FIM Endurance World Championship

The 2020 Suzuka 8 Hours initially scheduled to be held on 19 July 2020 has been pushed back to a new date: Sunday 1 November.

Kaoru Tanaka, President of Mobilityland Corporation

“We had been preparing for the ‘Coca-Cola’ Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race to be held in July, but have decided to postpone it in consideration of the current situation in which there is prohibition of large-scale events that attract large numbers of people and restriction of travel is expected to continue to increase in European countries. We ask for the kind understanding of all the fans who were looking forward to attending the Suzuka 8 Hours for this unavoidable postponement and of all the other stakeholders involved in this race event. We will make due preparations so that we can welcome the start of the event on November 1st together with all the fans and stakeholders involved in this event.”

With border entry restrictions currently in effect in Japan making it impossible for Suzuka to host teams and riders from countries affected by coronavirus, the race has been postponed to later in the year.

Historically held in summer, ever since the first edition in 1978, the Suzuka 8 Hours will take place for the very first time in Autumn in 2020. In close collaboration with race organizer Mobilityland, the iconic Japanese race was promoted to the status of FIM EWC grand finale in 2017.

Jorge Viegas, FIM President

“Who would have ever imagined that the 8 Hours of Suzuka would have to be postponed just a few weeks ago? However, we must keep strong and do whatever is in our power to return to racing, as soon as possible, without taking any unnecessary risks. I am sure that the faithful spectators of Suzuka will enjoy a great show again and that this iconic race will retain its special place in the FIM Endurance World Championship. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the efforts of the Japanese Motorcycling Federation (MFJ), Mobilityland Corporation and of course Eurosport Events!”

As the FIM EWC season final event, the 8-hour race will benefit from the bonus of 150% of the points.

Updated 2020 FIM EWC Calendar

The FIM, Eurosport Events and the various race organizers have together restructured the ongoing season calendar to ensure the number of races initially scheduled in the championship take place. The 2019-2020 season will therefore continue with the 24 Heures Motos (29 and 30 August 2020) followed by the Bol d’Or (19 and 20 September), and conclude with the FIM EWC grand finale at Suzuka on 1 November. 

François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events

“The global health crisis, the logistical constraints resulting from Japan’s entry restrictions and our priority to protect the health of everyone involved in the FIM EWC, have made it necessary to postpone the Suzuka 8 Hours. Praise is due to Mobilityland for adapting the Suzuka calendar to ensure that this major race in the championship remains Japan’s biggest celebration for motorcycling fans. To help teams with their logistics requirements in the opening phase of the 2020-2021 FIM EWC season, we will push back the date of the 8 Hours of Sepang to January if necessary, just ahead of the customary SBK/GP pre- tests on the circuit.”

FCC TSR Honda France at the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hour
Source: MCNews.com.au

24 HEURES MOTOS POSTPONED TO 5 AND 6 SEPTEMBER 2020

As a result of continued coronavirus-related health concerns and the French health minister’s ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people, the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), Eurosport Events, promoter of the FIM Endurance World Championship and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, organizer of the 24 Heures Motos, have decided to postpone the 43rd edition of the 24 Heures Motos, initially scheduled to be held on 18 and 19 April 2020.

ACO and Eurosport Events have already fixed the new dates, 5 and 6 September 2020, for the race which will as an exception close the 2019-2020 FIM EWC season.

The FIM, Eurosport Events and ACO’s priority is to ensure the safety of spectators, teams, riders and all the people involved in organizing the event.

These measures are being adopted in response to an unprecedented situation and the organizers are confident on the understanding of those concerned despite of the inconvenience caused.

The “Pre-Mans” tests scheduled to be held on 31 March and 1 April have therefore also been cancelled.

All current tickets will be valid for the new dates (5 and 6 September). No exchange required.

Source: MCNews.com.au

FIM EWC standings shake-up after Sepang 8 Hour

The 8 Hours of Sepang winner YART Yamaha and BMW Motorrad World Endurance made a handsome profit in Malaysia, but Suzuki Endurance Racing Team held on to top spot in the 2019-2020 FIM EWC standings.

YART Yamaha’s victory following Niccolò Canepa’s outstanding solo performance in the saddle of the Austrian squad’s R1 was the highlight of the first edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang. Mandy Kainz’s team pocketed the 30 points on offer for the win in Malaysia, rocketing from 11th to 4th place in the 2019-2020 FIM EWC provisional standings.

BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team continued their flawless ascent following their debut outing at the Bol d’Or in September. The Belgian factory-backed team once again finished on the third step of the podium with riders Ilya Mykhalchyk and Markus Reiterberger, moving up in the process to the number two spot in the championship standings 15 points behind the leader, Suzuki Endurance Racing Team.

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team still lead championship

The Suzuki factory team finished 5th at the 8 Hours of Sepang, but remain at the top of the provisional standings after two races. Webike SRC Kawasaki France took a similarly cautious approach to the tricky track conditions at Sepang and finished 6th. The 2018-2019 FIM EWC title winner collected precious points, but will now have to target the win at the 24 Heures Motos to defend their title.

3ART Moto Team 95, once again among the Top 10 race finishers, are in 5th place in the championship standings ahead of another Yamaha-mounted team, VRD Igol Pierret Experiences. The latter would have made it into the Top 10 at Sepang if they had not suffered a crash towards the end of the race.

Successful maiden outing for Ducati

The FIM EWC’s newly Ducati-backed squad Team ERC Endurance had a successful maiden outing at Sepang. The German team running a Panigale V4R finished the race in 10th place, scoring their first championship points into the bargain.

F.C.C. TSR Honda France got off to a great start at the 8 Hours of Sepang. Third on the starting grid, the team took and kept the lead even after a crash caused by a collision with the Yamaha Sepang Racing bike. However, the Japanese team lost any chance of a win after a second crash at the tail end of the race. The 2017-2018 FIM EWC winners are 12th in the provisional standings, 54 points from the leader.

Crashes also put paid to the hopes of some other teams. Maco Racing Team finished outside the points after a crash that cost them their 18th place. Tati Team Beaujolais Racing also lost ground because of a late-stage crash, but scored one championship point.

After a flamboyant duel for 2nd place early in the race, Tecmas BMW GMC and Suzuki JEG Kagayama fell victim to technical issues: engine failure for BMW Tecmas and a hard-to-spot faulty fuse for Suzuki JEG. A mechanical issue also forced Wójcik Racing Team to throw in the towel at Sepang. The Polish team retain 3rd place in the provisional standings thanks to their superb performance at the Bol d’Or, the season’s opening round.

Moto Ain lead Superstock standings

Yamaha also took the Superstock win at Sepang. Moto Ain (Yamaha) reign supreme in the FIM Endurance World Cup after a second win in this category. Moreover, the team managed by Pierre Chapuis finished at the foot of the podium ahead of several factory teams. Moto Ain also claimed the top spot among the independent teams ahead of Wójcik Racing Team.

Moto Ain already have a 35-point lead over BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers in the FIM World Cup standings. The Kawasaki-mounted team lost out on a Superstock podium finish at Sepang due to a crash towards the end of the race. The German BMW-mounted team GERT56 by GS Yuasa made it into the Top 3 in the provisional standings by dint of wresting a 2nd-place finish at Sepang from Tone RT Syncedge 4413 BMW. Team 33 Coyote Louit Moto, No Limits Motor Team and Rac 41 also ran a fine race in Malaysia.

Source: MCNews.com.au

YART Yamaha took the win ahead of Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa and BMW Motorrad World Endurance in Malaysia at the very first edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang, which proved to be a nerve-racking race due to very bad weather.

After a delayed start followed by track action being suspended due to heavy rain, the first edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang made good on its promise of being an action-packed new FIM Endurance World Championship race. Duels at the front, lead swaps, drama and crashes kept the tension high all through the race on the Malaysian circuit.

YART Yamaha won the day despite an electronics scare in the early stages of the race by steering clear of trouble with Niccolò Canepa as the only Yamaha #7 rider in the saddle throughout the race. The strategy of having a sole fast rider with experience of tricky track conditions in the saddle bore fruit. Broc Parkes and Karel Hanika were however co-credited with the win.

Niccolò Canepa – YART Yamaha

“I’m incredibly happy with win here in Sepang, as it started as a difficult week, especially with the injury to Marvin. Luckily Karel was able to step in as a replacement at the last minute. I was feeling good at the start of the race but, after only a couple of laps, the bike switched off and when it came back on it was with no traction control or any electronics. That made things very difficult, but I managed to come back from P20 to P1 at the end of my first stint, which I was supper happy about. When the safety car came out, I switched the bike off and on and everything started to work as it should once again. At both pit stops Mandy asked me if I wanted to continue and both times I said yes, although I did take a bit of persuading at the first stop. I pushed hard throughout the race and, at the end, we took the win. Yes, we were a bit fortunate with the crash, but that’s part of the game in endurance racing, as we’ve found out to our cost in other races. So, I’m super, super happy and I’d like to say a big thank you to my team and especially my team-mates, as we race and win together. The win means we’re back in the championship and now we need to focus on repeating this success at the next race, the 24 hours of Le Mans.”

Mandy Kainz – YART Team Manager

“Obviously we are happy with our first win of the season, especially after what had initially been a difficult week for us here in Malaysia and one overshadowed by Marvin’s injury. The team and the riders didn’t let these difficulties defeat them, but instead worked hard to ensure we were well prepared for what turned out to be a very difficult race. It was shorter than expected because of the weather, but no less exhausting for that. We had a problem with the bike in the early stages of the race, but Niccolò did an incredible job to fight his way through to the front in difficult conditions and without any electronic rider aids. At the first pit stop it was tight at the front of the race, so we decided to keep Niccolò on the bike, rather than lose time while Karel got used to the conditions. We made the same decision at the final pit stop, opting to stick with Niccolò rather than putting Broc on the bike for the final 30 minutes on a damp but drying track. It was the correct decision and it paid dividends for us in the end. So, thanks to the team and the riders for a fantastic job; this win puts us back in the game as far as the championship is concerned. Finally, I wish Marvin a speedy recovery and I look forward to seeing him back on the bike, and hopefully on the podium, in Le Mans.”

YART Yamaha finished ahead of Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa, who ran a consistent race in the leading pack with Malaysian rider Zaqhwan Zaidi, Thai rider Somkiat Chantra and Indonesian Andi Farid Izdihar. The Japanese team’s cosmopolitan line-up had already done brilliantly in the Top 10 Trial, wresting second place on the starting grid and backing that up with second place in the race. 

BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team claimed their second podium at the 8 Hours of Sepang with riders Ilya Mykhalchyk and Markus Reiterberger after their Bol d’Or podium finish. Kenny Foray sustained an injury in practice and was unable to compete in the race.

Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director

“The second podium in our second race in the FIM EWC – this is a fantastic result for our new BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. We couldn’t have necessarily expected this as newcomers in this highly competitive World Championship. The team and our riders Ilya and Markus weren’t distracted by the adverse conditions. They did yet another fantastic, flawless job on the track and in the pit. On this occasion, I also want to send a get well soon message to Kenny, who surely will be back with us soon. Of course, we would have liked to get more riding in to gain more experience in race conditions with our RR, but it wasn’t possible in this weather. Now we will keep focussing on preparing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Congratulations go to our BMW customer teams as well, who also got strong results with their RR.”

The factory-backed BMW team moves up to second place in the FIM EWC provisional standings with a 15-point gap to Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, who maintain the lead obtained after their Bol d’Or win.

Damien Saulnier – SERT Team Manager

“When you are not on the top step of the podium you always wish you had a better place, but for this race with tricky conditions, our goal was a Top-5 and the job has been done. I am satisfied with the work we’ve done during the week while being aware that there is still some more work to do. The team keeps on growing up and everyone works hard. We are also very pleased with Yoshimura’s engineers support. I would also like to thank the organiser for this amazing event. Bringing 38 European teams to Malaysia was not an easy task! And last but not least, I would like to say a word for Vincent Philippe, who didn’t race today because of the circumstances. He is a very professional man and I had great confidence in him. I am filled with emotion, but also proud to have been able to work with this remarkable rider.”

Superstock winner just short of the podium

Moto Ain steamed steadily ahead throughout the action-packed race to a fourth-place overall finish and another win in the Superstock class. The French Yamaha-mounted team consolidated their lead in the Endurance World Cup with riders Roberto Rolfo, Robin Mulhauser and Hugo Clère, finishing ahead of both Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Webike SRC Kawasaki France, who struggled in the challenging track conditions.

Moto Ain’s runner-up in the Superstock class was German team GERT56 by GS Yuasa (BMW). Lucy Glöckner, Stefan Kerschbaumer and Pepijn Bijsterbosch finished 14th overall after holding off Japanese team Tone RT Syncedge 4413 BMW until the end. After being delayed by a crash in the early stages, Tomoya Hoshino, Kokoro Atsumi and Takeshi Ishizuka climbed back up to finish their first race outside Japan on the third step of the podium.

Favourites have nerve-racking race

Yamaha Sepang Racing, who dominated qualifying and the early stages of the race, and their chief rival F.C.C. TSR Honda France broke away from the other front-runners to embark on a duel for the lead.

A collision involving Mike di Meglio (F.C.C. TSR Honda France) and Michael van der Mark (Yamaha Sepang Racing) knocked both machines to the ground.

After a pit stop, Michael van der Mark returned to the track beyond 40th place. By dint of piling up fastest race laps (including a 2:17.817 by Franco Morbidelli), Yamaha Sepang Racing finished 7th ahead of BMW Sepang Racing, 3ART Moto Team 95 (Yamaha) and Team ERC Endurance, who got their Ducati Panigale into the Top 10.

Michael van der Mark – Yamaha Sepang Racing

“It was a weird 8 Hours of Sepang, but when we did finally get to race the conditions were good. I had a good feeling with the bike and a strong pace from the start, so when I got passed for the lead I decided to sit in behind and follow rather than take any risks. My plan was to retake the lead when we hit traffic. I’m not sure what Di Meglio’s plan was with the pass at the final corner, but it didn’t work, and it ended for me with a massive highside that let me badly winded. The team did an amazing job to get the bike back on track and I was quick to rediscover my rhythm so, apart from the position, I enjoyed the race. When Franco took over the bike for the last stint, we could see he had really good pace, but we were still surprised to finish as high as seventh. Massive thanks to the team, who worked so hard for us this weekend, and also to Franco and Hafizh, who I really enjoyed racing with.”

F.C.C. TSR Honda France returned to the lead after the collision, but lost their chance of a win after Mike di Meglio crashed out with one hour left in the race.

Other teams also had a very tough time of it. Suzuki JEG Kagayama were well placed among the top three but lost a lot of ground due to a mechanical issue. A mechanical problem also led to the downfall of Tecmas BMW GMC, who had performed spectacularly in the early part of the race with rider Camille Hédelin clearly at ease on a wet track.

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Next FIM EWC race: the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans on 18 and 19 April 2020.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Sepang 8 Hours Qualifying Results

Yamaha Sepang Racing took pole position in the top 10 Trial overnight, placing ahead of Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa and F.C.C. TSR Honda France on the starting grid.

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Sepang 8 Hour Top Ten Video Highlights

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The Top 10 Trial started with Somkiat Chantra setting a blistering pace. The Thai rider posted a fantastic 2:05.440s lap for Honda Asia Dream Racing, sending the Japanese team rocketing from 9th to 1st place. Yamaha Sepang Racing’s Franco Morbidelli was the sole rider to finally knock the Japanese Honda off its perch and claim pole position with a 2:04.647.

Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa beat F.C.C. TSR Honda France to second place on the grid after Josh Hook posted a 2:05.484.

Jérémy Guarnoni’s lap – a 2:05.826 – enabled Webike SRC Kawasaki France to jump two places and start from 4th on Saturday ahead of BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, YART Yamaha, Team ERC Endurance, BMW Sepang Racing and VRD Igol Pierret Experiences.

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Markus Reiterberger – P5

“Thursday was a good day. We’ve made more progress with the bike, especially regarding the chassis and the electronics. This for sure will help us on the race distance of eight hours. Unfortunately, Kenny got injured on Wednesday, and Ilya and me now have to ride as a two-rider line-up. I want to wish Kenny a speedy recovery! Ilya and me shared duties and I think that we did a good job. It was exciting to compete in the Top 10 Trial. I’ve participated in many Superpoles but never in a format like this. It’s great and I really like it. Unfortunately I made a small mistake which cost some time, but fifth on the grid is not bad and now we will see what we can achieve in the race. I think that we are a strong team and well prepared.”

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Wójcik Racing Team were the big loser of the Top 10 Trial. Gino Rea had a minor crash during his timed lap. The Yamaha-mounted Polish team, who were 8th after qualifying, will start from 10th place on the grid, just ahead of Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and the first Superstock teams.

Australians Ben Burke and Paul Byrne are racing the event alongside Yoshiyuki Sugai on an Aprilia RSV4 RF and qualified 46th. 

After Friday’s all-day FIA WTCR/Oscaro races, the FIM EWC players will be back on the track on Saturday 14 December for the warm up with the race then scheduled to start at 1300 before finishing underfloodlights as the sun currently sets around 1900 in Malaysia. 

Sepang 8 Hours Endurance Race – Top 10 Trial

1. Yamaha Sepang Racing – Franco Morbidelli 2m04.647s
2. Honda Asia Dream Racing Showa – Somkiat Chantra 2m05.440s
3. F.C.C. TSR Honda France- Josh Hook 2m05.484s
4. Webike SRC Kawasaki France – Jeremy Guarnoni 2m05.826s
5. BMW World Endurance Team – Markus Reiterberger 2m06.306s
6. YART Yamaha – Niccolo Canepa 2m06.431s
7. Team ERC Endurance Ducati – Randy De Puniet 2m06.519s
8. BMW Sepang Racing – Azlan Kamaruzaman 2m06.986s
9. VRD Igol Pierret Yamaha – Xaiver Simeon 2m07.227s
10. Wojcik Racing Yamaha – Gino Rea No Time

Source: MCNews.com.au

Mixed conditions test riders at Sepang

Following the private test dominated by F.C.C. TSR Honda France earlier in the week, Yamaha Sepang Racing got the upper hand in free practice on Wednesday afternoon on their home territory in Sepang.

On a track drying out after a storm, Hafizh Syahrin, the MotoGP rider and a star in Malaysia, clocked the fastest lap of the session, a 2:18.637, in the saddle of the Yamaha 21 with the Sepang International Circuit livery that he is riding with teammates Franco Morbidelli and Michael van der Mark.

Yamaha Sepang Racing were faster than Webike SRC Kawasaki France, who are beginning to find their feet on the 5.543-km circuit. The Kawasaki team – the 2018-2019 FIM EWC title holders – were ahead of F.C.C. TSR Honda France, who looked very comfortable on the track on this initial day of tests at the 8 Hours of Sepang. Jérémy Guarnoni, Erwan Nigon, and David Checa make up Webike SRC Kawasaki France. F.C.C. TSR Honda riders are Mike di Meglio, Freddy Foray and Australian Josh Hook. 

The top Superstock team, Tone RT Syncedge 4413 BMW, were in 4th place in free practice. The Japanese team (the Superstock class winner at the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours) proved faster than Team 33 Coyote Louit Moto and Moto Ain in the category.

YART Yamaha claimed 5th place ahead of Tecmas BMW GMC and BMW Sepang Racing. YART consists of German rider Marvin Fritz, Italian Niccolò Canepa and Australian Broc Parkes.Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Adam Norrodin will be at the start of the 8 Hours of Sepang.  Two Malaysian stars team up with Julien da Costa at BMW Sepang Racing Team.

Thursday – will be crucial in terms of preparing for the 8 Hours of Sepang, with the two qualifying sessions followed by the Top 10 Trial at the end of the day to reassign the top 10 spots on the grid. The fastest rider of each of the 10 best teams in qualifying will throw his hat back into the ring in the course of a flying lap.

Sepang 8 Hours Endurance Race – FP1
Drying Track

1. Yamaha Racing Sepang 2m18.637s
2. Webike SRC Kawasaki France 2m18.770s
3. F.C.C. TSR Honda France 2m19.187s
4. Tone RT SyncEdge 4413 BMW 2m19.641s
5. YART Yamaha 2m20.277s
6. TecMas BMW GMC 2m20.362s
7. BMW Sepang Racing 2m20.545s
8. Team 33 Coyote Louit Moto Kawasaki 2m21.113s
9. Wojcik Racing Team Yamaha 2m21.748s
10. Moto Ain Yamaha 2m21.786s
11. VRD Igol Pierret Experiences Yamaha 2m22.784s
12. BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team 2m22.813s
13. 3ART-Moto Team 95 Yamaha 2m23.251s
14. No Limits Motor Team Suzuki 2m23.850s
15. Team ERC Endurance Ducati 2m23.682s

Source: MCNews.com.au