with motorcycles equipped with parts such as tires, oils, cowlings, and brakes developed with environmental performance technology, including sustainable fuel blended with bio-based raw materials.

Sunstar agreed to Suzuki's proposal for collaboration and, as one of its partner companies, is providing brake discs and brake pads that balance environmental performance and braking performance by introducing innovative technologies such as eliminating the heat treatment process in the disc manufacturing process. The company has not only focused on a single year but has also continuously verified and improved performance, leading to its adoption for the third consecutive year, with braking power and controllability enhanced to a level comparable to conventional products.

Sunstar's Brake Technology Achieves Both Reduced Environmental Impact and Improved Performance

Sunstar commented, "Our group has set medium- to long-term environmental goals aiming to contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality (net zero CO2 emissions) and a circular economy, and we are promoting initiatives to reduce environmental impact in all aspects, including product development and business activities. This initiative is positioned as part of our technological development, looking beyond the provision of racing parts to future mass-produced product development, and we will continue to work towards developing products for general vehicles."

【Features of Environmentally Friendly Race-Specific Brake Discs】
・Approximately 50% reduction in CO2 emissions during manufacturing by eliminating the heat treatment process for brake discs.
・Dimple holes are adopted in the sliding area, balancing pad cleaning effect and crack durability performance.

【Features of Environmentally Friendly Race-Specific Brake Pads】
・Developed dedicated brake pads in conjunction with the elimination of the heat treatment process for discs.
・Maintains braking power and controllability equivalent to conventional products, while reducing wear by approximately 15% (low dust).

Sunstar Corporation: https://jp.sunstar.com/