Pol Espargaro, Bradley Smith and Katsuyuki Nakasuga have won the Suzuki 8 Hours, Yamaha's first victory in the event since 1996.

The all-star line-up of Tech 3 MotoGP team-mates Espargaro and Smith, plus factory test rider and Japanese champion Nakasuga, took the chequered flag 1m 17.411s clear of the field - having overcome a 30-second stop-go penalty in the middle stages.

Yamaha was making its first factory Suzuka entry since 2002 and the long awaited triumph in Japan's most prestigious race is sure to boost both Smith and Espargaro's hopes of a 2016 MotoGP contract.

Second place went to the TSR Honda of Moto2 star Dominique Aegerter, Josh Hook and Kyle Smith, with the Team Kagayama line-up of Yukio Kagayama, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Noriyuki Haga completing the podium, one lap behind the #21 Yamaha.

The Musashi Honda team's hopes of a third straight victory ended in dramatic fashion when retired double MotoGP champion Casey Stoner, competing in his first motorcycle race since 2012, suffered a fast fall due to a 'stuck throttle' while leading the race just after the one hour mark.

Big accident for Casey Stoner while leading the #Suzuka8Hours Rider ok but race over pic.twitter.com/tVxVpLpIct-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

Suzuka 8 Hours: Results

1.Nakasuga/Espargaro/Smith Yamaha Factory Racing #21 204 laps

2.Aegerter/Hook/SmithFCC TSR Honda #778+1m 17.411s

3.Kagayama/Haga/KiyonariTeam Kagayama Suzuki #17-1 lap

4.Philippe/Delhalle/MassonSuzuki Endurance Racing Team #30-2 laps

5.Tsuda/Lowes/WatersYoshimura Suzuki #12-3 laps

6.Checa/Foray/GinesGMT94 Yamaha #94-3 laps

7.Costa/Gimbert/ForayHonda Endurance Racing #111-3 laps

8.Hiura/Kamei/YasudaHonda Suzuka Racing Team #25-4 laps

9.Yanagawa/Yudhistira/WatanabeTeam Green Kawasaki #87-5 laps

10.Konno/Aoki/OgataMotomap Supply Suzuki #32-5 laps

Starting on pole, Nakasuga plummeted down the order after struggling to fire-up the #21 R1 during the 'Le Mans' style start, which sees riders run across the track to their bikes when the lights turn green.

Slow getaway from pole for Nakasuga, while Takahashi snatches lead through opening turns #Suzuka8Hours pic.twitter.com/INrtCKKQHU-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

Alex Lowes quickly passed Takahashi to confidently led the early stages for Yoshimura Suzuki. But Nakasuga was scything his way through the field and, in a sign of things to come, superior fuel consumption allowed the Japanese to stay out longer than his rivals and take the lead.

Takahashi gave the #634 Honda to team-mate Stoner at their first pit stop and the Australian moved into first place when Nakasuga finally pitted and handed over to Smith. But disaster struck for Stoner at the 1 hour 10 minute mark, before third rider Michael van der Mark had a chance to ride.

Casey Stoner lost the front on the grass under braking for the hairpin #Suzuka8Hours pic.twitter.com/GvAXppBQTM-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

With their main rival eliminated, Smith overtook Australian Josh Hook (TSR Honda) and remained up front before handing over to Espargaro.

Bradley Smith passes Hook to take the lead of the #Suzuka8hours @BradleySmith38 pic.twitter.com/OwTWPgtdBB-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

The Spaniard, who had set a record pace to hand his team pole on Saturday, built an ever increasing lead before yet another safety car - for a major oil spin on the approach to the 130R.

3 Hours into #Suzuka8Hours and Pol Espargaro is 12-seconds clear of Lowes (Suzuki) pic.twitter.com/MVwe6BjIqp-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

Espargaro pitted behind the safety car, giving Nakasuga his second run and briefly putting Moto2's Dominque Aegerter into the lead for TSR Honda.

Moto2 star Aegerter slides his race leading TSR Honda into the chicane #Suzuka8hours @DAegerter pic.twitter.com/DrX8X5HeG1-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

After Aegerter pitted, Nakasuga kept the #21 up front through yet more safety car periods during the middle of the race.

Near halfway at #Suzuka8Hours. Big lead for #21 Yamaha (Nakasuga/Espargaro/Smith). Fastest & best fuel consumption. pic.twitter.com/qgUf1x9MTW-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

The Yoshimura Suzuki podium challenge came undone when repairs were needed after a fall for Tsuda. Meanwhile Nakasuga remained trouble free up front, building a lead of over 1 minute to the TSR team before giving the bike to Smith.

But drama immediately followed when the team were given a 30-second stop-go penalty for an earlier overtake under a yellow flag by Espargaro, which put Hook into the lead ahead of Smith.

Drama as the leading #21 Yamaha team gets a 30-second stop-go penalty! #Suzuka8Hours pic.twitter.com/GwsiKDMC47-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

Smith kept his cool and began hunting down the one-minute deficit to Hook, which was slashed to just seven seconds when Hook pitted and handed over to Aegerter.

Hook hands leading Honda to Moto2's Aegerter, who rejoins with Smith just 7seconds behind #Suzuka8Hours pic.twitter.com/iAemUCLk8l-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

Smith swiftly bridged the gap to Aegerter, passing the Swiss shortly after the 5 hour mark.

Smith overtakes Aegerter to return the #21 Yamaha to the race lead #Suzuka8Hours pic.twitter.com/YTRaII9GR2-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

Smith pulled a 17s lead by the time he pulled in and gave Espargaro his second run. The Spaniard emerged 43s behind Aegerter, which was reduced to 30s by the time Aegerter handed back to Hook with two hours to go.

2 hours to go and Aegerter (Honda) is 30s ahead of Espargaro (Yamaha) #Suzuka8hours pic.twitter.com/ZQbs4y6zSV-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

Espargaro rode to a 47s lead over the TSR Honda before pulling in to give Nakasuga his final run. But with 1 hour 15 minutes still to go, Nakasuga didn't have enough fuel to reach the finish and thus both Yamaha and TSR Honda needed to make one more pit stop.

1 hour to go and Yamaha Factory are pulling away from TSR Honda, each should make one more stop. #Suzuka8hours pic.twitter.com/DQBDIOZuW1-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

Hook duly made TSR Honda's final stop with exactly one hour to go, handing over to Aegerter and meaning the pair had shared riding duties for the entire race, Kyle Smith not being utilised.

Nakasuga continued one-minute clear of the field until making the Yamaha team's final pit stop, handing over to Smith with 25 minutes remaining. Smith rejoined a 'safe' 20 seconds ahead of Aegerter, but there was one final twist when another safety car was needed.

That could have allowed Aegerter to close right in on Smith - but Suzuka uses more than one safety car and Aegerter was queued up behind a different car to Smith, meaning Yamaha's lead actually grew.

Looks like Aegerter is behind a different safety car, so Smith's lead has actually increased #Suzuka8Hours pic.twitter.com/b4vzPFVhHk-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

The safety car came in with eight minutes to go, leaving Smith to battle the backmarkers in the darkness.

This is about as far away from #MotoGP as you can get - Smith is doing a great job #Suzuka8hours pic.twitter.com/b4dcXu3tUP-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

Despite the alien environment, Smith did a perfect job and brought his R1 home safely to victory!

Bradley Smith crosses the line to win #Suzuka8Hours with Yamaha team-mates Espargaro and Nakasuga! pic.twitter.com/AaCerMApwr-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) July 26, 2015

After missing out on Superpole, it was fitting that Smith got to ride the final stint. The Englishman was mobbed by his jubilant team-mates when he arrived back in the pits, before making their way up to the podium.