Endurance -News

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Yamaha Factory Racing Reigns at Suzuka

Suzuka - 2015

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team went above and beyond all expectations today at the Suzuka Circuit, riding the new YZF-R1 to a phenomenal victory at the 38th ?Coca-Cola Zero? Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race.

Riders Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Pol Espargar? and Bradley Smith gave an outstanding performance in the hottest and most challenging conditions of the weekend. It was the trio?s unbreakable determination, team spirit and the stunning performance of the YZF-R1 that saw them overcome all obstacles and win Yamaha its first victory in this event in 19 years and its fifth in the race's history.

Losing a couple of positions from pole, first rider Nakasuga was quick to carve his way to the front as he chased down the race leaders. By lap three he had climbed up to sixth and kept the pressure on. He made his move as one by one the competitors went into the pits, showing the incredible potential of the YZF-R1when he dropped a stunning 2?08.496s on his sixth lap, the fastest lap time of the race. Nakasuga was scheduled to come in after 25 laps but completed an extra two before heading in as the race leader and handing the YZF-R1 to Smith.

The British rider re-entered in third position, but soon moved up when the race leader crashed out of the race. Smith then had to deal with two separate safety car stints before finally taking the front a little more than two hours into the race.

It was then Espargar??s turn to take the YZF-R1 for a spin. The Spaniard had been consistently fast all weekend and didn?t disappoint today. He and Nakasuga created a comfortable margin before it was time for Smith to ride again.

He was only able to complete a few laps before being called in for a 30 second ?Stop and Go? penalty for Espargar? having passed under a yellow flag.

The penalty cost them a position but it wasn't long before Smith was back in first place and building a healthy gap before handing the bike over to Espargar? for a second time.

He and Nakasuga gave their all in their final riding stints before handing over to Smith for the last leg. The Brit?s final ride of the race was far from simple as a third safety car caused some last-minute tension. Smith was again able to manage the situation perfectly and rode his factory Yamaha YZF-R1 through the last corner to the deafening sound of cheering from the many thousand race fans as he took the chequered flag with a 1'17.411s advantage.

Katsuyuki Nakasuga - Suzuka - 2015

?As a team we started the race today with a set number of laps per rider and it was a lot of pressure for me to start the race but my first goal was that I had to finish this race. I?ve had times when I ended the race prematurely. I want to thank all the staff, the team and all the fans for their support. I?m really glad that we have won after nineteen years.?



Pol Espargar? - Suzuka - 2015

?I?m so happy. It was an unbelievable race. I have to say sorry to my teammates because I made a mistake during the race. We had a stop and go penalty and we lost more than one minute. My teammates were impressive, they were so fast. I gave 200% when I went out on the bike to recover this gap that we lost and we did. It?s impressive what Yamaha as a factory team and a family did after so many years and I?m proud of Nakasuga-san that he rode out the first Suzuka8hours with us and also of Bradley, that we share a pit box in MotoGP. Normally we have many activities and we don?t get to speak often as friends. This weekend was so good for us. I?m happy because I found two great friends, and we got the 8 hours Suzuka race victory.?



Bradley Smith - Suzuka - 2015

?Since Tuesday night I went back to my hotel room and felt loaded up with pressure. We stood in front of all the Yamaha staff and mister Kimura and everyone who works inside the factory. We stood on the stage in Iwata and promised that we would come back and give our best and we promised them a first place and we definitely to potentially fail, but we had a great bike and teammates. We had only one small mistake during the race, which in the end was no problem at all. With the speed and the pace that my teammates were able to do, we were able to overcome it. It?s very special, the 60th anniversary for Yamaha, they are leading the MotoGP championship, but second to that was a focus to on the Suzuka8H and I?m glad that we were able to show the true potential of this bike and give them that victory after 19 years that they very well deserve.?

Wataru Yoshikawa

First, I just want to thank everyone involved and all of the fans who cheered us on. I have to say that I was really impressed by the high level of the MotoGP riders, and also I found myself full of admiration once again for Nakasuga?s skills. Pol and Bradley had never ridden at Suzuka before our pre-race test sessions, and they had never ridden on an Endurance spec machine. But, in no time at all, they were running very fast lap times here, one after another. Also, in today?s race we were surprised to see the impeccable skill with which Nakasuga handled the bike in the first stint and extend it all the way to the 28th lap. That made things easier for us as a team from that point onward. The way the characters of the three riders came together so well made this a wonderful team, and the team staff did their best the whole time to back up the riders. During the race weekend there were accidents like Pol?s crash, and then in the race there was his penalty, so there were difficulties along the way but we still managed to win. This was a victory that the whole team won together, and once again I want to express my appreciation to al of the people who cheered us on."

 

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TEAM KAGAYAMA SUZUKI PODIUMS AT SUZUKA 8 HOURS


Team Suzuki Press Office ? July 26.

Team KAGAYAMA Suzuki riders Noriyuki Haga, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Yukio Kagayama raced their GSX-R1000 into third place at the prestigious 38th ?Coca-Cola Zero? Suzuka 8 Hours World Endurance Championship second round at Suzuka Circuit in Japan today.

As Suzuki Motor Corporation celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the icons GSX-R Superbike with a strong presence at its home race, the Japanese team finished on 203 laps and just one-and-a-half minutes behind the winners after more than 1000km of racing; as a total of four Suzuki-supported teams filled the top-10 positions.

Fourteen-times World Endurance Champions Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) extended its lead in the series to 29 points after bringing home fourth position (202 laps) with Yoshimura SUZUKI Shell Advance fifth (201 laps) and MotoMap Supply Suzuki 10th with 199 laps of the spectacular 5.821km circuit.

Team KAGAYAMA?S Kiyonari took an early lead from the start until Suzuka first-timer Alex Lowes moved ahead aboard his Yoshimura Suzuki. The British rider headed the 70-rider field until the fourth lap, lost it briefly, only to regain it for 25 laps until his first pit-in and rider change. Team-mate Takuya Tsuda was unfortunate to slip-off during his first stint, damaging the screen but he continued to claw back to second position by the 50th lap when he handed back to Lowes, and after the second of a total of six Safety Car incidents during the race.

Kagayama also suffered a small crash during his first stint but remounted, undamaged, and the team fought back-up to third position approaching the half-way stage.

SERT, who started from 18th on the grid, moved into fifth position with Vincent Philippe at the five-hour mark following a crash in Sunday morning warm-up, but claimed an extra position in the closing stages. At that five-hour mark, stage Yoshimura was running in seventh and MotoMap Supply Suzuki 10th; a position the Japanese team kept until the flag, whereas Yoshimura Suzuki fought back to claim a further two positions by the end of the race.

#30 SUZUKI ENDURANCE RACING TEAM

Vincent Philippe:

?It was a very hard race, we had a lot of problems here and did a lot of setting-adjustments before the race, but did not perfect it. However the result is good for the team and everyone.?

Anthony Delhalle:

?I am finally happy to get fourth place, but it was hard. We decided to race just two riders ? Vincent and myself ? and focussed on making no mistakes and managing the race.?

Etienne Masson:

?It was very good for us, especially for the championship, good for Suzuki, Dunlop and our team.?

#12 YOSHIMURA SUZUKI Shell ADVANCE

Alex Lowes:

?I really enjoyed Suzuka a lot but it was difficult race. We got a good start, had some problems, but the final result was good. Leading for the first hour was also a great experience.?

Takuya Tsuda:

?It was really good to have a battle with Casey Stoner. He was running faster but I could follow him. After that I had a small crash and then I was hit from behind and there was nothing I could do, so I am sorry for the trouble caused to the team.?

Josh Waters:

Again Suzuka was tough. Unfortunately we had a few problems, but that?s racing.?

#17 Team KAGAYAMA

Yukio Kagayama:

?It?s great to get a podium again for our team, sponsors and supporters. I promised Noriyuki and Ryuichi to provide a great bike with the potential to win, but couldn?t quite manage this; so feel sorry for both our great riders. I also had a small crash, so a little disappointed, although very proud of our riders and team.?

Noriyuki Haga:

?I am very happy with the podium result and Ryuichi really worked hard. He rode three stints and really appreciate his effort for our team, so would really like to thank him.?

Ryuichi Kiyonari:

?I am very happy with third place on the podium. On my final stint I rode very carefully and always checking pit signals. My team mates are very great experienced riders, so was sure we would get a good result. I had small slip-offs on Thursday and Friday, so apologies to our team for the extra work I caused.?

#32 Moto Map SUPPLY

Yoshihiro Konno:

?I?d like to thank my team mates, who are great riders, and I am very proud of today?s result for us. We will now concentrate on the All Japan Road Racing series after this.?

Nobuatsu Aoki:

It was really tough race today and we had some small issues where we could not push too hard. But I believe we did a good job and brought the machine home in 10th; so hopefully the data we acquired will help the MotoMap SUPPLY team in the future.

Hideyuki Ogata:

?I hoped to run faster but it was difficult with the high temperatures today, although after 5pm it cooled down and I was faster. I?m really happy with the race and I?d like to thank our sponsors and supporters.?

Suzuka 8 Hours Result: 1 Yamaha Factory Racing Team (Yamaha) 204 laps, 2 FCC TSR Honda (Honda) 204, 3 Team KAGAYAMA (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 203, 4 SERT (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 202, 5 Yoshimura SUZUKI Shell ADVANCE (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 201, 6 GMT94 Yamaha (Yamaha) 201, 7 Honda Endurance Racing (Honda) 201, 8 Honda Suzuka Racing Team (Honda) 200, 9 Team GREEN (Kawasaki) 199, 10 MotoMap SUPPLY (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 199.

 

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Yamaha Factory Racing Reigns at Suzuka

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team went above and beyond all expectations today at the Suzuka Circuit, riding the new YZF-R1 to a phenomenal victory at the 38th "Coca-Cola Zero" Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race.

Riders Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Pol Espargar? and Bradley Smith gave an outstanding performance in the hottest and most challenging conditions of the weekend. It was the trio's unbreakable determination, team spirit and the stunning performance of the YZF-R1 that saw them overcome all obstacles and win Yamaha its first victory in this event in 19 years and its fifth in the race's history.

Losing a couple of positions from pole, first rider Nakasuga was quick to carve his way to the front as he chased down the race leaders. By lap three he had climbed up to sixth and kept the pressure on. He made his move as one by one the competitors went into the pits, showing the incredible potential of the YZF-R1 when he dropped a stunning 2'08.496s on his sixth lap, the fastest laptime of the race. Nakasuga was scheduled to come in after 25 laps but completed an extra two before heading in as the race leader and handing the YZF-R1 to Smith.

The British rider re-entered in third position, but soon moved up when the race leader crashed out of the race. Smith then had to deal with two separate safety car stints before finally taking the front a little more than two hours into the race.

It was then Espargar?'s turn to take the YZF-R1 for a spin. The Spaniard had been consistently fast all weekend and didn't disappoint today. He and Nakasuga created a comfortable margin before it was time for Smith to ride again.

He was only able to complete a few laps before being called in for a 30 second 'Stop and Go' penalty for Espargar? having passed under a yellow flag.

The penalty cost them a position but it wasn't long before Smith was back in first place and building a healthy gap before handing the bike over to Espargar? for a second time.

He and Nakasuga gave their all in their final riding stints before handing over to Smith for the last leg. The Brit's final ride of the race was far from simple as a third safety car caused some last-minute tension. Smith was again able to manage the situation perfectly and rode his factory Yamaha YZF-R1 through the last corner to the deafening sound of cheering from the many thousand race fans as he took the chequered flag with a 1'17.411s advantage.

Reigning Endurance World Champions GMT94 Yamaha proved today that their strategy of focussing on the race set-up during qualifying had been the right one. Originally their first rider David Checa, decided to let Kenny Foray fill in for him at the start as he had only recently recovered from a knee injury. Foray was quick to adapt to the choatic first lap and started to make his way to the front.

He and teammates Kenny Foray and Mathieu Gines showed how effective a strong team can be as they battled the entire eight hours to ride from 20th to fourth.

It was a disappointing day for the Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART). Having qualified 11th on the grid Broc Parkes had a good start and was quick to move up the order. He had a strong and consistent pace of 2'11.0 but his challenge came to a premature end when a technical issue made it improssible for the team to continue.

Besides the success of the Factory team, team R1 & YAMALUBE also gave Yamaha fans reasons to cheer. They crossed the finish line in 21st position, thereby coming out victorious the Superstock class.


Katsuyuki Nakasuga - Yamaha Factory Racing Team rider

"As a team we started the race today with a set number of laps per rider and it was a lot of pressure for me to start the race but my first goal was that I had to finish this race. I've had times when I ended the race prematurely. I want to thank all the staff, the team and all the fans for their support. I'm really glad that we have won after nineteen years."

Pol Espargar? - Yamaha Factory Racing Team rider

"I'm so happy. It was an unbelievable race. I have to say sorry to my teammates because I made a mistake during the race. We had a stop and go penalty and we lost more than one minute. My teammates were impressive, they were so fast. I gave 200% when I went out on the bike to recover this gap that we lost and we did. It's impressive what Yamaha as a factory team and a family did after so many years and I'm proud of Nakasuga-san that he rode our the first Suzuka8hours with us and also of Bradley, that we share a pit box in MotoGP. Normally we have many activities and we don't get to speak often as friends. This weekend was so good for us. I'm happy because I found two great friends, and we got the 8 hours Suzuka race victory."

Bradley Smith - Yamaha Factory Racing Team rider

"Since Tuesday night I went back to my hotel room and felt loaded up with pressure . We stood in front of all the Yamaha staff and mister Kimura and everyone who works inside the factory. We stood on the stage in Iwata and promised that we would come back and give our best and we promised them a first place and we definitely to potentially fail, but we had a great bike and teammates. We had only one small mistake during the race, which in the end was no problem at all. With the speed and the pace that my teammates were able to do, we were able to overcome it. It's very special, the 60th anniversary for Yamaha, they are leading the MotoGP championship, but second to that was a focus to on the Suzuka8H and I'm glad that we were able to show the true potential of this bike and give them that victory after 19 years that they very well deserve."


Wataru Yoshikawa - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Team Manager

"First, I just want to thank everyone involved and all of the fans who cheered us on. I have to say that I was really impressed by the [high] level of the MotoGP riders, and also I found myself full of admiration once again for Nakasuga's skills. Pol and Bradley [Smith] had never ridden at Suzuka before our pre-race test sessions, and they had never ridden on an Endurance spec machine. But, in no time at all, they were running very fast lap times here, one after another. Also, in today's race we were surprised to see the impeccable skill with which Nakasuga handled the bike in the first stint and extend it all the way to the 28th lap. That made things easier for us as a team from that point onward. The way the characters of the three riders came together so well made this a wonderful team, and the team staff (crew) did their best the whole time to back up the riders. During the race weekend there were accidents like Pol [Espargaro]'s crash, and then in the race there was his penalty, so there were difficulties along the way but we still managed to win. This was a victory that the whole team won together, and once again I want to express my appreciation to al of the people who cheered us on."


David Checa ? GMT94 Yamaha rider

"At the beginning of the race we had a problem with the tyre. During the week we rode with another tyre that was much better, but Dunlop had a problem and brought three wrong tyres of this series, so we rode the race on a different one. I tested this tyre in the test and I wasn't very happy, because when it was hot there was a lot of movement with my riding style. When it was colder it worked well, but today it was very hot, so I took my rhythm down a little, else I lost the front everywhere. When the temperature dropped a little I pushed and pushed. We were supposed to finish fourth or fifth, but there were three safety cars and we lost two minutes and that meant we finished sixth. Sometimes endurance is a lucky sport for you and sometimes it's not. We had a podium here three years ago and we were really lucky when it came to safety cars and crashes, this times the others were lucky. There are still two more races and we want to win, like here. We are now second in the championship and we will try to beat our rivals. They may have started strong, but they too can have bad luck and we will try to push every time."

Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Team Manager

"Normally when you are sixth at Suzuka you can be happy, but in this case, if I'm honest, I'm a little disappointed because we had to refuel three time under the safety car, this has never been known in my 20 year career in endurance. The last safety car was a nightmare, because we were sitting in fourth place 50 seconds in front of #12 and 28 seconds behind #30, fighting for first place in the overall rankings and when the safety car came we lost it and finish sixth in the race. Regarding the riders, their performance was very good and they gave everything. The bike was also very fast. I'm so incredibly happy for Yamaha for this victory after 19 years, that's the most positive thing that came out of today. We will see what we can do at the next race. We are now second in the World Championship, so we will continue to fight."

Broc Parkes ? Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) rider

"I was happy with my pace and I showed good speed in qualifying and at the start of the race. I felt good on the bike, it was better than I expected, because even after some laps the tyres were still good and the grip was there. My lap times were consistent and we had a good start. I think we were up to eighth when we had a technical issue. It's a bit frustrating, because I think we could have been in the top five, looking at the results now. That could have been good for the championship. I believe Yamaha was satisfied with the performance we gave before the DNF, because we were the first team on Pirelli tyres."


Mandy Kainz ? Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) Team Manager

"The start of the race went quite well. Broc had a really good start and was able to follow the guys in front of him. We were able to have a very good pace so we were in the top eight at the beginning. We did all of this without taking any risks, but suddenly we encountered a technical issue and that resulted in a DNF. It's a shame, because when you look at the times we were riding, we are the best Pirelli team at the moment. We have kept our fingers crossed for the Factory team and the other Yamaha teams for success, because this is a very tough race. Oschersleben will in comparison be easier and we should be quite competitive there, but we don't know our rider line up yet. We will decide after the test."

Race Results

1. YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEAM, Y-YZF-R1, 8:00?29.708
2. F. C. C. TSR Honda, H-CBR1000RR, +1?17.411 laps
3. Team KAGAYAMA, S-GSX-R1000, +1 lap
4. SUZUKI ENDURANCE RACING TEAM, S-GSX-R1000, +2 laps
5. YOSHIMURA SUZUKI Shell ADVANCE, S-GSX-R1000, +3 laps
6. GMT94 YAMAHA, Y-YZF-R1, +3 laps
7. HONDA ENDURANCE RACING, H-CBR1000RR, +3 laps
8. Honda Suzuka Racing Team, H-CBR1000RR, +4 laps
9. Team GREEN, K-ZX-10R,+5 laps
10. MotoMap SUPPLY, S-GSX-R1000, +5 laps

21. team R1 & YAMALUBE, Y-YZF-R1, +10 laps
22. AKENO SPEED・YAMAHA, Y-YZF-R1, +11 laps

 

[KUCIAR666]

Suzuka's learnings for Kawasaki teams

The Team Kawasaki SRC left its members and fans with great memories yet felt unfulfilled after its debut Suzuka 8 Hours. Settled into sixth place at mid-race, the team was forced to resign after a serious crash. The Team Green Japanese Kawasaki squad impressed many during practice and qualifying but had to settle for ninth ?at the flag?.


The Team Kawasaki SRC came in Suzuka with respect for the event and knew that the Suzuka 8 Hours baptism of fire was not to be easy. After a first testing session in early July, some practice under wet conditions earlier this week and three crashes, the Gilles Stafler team confessed to lack of feedback for a dry race. Gregory Leblanc, Matthieu Lagrive and Fabien For?t secured a start in 15th place and managed to get into the right zone to score precious championship points. That was the main team's target and the strategy paid back as, at mid-race, the Team Kawasaki SRC was settling into a solid sixth place. Unfortunately Gregory Leblanc crashed which stopped this progression during their first Japanese appearance. The rider was fine but the bike was too damaged to get back on track. However, the Kawasaki team will learn a lesson and let the disappointment away, as they are already working for the next Endurance World Championship round in Germany.

The domestic Kawasaki Team Green squad rode Suzuka as a one off event but impressed many with their speed. The team consisting of Japanese stars Akira Yanagawa and Kazuki Watanabe plus talented Indonesian rider Haji Ahmed Yudhistira were super fast during practice. They headed the leaderboard after Friday?s qualifying and were second overall on the ?vertical? grid after Superpole. A problem on the sighting lap along with a crash cost the team a lot of time but they eventually ended ninth in a star packed field.

Gilles Stafler, Team Kawasaki SRC team manager
"We all knew how expensive scored point here in Suzuka would be, but when we wanted to ride the full World Championship, coming here is no question. I would have said ?yes? with both hands if anyone told me that we were in 6th position after 4 h 30 of the race! But with four serious crashes, three during the qualification and one during the race, we destroyed a lot of components and the conclusion is still not very positive, although we've learnt a lot. Suzuka is a fast and technical track. You can't come here to race without good set-up. We did not ride enough in the dry here and we know that we need a specific bike here at Suzuka. But for now we need to get over it and think about Oschersleben.

Fabien Foret, Team Kawasaki SRC rider
?I'm happy and thankful to Kawasaki for having lived through this first Suzuka experience. There is also disappointment. I knew we had to go through some hard times, but I was also positively surprised to see that we can have the proper pace".

Matthieu Lagrive, Team Kawasaki SRC rider
"We knew our weak points and we paid for it all week long. We started the race trying to keep a safety margin because we wanted to reach the end, but that was not enough".

Gregory Leblanc, Team Kawasaki SRC rider
?I do not understand why I crashed. That was the end of my shift, I still had five laps to ride, I was not pushing too hard and, suddenly, I lost the front. The frame and the fork were wrecked. The bike was too damaged to get back on track".

The next round for the FIM EWC Championship in Germany is on 22nd of August for the 8 Hours of Oschersleben.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Honda apologise to Stoner for crash at Suzuka 8 Hours

HRC confirm Stoner crash in the Suzuka 8 Hours was due to throttle mechanical issue.

Honda Racing Corporation has carried out a detailed analysis following the crash of Casey Stoner in last weekend?s Suzuka 8 Hour race.

Checking the throttle, which is a particular specification for Endurance HRC Factory bikes, and different from the standard throttle used on the Honda CBR1000RR road version, a malfunction was discovered related to the throttle cable.

This kind of problem hasn?t arisen before, however, HRC will cease using this throttle specification and will design a new one to be used for Endurance races.

HRC would like to apologise to Casey Stoner and thank him for the effort he made in attending the Suzuka 8 Hour event.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Yamaha Continues Endurance Quest at Oschersleben

With the spectacular race at Suzuka Circuit fresh in their memories, Yamaha sets out to once again display the incredible potential of the YZF-R1 at the third 2015 FIM Endurance World Championship round held at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Germany, on 19-22 August.

Yamaha's regular endurance teams, reigning World Champions GMT94 Yamaha and Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART), are ready to take center stage at the 18th edition of the German Speedweek this Saturday for the eight-hour race.

GMT Yamaha used their vast experience to the fullest at the previous round when they rode their Yamaha YZF-R1 from sixteenth on the grid to a hard-fought sixth place. Having moved up to second in the championship standings, only 29 points from the leaders, the French team is ready to raise the level for the upcoming challenge.

Since Suzuka, GMT94 Yamaha has completed several tests at Circuit Carole, which has similar corners to Oschersleben. With 35 points up for grabs at the Oschersleben 8 Hours, they are still very much in contention and have their eyes on the prize. They worked tirelessly on improving the electronics and maximizing their fuel consumption to be fully prepared for the battle for the championship title at the next heat.

GMT riders David Checa, Kenny Foray and Mathieu Gines hope to replicate their success from last year's race, when they piled on the pressure for their rivals and speeded to a well-deserved second place, creating a solid lead in the championship.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) also showed a strong race pace at Suzuka, lapping as the fastest team on Pirelli tyres until they were forced to exit the race early. For the next round riders Broc Parkes, Sheridan Morais and Iv?n Silva have obtained a 'nothing to lose' mentality and are eager to get the team back on the German podium for the first time since 2013.

In 1995 the idea of creating the Motopark Oschersleben started and was opened on July 25th, 1997. The Arena has grown by the years and developed in a famous and unique racing area, leading to the re-naming in June 2015 to the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, which doesn't have the word 'arena' in it for nothing. At this unique track the visitors can enjoy the racing action from stands that are placed six and eight metres above the 3.696 kilometres long track, measuring only 11-14 metres in width. It is the perfect place to experience endurance racing from up close, especially in the north-west area from which spectators look over large sections of the track.


David Checa - GMT94 Yamaha rider

"Oschersleben is a special race, because it's only eight hours long. Last year we finished second, but our target this year is to win the race and the championship. I love Oschersleben, and so do my teammates, and usually the bike is good there. We have tested a special specification to see if we could further improve, but we have a good basis from Suzuka that we know is okay. My leg injury from the start of the season has healed perfectly, it just that I had a crash in the test in Suzuka and that caused a lot of pain in my shoulder during the race, but my physiotherapist did a good job taping everything so I could ride through the pain. My leg and arm are now okay, I feel a 100% fit. We have to set up the bike as good as possible to have a chance at winning the race."


Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Team Manager

"We did a very strong race at Suzuka, but Oschersleben is very specific. The team is very excited to go there and the riders are feeling optimistic. On one side, we know there's still a lot to improve so that's why it's hard to say that we are confident, but on the other side, the bike already has a very high level and having even more things to try is exciting. We have worked a lot on the electronics and that's a point on which we will continue to work. We have also improved the tank capacity, which we expect to be even better for Bol d'Or. Oschersleben is a short track, it's difficult to overtake there and there is no long straight so it's very physically demanding for the riders, who have to stay fully concentrated and don't have a moment to relax. We also don't know what the track is like riding with Dunlop, so we have to understand that as quick as possible. For this reason we still have some questions marks, but that's no reason not to be competitive. To be on the podium shouldn't be too difficult, I hope, but we would like to win the race. I think that it's possible; if we find good grip and the right set up, the potential of the bike is a 100% okay to win."

Broc Parkes - Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) rider

"I'm looking forward to it. Oschersleben is a race that I've done for the last two years. It's a track that I normally enjoy, but most of all I'm looking forward to riding with YART again. I have had good experiences with them and a good past. At Suzuka we had good speed, but we had an issue during the race, so I'm hoping that we can try to be competitive here and get the win for the team."

Mandy Kainz - Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) Team Manager

"We are arriving with the same line up as we had in Suzuka. We want to show the potential of our bike and team's performance in Oschersleben, which is more or less our home race. We have nothing to lose in the championship after two DNFs. It's impossible to reach the top of the ranking now, so we are just focusing on reaching the podium and this is our target; to race without any strategies."

 

[KUCIAR666]

SUZUKI TEAMS SET-STRONG FOR OSCHERSLEBEN 8-HOURS

World Endurance Championship leaders Suzuki Endurance Racing Team will start tomorrow?s penultimate round of the 2015 series, the Oschersleben 8-Hours, from seventh position on the grid; just 0.791-seconds from Pole after a close final qualifying this afternoon at the German circuit.

SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Etienne Masson put their GSX-R1000 into a strong starting position at the 3.696km circuit despite not improving their overall time from yesterday?s opening practice and qualifying sessions: Philippe posted a best-lap of 1:27.453 as Delhalle recorded a lap of 1:28.173 and Masson a 1:28.171, qualifying for the grid with a combined-time of 1:27.664.

In the Superstock World Cup Championship, reigning champions and series leaders Junior Team LMS Suzuki - Baptiste Guittet, Gregg Black and Roman Maitre ? a young squad working from the same base as the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team in Le Mans, France, finished second in class and ninth overall on the day.

Pole Position this afternoon in the EWC class was set by Monster Energy YART (Yamaha) with the top Superstock team Volpker NRT48 (BMW).

Tomorrow?s Oschersleben 8-Hours gets underway At 12.00hrs local time (11.00hrs BST) with live TV coverage on Eurosport and other global satellite channels, plus there is live timing and tweets on the FIM Endurance page: CLICK HERE FOR LIVE RACE TIMING

Thursday Combined Qualifying Result: 1 Monster Energy YART (Yamaha) 1:26.989, 2 SRC Kawasaki (Kawasaki) 1:27.330, 3 SERT ? Philippe/Delhalle/Masson ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 1:27.664, 4 GMT 94 Yamaha (Yamaha) 1:27.726, 5 BMW Motorrad (BMW) 1:27.762, 6 Volpker NRT48 (BMW) 1:27.865, 7 Honda Racing (Honda) 1:27.570, 8 Junior Team LMS Suzuki ? Guittet/Black/Maitre - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 1:28.383, 9 Team Bolliger Switzerland (Kawasaki) 1:28.649, 10 Maco Racing Team (Yamaha) 1:28.926.

Friday Combined Qualifying Result: 1 Monster Energy YART (Yamaha) 1:26.873, 2 SRC Kawasaki (Kawasaki) 1:27.108, 3 GMT 94 Yamaha (Yamaha) 1:27.553, 4 BMW Motorrad (BMW) 1:27.606, 5 Honda Racing (Honda) 1:27.644, 6 Volpker NRT48 (BMW) 1:27.661, 7 SERT ? Philippe/Delhalle/Masson ? (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 1:27.664, 8 Team Bolliger Switzerland (Kawasaki) 1:28.201, 9 Junior Team LMS Suzuki ? Guittet/Black/Maitre - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 1:28.247, 10 Maco Racing Team (Yamaha) 1:28.674.

Oschersleben Image Gallery (David Reygondeau/ www.good-shoot.com): CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

 

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Yamaha Celebrates Superb Victory at Oschersleben

After a perfect win by the factory team in Suzuka a month ago, reigning World Champions GMT94 continue to show Yamaha YZF-R1's incredible pace with a stunning victory at the 18th edition of the German Speedweek. Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) was also on the pace and claimed a strong third place, making it a double podium for Yamaha.

As the clock hit twelve, 36 riders ran to their bikes across the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben's long straight and gunned their racing machines towards the first corner.

GMT94 Yamaha were second in the championship standings with a 29 point margin at the start of today's eight hour race and had one goal; win the race ahead of the championship leaders and stay in contention for this year's title.

David Checa had a slightly cautious start from third on the grid and slotted in behind the fellow Yamaha team Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) bike, crossing the line for the first time in seventh place. He made the most of the nimble character of the Yamaha YZF-R1 and went on to take over the lead shortly before he came in for a quick stop. He handed over the bike to teammate Kenny Foray, who reentered the race in fifth and rode a strong stint before letting Mathieu Gines take over and put the GMT bike back in the lead.

Despite interruptions in the form of safety car situations the GMT team managed to keep their stints faultless and stay ahead of the championship leaders. The race was ultimately won by GMT Yamaha's incredible consistency. More than five hours and 30 minutes into the race GMT made the most of the third safety car situation and extended their lead to around 40 seconds enabling them to return from their sixth pit stop still in the lead.

As the sun went down it was Foray, with his economic riding style, who was given the honour of bringing the YZF-R1 home. With the track lit up red from the setting sun, he managed the gap perfectly and took the chequered flag with a 18.773s advantage.

Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) had a similar start to GMT. Starting from pole, Broc Parkes took his time, completing the first lap in sixth. As his confidence grew he worked his way up to fourth but then encountered some technical issues that slightly lowered his race pace and he was forced to let GMT pass.

It then was Iv?n Silva's and Sheridan Morais' turn to take the YZF-R1 out on track, but the Austrian team didn't have any luck with the pace car situations either, losing half a minute at the first two instances, leaving them no choice but to give it their all. Determined to get a podium finish they fought their way up the rankings and looked comfortable in third position until drama unfolded.

Parkes lost the front when he hit some oil on the track just before the final hour and had to come back in to the pits. He handed the bike over to Ivan Silva, who was unable to open the gas fully on his outlap, due to deformation of the handle bar and had to head back in immediately to have it mended.

Once Silva returned to the track YART had fallen back to fourth, but they kept a cool head, dropping consist lap times to ultimately score a well-deserved third place.

After the strong victory GMT94 Yamaha closed in six points on the championship leaders, while Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) took away twenty-five points. They look forward to Bol d'Or, held on September 17-20 at the Paul Ricard Circuit, which will be the final round of the FIM Endurance World Championship.



David Checa - GMT94 Yamaha rider
"We did what we came here to do, we pushed to win and it all went perfectly, there is nothing more to say. For sure we are really happy because in endurance it's really hard to win a race. We often receive second, but when you get results like this, you are really happy. Everything worked really well; the bike, the riders, the tyres and the team was fantastic too. In the last six years I've won at this track three times and I love it here, but it's really small. It's physically very demanding, but I love difficult tracks and at the end we can be happy with first place and YART taking third, so there were two Yamahas on the podium. In Suzuka Yamaha also won the race so in two races it had two wins, for Yamaha these are very good results."


Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Team Manager

"We are very happy because we had a big battle with the championship leaders. For Yamaha this is perfect because they won Suzuka and now also this race and YART took the third position and pole, so it's been a good weekend. I was very happy with our pace on the track. I've known David for a long time but his pace impressed me a lot this time and also Kenny and Mathieu were fast. We still have to work on the tank and adjust some other things, but the bike is very good. The riders and the team can be proud, the whole package is very strong. It's never easy to finish in front of from the championship leaders, but we did it today. Oschersleben is like a second home to me. I won here four times; three times the 24H and yesterday the 8H. We like the circuit and the people and we enjoy coming here a lot."


Broc Parkes - Monster Energy Yamaha YART rider
"We had some problems at the start of the race that meant we didn't have a pit lane limiter. We raced the whole race without electronics. In BSB we don't have electronics either, so it wasn't too different from riding my BSB bike. In the last stint I rode my personal fastest lap of all my stints, a 1'27.1, which was good. The bike felt good, but towards the end of the stint the tyres started to go off a little bit and it wasn't as easy to keep the times. Overall it was good, but towards the end of the race I crashed on some oil, but we were lucky that the bike was not too damaged and that we could get to the pits without losing too much time. It was a bit of an adventure to be honest, an eventful race. We were lucky to get third, but we had good pace, all the riders were fast today. Ivan, Sheridan and I were close on times and to get pole and finish the first race of the season, I think we have to be happy."



Mandy Kainz - Monster Energy Yamaha YART Team Manager

"I am happy to be on the podium. We started the race, but after the first lap the electronics shut down and we had to continue the race without traction control, wheelie control or slide control. We had no lap timer so our strategy was sector by sector. The fuel consumption was very high so, that's why we came into the box early. Normally we could finish with seven pit stops, but by one minute we couldn't this time, so I was waiting for a safety car. When I saw the oil flag I thought "Maybe this once we are lucky and a pace car comes out", but then Broc crashed just before the last hour. Luckily the bike wasn't destroyed. We changed the rider and a few other things, but then came another problem with the steering, so Iv?n had to ride a slow lap to come in, but we got onto the podium. In the beginning we lost time with the pace car. It came out twice and we lost half a minute, but with the final pace car it all became good and we got on the podium and we are happy for this. I'm especially very happy that Yamaha took very good results, it is what the YZF-R1 deserves."



Race Results
1. GMT94 YAMAHA, Yamaha YZF-R1, 08:01'09.771
2. SUZUKI ENDURANCE RACING TEAM, Suzuki GSXR-1000, +18.773s
3. MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA YART, Yamaha YZF-R1, +3 lap
4. JUNIOR TEAM LE MANS SUD SUZUKI, Suzuki GSX-R1000, +4 laps
5. HONDA RACING, Honda CBR1000RR, +6 laps
6. BMW MOTORRAD France TEAM PENZ13, BMW S1000RR, +6 laps
7. STARTTEAM PAM-RACING, Suzuki GSX-R1000, +7 laps
8. MACO RACING TEAM, Yamaha YZF-R1, +7 laps
9. NATIONAL MOTOS, Honda CB R1000 RRSP ,+8 laps
10. TEAM TRAQUEUR LOUIT MOTO 33, Kawasaki ZX 10R, +8 laps

27. BERTL K. RACING TEAM, Y-YZF-R1, +38 laps



Championship Standings
1. SUZUKI ENDURANCE RACING TEAM, Suzuki GSXR-1000, 110 points
2. GMT94 YAMAHA, Yamaha YZF-R1, 87 points
3 TEAM BOLLIGER SWITZERLAND, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 55 points
4. JUNIOR TEAM LE MANS SUD SUZUKI, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 54 points laps
5. SRC KAWASAKI, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 42 points
6. TEAM TRAQUEUR LOUIT MOTO 33, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 39 points
7. BMW MOTORRAD France TEAM PENZ13, BMW S1000RR, 38 points
8. YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEAM, Yamaha YZF-R1, 35 points
9. MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA YART, Yamaha YZF-R1, 34 points
10. NATIONAL MOTOS, Honda CB R1000 RRSP, 33 points

15. MACO RACING TEAM, Yamaha YZF-R1, 22 points

 

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SERT & JUNIOR TEAM SUZUKI PODIUM AT OSCHERSLEBEN

Series leaders Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Junior Team LMS Suzuki kept their 2015 Championship title hopes intact with two strong performances at Saturday?s Oschersleben 8 Hour World Endurance Championship third round in Germany.

SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Etienne Masson powered their GSX-R1000 to the second step of the EWC class podium while Junior Team LMS riders Baptiste Guittet, Greg Black and Romain Maitre topped the World Cup category aboard their Superstock GSX-R1000; finishing fourth overall in the race. This puts 13-time World Champions SERT 23 points clear in the series and defending World Cup Champions Junior Team LMS 15 points ahead in Superstock with one round remaining.

Both Suzuki?s hit the front from the start; Junior Team?s Greg Black grabbing the holeshot from ninth on the grid, while SERT?s Philippe slotted into third from seventh place. At the end of the first hour, SERT had moved into second behind leaders Honda racing and Junior Team led its class with fourth.

The following hours saw several changes in lead with SERT taking control in the mid-point of the race from main title rivals Yamaha GMT94 and they remained locked in a close battle until the closing stages when SERT picked-up a puncture and were forced to take an unscheduled pit stop. This, along with two safety car incidents, that didn?t help the Suzuki team, allowed GMT94 to pull ahead and take the victory.

SERT Team Manager Dominique M?liand said: ?We suffered from a tyre puncture towards the end of the race and also the two safety car interventions were unfavourable to us. But this is racing and second place gives us a 23-point lead over the GMT94; and that's the most important!?

Philippe added: ?We know the GMT94 bike is very fast on the circuit and we?re fast in the pits, so it all evens out, but the safety car interventions put us at a disadvantage. We put up a good fight and we never let up and considering all the crashes and mechanical problems many of the teams had to face, we can only be satisfied with the result, not least because we?re still top of the championship standings.?

The final round of the 2015 Endurance World Championship will be the Bol d-Or 24-Hour in France on September 19-20th and with a maximum total of 60 points available to the winner, the battle for EWC and Superstock honours is expected to be one of the most exciting in recent years.

Race leaders by hour:

1 hour: 1 Honda Racing, 2 SERT, 3 SRC Kawasaki, 4 Junior Team LMS.
2 hours: 1 SRC Kawasaki, 2 SERT, Honda Racing, 10 Junior Team LMS.
3 hours: 1 Yamaha GMT94, 2 SERT, 3 Bolliger Switzerland, 6 Junior Team LMS.
4 hours: 1 SERT, 2 Yamaha GMT94, 3 BMW Motorrad, 6 Junior Team LMS.
5 hours: 1 Yamaha GMT94, 3 SERT, 3 Monster YART, 5 Junior Team LMS.
6 hours: Yamaha GMT94, 2 SERT, 3 Monster YART, 5 Junior Team LMS.
7 hours: Yamaha GMT94, 2 SERT, 3 BMW Motorrad, 5 Junior Team LMS.


Oschersleben 8 Hour results: 1 GMT94 Yamaha (Yamaha) 312 laps, 2 SERT (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 312, 3 Monster Energy YART (Yamaha) 309, 4 Junior Team LMS (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 308, 5 Honda Racing (Honda) 306, 6 BMW Motorrad France (BMW) 306, 7 Starteam PAM-Racing (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 305, 8 Maco Racing Team (Yamaha) 305, 9 National Motos (Honda) 304, 10 Team Traquer Louit Moto 33 (Kawasaki) 304.

 

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Yamaha Brings Endurance Title Chase to Bol d?Or Season Finale

The 2015 FIM Endurance World Championship season will end on a high this weekend with the 79th edition of the iconic Bol d'Or 24 Hour race on the 19th and 20th of September. The round in Castellet (France) marks the end of the four-races long season that currently sees GMT94 Yamaha in contention for the championship title in what is the ultimate test for both man and machine.

After a stunning victory at the eight-hour race in Oscherleben four weeks ago, GMT94 Yamaha hold second place in the standings, 23 points behind the championship leader, and have their eyes fixed on the Endurance World Championship trophy with still 60 points up for grabs.

This weekend they will be riding with a special yellow 60 year anniversary livery, making them even more eager to rise up for the challenge and underline Yamaha Motor's 60 year racing milestone. Their brand new Yamaha YZF-R1 and its riders David Checa, Kenny Foray and Mathieu Gines will be put to the test during 24 hours of non-stop racing at a circuit that is known for its extremely long straight, making finding the right balance for engine power key. However, Team Manager Christophe Guyot has led his team to victory in 2007's Bol d'Or and the team has won the Endurance World title chase twice in 2004 and 2014.

Like GMT94 Yamaha, the Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team will also be sporting the 60 year anniversary livery as a part of Yamaha Motor's 60 year anniversary celebrations and are equally excited to return to action. They showed a blistering pace at the previous round in Oschersleben, where they stormed to a well-deserved third place, and continued to make strides in the official test at Circuit Paul Ricard two weeks ago, positioning themselves as key protagonists. Though the YART team is yet to stand on the top step of the podium at Bol d'Or, they have enjoyed four podium finishes and aim to gift Yamaha the victory this year.

YART's Team Manager, Mandy Kainz, is fixed on scoring another top result this weekend and has come fully prepared for battle. His strong rider line-up for the upcoming weekend will consist of Broc Parkes, Iv?n Silva and Sheridan Morais. They will be joined by Max Neukirchner, who returns from a hip injury he sustained at the N?rburgring three months ago in the Superbike*IDM International German Championship. A final decision on which three of the four riders will be taking part in the gruelling 24-hour race will be made on Friday.

Bol d'Or was first organized by Eugene Mauve in 1922. At the time the race included motorcycles and automobiles, but was later made solely for motorcycles. The race used to be held at Le Mans, but was later moved to Circuit Paul Ricard, then to Magny-Cours, to be moved back to Circuit Paul Ricard after fifteen years following last winter's renovation that made the track more modern and safer. The 5,861 km circuit was created by Paul Ricard in 1970 and has hosted 14 Grand Prix of France of Formula 1, 22 Bol d'Or and 12 MotoGP races. The relocation of Bol d'Or makes little difference in the visitors. As endurance is a popular category of racing in France thousands of fans camp outside of the track, giving the weekend an incredible atmosphere.


David Checa - GMT94 Yamaha rider

"The feeling with the bike is really good and getting better since the start of the season. The target is simple: we want to win the race for Yamaha and the team and then afterwards we hope it has been enough to win the championship. Our goal from the beginning until now has always been to win everything with respect to the other teams and all the riders. The Paul Ricard track is really special because it has such a long straight and has tight corners so you need to have a great rhythm. It's not a circuit where you ride five laps on and go fast, you need to build up a rhythm and on the second day of the test my feeling was a lot better. All three riders had the same pace, the team is performing well and I think we can win. If you win Oschersleben you know the bike is good, because you can't pull that off with the wrong bike. Of course endurance events are special races because you not only need to be fast, but also consistent, have a team and tyres that work well, as well as a bit of luck. However, sometimes you have to create your own luck and I think we are working in a good way to increase the chance to win. The only thing we can do during a 24-hour race is push to the maximum from the beginning until the end of the race and we will see what happens."


Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Team Manager

"We are feeling really good, because the track is very nice and the whole team enjoys going to Paul Ricard. We know that many spectators will come and hopefully the sun will shine. We won the last race and are competing for the title, so everything is really exciting. We are 23 points behind and we can challenge for a podium place this weekend, the bike is really good. We will have to try to finish the race and then we'll see. The only question mark for us is that we have never worked with the new YZF-R1 on Paul Ricard and we don't have enough experience with the new gearbox, which is one of the most important things in endurance. However our current bike is better than ever, because the chassis is so good and the engine's cross-plane is a big advantage, especially when coming out of slow corners and we are very fast. For me, the YZF-R1 is the best bike on every circuit in the world, but Paul Ricard is particular with its over a kilometre-long straight and long corners and this takes a toll on the engine. We will probably ride with a safe solution this weekend, because I don't want to take any risks, and next year, when we'll have more experience, the engine power will be better. The tests at Paul Ricard went really well. We have a good pace and the rhythm was very good so we still want to go for the victory."

Broc Parkes - Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team Rider

"I'm looking forward to Bol d'Or. The test went quite well and all the riders for our team were really fast. We were the only team that didn't test there previously, while pretty much all the other teams had done a two-day test there, so we started on the back foot. To see what we did, all four of us were right on the pace which was similar to what we did at Oschersleben and I think for the race we are in a really good position. I've been doing a lot more training to be ready for the 24-hour long distance. In these endurance races you never know what will happen and this circuit is very hard on the engines, because the straight is so long. The engine is going to be under a lot of stress so I think this is going to play part as an important factor in order to finish the race. Of course we want to be on the podium, but our goal is to win. During the test we tried to work on the bike's fuel consumption to be able to ride longer stints. Last time out we had some problems, but there is no reason why we can't win and we definitely had the pace during practice and qualifying. The tyres are quite close so I don't think that will be a big issue."

Mandy Kainz - Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team Team Manager

"We go to the Bol d'Or with big ambitions. I don't think we need to prove our speed any further as we were one of the fastest teams in the pre-race test even though we hadn't been testing there before. We just need to make it show in the result, because we were one of the fastest permanent teams at every race but luck was never on our side. We want to be on the podium again and hope to get the victory. The Bol d'Or is the only race in Europe that we haven't won yet. We finished on the podium four times already, two times were second and two times we got third. We will do everything we can to give Yamaha the victory."

 

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SUZUKI AIMS FOR ENDURANCE AND SUPERSTOCK VICTORY

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Junior Team LMS Suzuki will start the final round of the 2015 World Endurance Championship, the Bol d?Or 24 Hour in France this weekend, as series leaders in both the World Endurance and Superstock World Cup classes and in strong contention to clinch both titles.

SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Etienne Masson, aboard their GSX-R1000, currently hold a 23-point lead over GMT94 Yamaha after three rounds, while Junior Team LMS Suzuki riders Baptiste Guittet, Greg Black and Romain Maitre are 15 points clear of Kawasaki?s Traqueur Louit Motos 33.

A total of 54 teams have entered the 79th edition of the Bol d?Or, which after a 15-year absence, moves back to the impressive 5.8 km Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet on the scenic Var hillside. The last Bol d?Or in 1999 was won by then SERT riders Terry Rymer, Jehan d?Orgeix and Christian Lavieille.

For many riders it will be their first time at the circuit and returning riders will find that, although some sections of the track have remained unchanged, others have been substantially modified; like the Virage du Pont turn and the ?S-curve? Verrerie, which used to be taken flat out but is now tighter, meaning riders have to brake hard, making overtaking a possibility.

The return to Le Castellet has been met with excitement, but also with trepidation, because of the 1.8-km long straight where riders can hit top speeds of over 320 kph.

Following a recent test at the circuit, SERT Team Manager Dominique M?liand is sceptical as to whether the machines will be able to handle the long stretch at top speed lap-after-lap for the entire 24 hours. He said: ?It?s a fantastic site for spectators, who can combine a seaside trip with an opportunity to watch the race. But as far as we?re concerned, there are plus and minus points, as there is on all the other circuits. The track has changed and the preliminary round of testing enabled us to trim the bike set-up. But the long Mistral straight will be the clincher, that?s for sure, as the bikes will be running at full revs for at least 18 seconds!?

Thirteen-times World Endurance Champions SERT take to the track tomorrow (Thursday) at 12:20hrs for the first free practice sessions, followed by the opening qualifying session at 17:40. Friday?s second qualifying session takes place at 11:00hrs with Saturday?s Bol d?Or 24-Hour race commencing at 15:00hrs.

Live coverage will be on the FIM Endurance website www.fimewc.com along with Eurosport Satellite TV and Eurosport Player.

Bol d'Or Timetable:

Thursday September 17
12:20-14:20 Free Practice
17:40-19:30 Qualifying 1 (20 minutes per rider)
21:30-22:30 Night Practice

Friday September 18
11:00-12:50 Qualifying 2 (20 minutes per rider)
16:50-18:20 Pit walk

Saturday September 19
11:35-12:20 Warm Up
15:00 Race start

 

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SUZUKI DEBUTS NEW ANNIVERSARY LIVERY AT THE BOL D?OR

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team will race in a new and striking anniversary livery at tomorrow?s final round of the Endurance World Championship, the Bol d?Or 24-Hour race, at Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France.

The current world championship leaders have painted the team?s GSX-R1000 in the classic light-blue-and-white racing colour-scheme for its home round to celebrate 30 years of Suzuki?s class-leading GSX-R range of machinery; and also in celebration of 35 years of Dominique Meliand?s legendary Le Mans-based team.

Following yesterday?s preliminary practice and opening qualifying sessions, the 13-time World Champions positioned fifth in today?s final combined times as less-than-a-second separated the top seven teams at the picturesque 5.8 km Le Castellet circuit on the Marseilles coastline that features a 1.8-km-long, 320 kph flat-out straight.

SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Etienne Masson go into tomorrow?s race with a 23-point advantage over Yamaha GMT94, but as the event is run over 24 hours, the points awarded differ to previous races such as the Suzuka 8-Hour event in Japan and the Oschersleben 8-Hour race in Germany: With total of 60 points up for grabs - 40 for the race winner, plus 10 bonus-points for the leader at the eighth and 16th hours ? in theory the series could be won by any of three EWC teams; SERT, Yamaha GMT94 and Bolliger Switzerland Kawasaki (55 points behind). However, adding to the excitement of the series finale, reigning Superstock World Cup Champions and current Superstock class leaders Junior Team LMS Suzuki, currently fourth in the overall points, could make history; an outside chance, but a possibility of turning the series on its head as the Le Mans-based team ? who work from the same headquarters as SERT - has scored 54 points to date, despite missing Suzuka as there was no Superstock class; and are 56-points behind leaders SERT.

Today?s qualifying saw Philippe set a time of 1:59.762 to give him fourth overall in his session, as SRC Kawasaki topped the timesheets. Delhalle went faster in the second session with a 1:59.332 to place him third behind Monster YART, while Masson put-in a best-lap of 1:59.772 for sixth position in his session, again topped by the SRC Kawasaki.

Combined, SERT?s time is 1:59.551 with pole-setters SRC Kawasaki on 1:58.278. SERT also has Australian Damian Cudlin ? its 2014 permanent team member ? back onboard this weekend as its fourth and reserve rider; and he set a very respectable time of 2:01.468 for fourth position in his qualifying session.

Junior Team LMS riders Baptise Guittet, Gregg Black and Romain Maitre put their GSX-R1000 into second position in the Superstock class with a combined time of 2:00.274 and will start tomorrow?s 79th edition of the Bol d?Or from eighth position on the grid.

Following tomorrow?s warm-up at 11:35hrs (local time) the Bol d?Or 24-Hour will commence at 15:00hrs.

Full race Live Timing will be on the FIM Endurance website www.fimewc.com along with Eurosport Satellite TV and Eurosport Player.

Bol d?Or 24-Hour Grid/ Overall Combined Qualifying results: 1 Team SRC Kawasaki (Kawasaki) 1:58.278, 2 Monster Energy YART (Yamaha) 1:58.490, 3 GMT94 Yamaha (Yamaha) 1:58.887, 4 Honda Endurance Racing (Honda) 1:59.392, 5 SERT ? Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle, Etienne Masson (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 1:59.551, 6 BMW Motorrad France (BMW) 1:59.656, 7 Volpker NRT 48 (BMW) 1:59.861, 8 Junior Team LMS Suzuki ? Baptise Guittet, Gregg Black, Romain Maitre (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 2:00.274, 9 Team Bolliger Switzerland (Kawasaki) 2:00.900, 10 Tati Team Beaujolais (Kawasaki) 2:01.112.

 

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Yamaha Qualify Second and Third for Bol d'Or Endurance Showdown

The Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) and GMT94 Yamaha have positioned themselves as key protagonists for the final round of the 2015 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) at Circuit Paul Ricard. They gave their all today in a tense qualifying session and will start the 79th edition of the 24-hour Bol d'Or race from second and third place respectively.

The officially supported Yamaha teams already showed their YZF-R1s' tremendous potential during yesterday's first qualifying practice, when they secured second and third and duplicated their strong results today.

Broc Parkes was the first rider to head out on track aboard the number 7 YZF-R1 in qualifying practice two. The Australian was quick to set a low 2'00 lap for seventh place and was looking to set a fast lap until almost seven minutes into the twenty-minute session a red flag-situation occurred. Once the session was restarted Parkes gradually upped his pace again and became the third rider to drop under the 1'59 mark in the first riders' session with a 1'58.799 for third place, 1.546s from the rider in first place.

Second rider Max Neukirchner was next and quickly rose to the top when he dropped a 1'59.407. He held on to provisional pole for the remainder of the session, whilst continuously improving his times as the pace quickened. He ended the session with a best lap of 1'58.209, with a 0,880s advantage over his closest rival, before handing the bike over to the third rider.

Iv?n Silva suffered a crash on Wednesday during the Bol d'Or free practice session and is unable to compete in this weekend's race. Sheridan Morais filled in for the Spaniard and soon set a 2'00.275 for fourth, but with twelve minutes on the clock the qualifying practice session was red flagged for a second time. However, the South African was unfazed and showed great riding skills when he returned to action, posting the third fastest time of 1'58.464, 1.082s from the front.

Reigning World Champion, GMT94 Yamaha, has only one goal this weekend; defend their EWC title by winning the race. With no qualifying tyre available to them, they continued their very successful strategy of focusing solely on the race set-up during qualifying practice and were able to make another big step today despite challenges along the way.

First rider David Checa was quick to drop under the two-minutes barrier, with a 1'59.759 lap, but soon encountered a minor human error, which affected the electronics. After two laps he brought the bike back to the pits, but was unable to rejoin the first riders' qualifying session and finished in seventh place, 2.506s off the lead in the classification.

It took the team 30 minutes to mend the bike, forcing Kenny Foray to make a late start to the second rider session. Eager to make up for lost time he clocked a seventh fastest lap to post a 1'59.519 and move up to fourth place in the final minute, leaving him 1.310s behind the second riders' group leader.

Mathieu Gines took over the number 94 YZF-R1 from his teammate and despite a short interruption of the third rider session, he ended the day on a high. He carried a blistering pace and set a 1'57.841 to take second place in the third rider session, 0.459s from first.

Combined the YART team members rode an average time of 1'58.490 and scored second place in the combined qualifying sessions classification, 0.212s from pole. GMT94 is not far behind in third position, having rode an average time of 1'58.887, 0.609s from the front.

After today's positive results, both teams look forward to tomorrow when the 24 hours of non-stop racing action will start at 3pm local track time.


Broc Parkes - Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) rider

"We all did a good job today and we are feeling good with the bike. There was a lot of traffic on the track and on my stint I didn't get in one completely clear lap. Other than that it went really good. The team and the riders have worked really hard on the set-up of the bike and the tank to improve fuel consumptions, so we can stay out on track longer, which will be important for the race. I think this is the best position we have ever been in, with all three riders being this fast, and I hope we can get the victory tomorrow."


Mandy Kainz ? Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) Team Manager

"This season we were always contenders for the position, because we were always quite close to the times of the fastest team. They had a small margin on us in Le Mans, we had an advantage over them in Oschersleben, and today they are slightly in front again. Unfortunately our team has not been very lucky this season, but our focus is not the qualifying, because there aren't any points to be won with it. We struggled with one of our regular riders getting injured in the free practice and we will have to manage to complete the race with Max and Shez [Sheridan Morais], who are not a 100 per cent fit. Both of them are still struggling due to lingering injuries from earlier crashes. I hope that we will find a good set-up, that the riders are happy and we are looking forward to a good race."

David Checa ? GMT94 Yamaha rider

"Qualifying went really well yesterday. We finished third and we had the possibility to finish second, but it's quite hard to get the pole without the option to ride with qualifying tyres. We encountered a small technical mistake with the bike and that made it impossible for me to improve my time. Though I could only complete two laps we still got third position on the grid, whilst our main rival is in fifth place, so that's positive for us. We will do our best in the race tomorrow and we'll see what result comes out at the end."



Christophe Guyot ? GMT94 Yamaha Team Manager

"I'm very happy because we have a good pace and are very fast. Dunlop doesn't have qualifying tyres and we finished as the first team on Dunlop tyres. We may have lost second place or even pole because of a small mistake we made with the electronics. This cost us half an hour because it wasn't possible to keep riding and fixing it took up most of David's and Kenny's stints. As a result we could only improve the set-up whilst Mathieu was riding and he set a very fast lap time. We are third on the grid, which is a good position and our pace is very strong for tomorrow's race. We are using a very safe configuration for the engine and we are still very fast, so we are in a position that we can try to win the race."

Overall Qualifying Classification

1. Team SRC Kawasaki, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 1:58.278
2. Monster Energy Yamaha YART, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:58.490
3. GMT94 Yamaha, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:58.887
4. Honda Endurance Racing, CBR1000 RRSP, 1:59.392
5. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, Suzuki GSXR 1000, 1:59.551
6. BMW Motorrad France Team PENZ13, BWM S 1000RR, 1:59.656
7. V?lpker NRT 48 & PENZ13 By Schubert Motors, BWM S 1000RR, 1:59.861
8. Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki, Suzuki GSXR 1000, 2:00.274
9. Team Bolliger Switzerland, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 2:00.900
10. Tati Team Beaujolais Racing, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 2:01.112

 

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SUZUKI REGAINS WORLD ENDURANCE TITLE AT THE BOL D?OR

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team has won the 2015 Endurance World Championship after a drama-packed Bol d?Or 24 Hour Race at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France.

SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Etienne Masson brought the team?s GSX-R1000 home in third position behind race winners SRC Kawasaki and 2014 world champions GMT94 Yamaha, completing a total of 677 laps of the 5.8 km Le Castellet circuit on the scenic Var hillside near the Marseilles coastline.

Racing in commemorative blue and white 30th Anniversary GSX-R colours, and in celebration of 35 years of the French team, managed by Dominique Meliand from its Le Man?s-based headquarters, SERT has now claimed a total of 14 Endurance World Championship titles.

From the start on Saturday at 15:00hrs local time, the 74,000 Bol d-Or fans witnessed exciting racing, that was action-packed from lap one until lap 684: Suzuki?s defending Superstock World Cup Champions Junior Team LMS Suzuki took the lead half-way around the first lap as SERT positioned its GSX-R1000 in seventh, soon to move into second, as main series rivals GMT94 Yamaha crashed and was forced to push back to the pits for repairs; losing four laps in the process.

Junior Team LMS Suzuki - Baptise Guittet, Gregg Black and Romain Maitre ? who have dominated the Superstock class this season, led the opening stages of the race from eventual winners SRC Kawasaki, SERT and Honda Racing Team, but suffered an overheating problem early Saturday evening, forcing them back to the pits; but after the problem was rectified, team rider Greg Black was unlucky to crash, forcing the Le Mans-based team out of the race. However, the team still recorded second position overall in the series.

Going into the night after the Marseille Mistral wind had proved an issue for the teams - particularly on the flat-out 320kph straight - SERT led from SRC Kawasaki, Honda Racing, Monster YART (Yamaha), BMW Motorrad and GMT94 Yamaha; who climbed back-up from 54th position to sixth after its early incident.

But then things went wrong for SERT; just after collecting 10 bonus championship points for leading at the eight-hour mark, the SERT GSX-R1000 suffered and uncharacteristic issue with Philippe in the saddle - a rear wheel axle problem at 2am - which led to two unscheduled pit-stops that cost the team precious time. However, SERT rejoined the race and clicked-off consistent lap-times through the night into Sunday morning to climb-back into an eventual third position; and the top-step of the Endurance World Championship once again, to celebrate 30 years of the GSX-R Superbike and also 35 years of Dominique Meliand?s Suzuki Endurance Racing Team.

Said Meliand: ?They say the younger you are, the more hunger you have for victory, but I can assure you it?s exactly the same at my age! This 14th World Championship title tastes just as good as our first one. And for anyone who dismissed the GSX-R1000, this title proves it is still a winning machine! I?m very, very, happy. It has been a very good year for us; and to finish on the podium today and win the Endurance World Championship is great for Suzuki Motor Corporation and all of our sponsors!?

Alongside Meliand, team kingpin Philippe ? who has won nine world titles with SERT (Delhalle has now won seven) ? was also overjoyed to help put Suzuki back at the top of this very-demanding world series.

He said: ?I?m feeling really, really good right now. It?s been a very good year for us all; and to finish on the podium here today and win the World Championship is great for Suzuki and all of our sponsors.?

Bol d?Or Results: 1 SRC Kawasaki (Kawasaki) 684 laps, 2 GMT94 Yamaha (Yamaha) 682, 3 SERT ? Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle, Etienne Masson (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 677, 4 Tati Team Beaujolais Racing (Kawasaki) 673, 5 Team Traquer Louit Moto 33 (Kawasaki) 672, 6 BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13 (BMW) 669, 7 Volpker NRT48 & Penz13 by Schubert (BMW) 668, 8 Team 3ART Yam?Avenue (Yamaha) 664, 9 Atomic 68 (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 662, 10 Team AprilMoto Motors Events (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 660.

 

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Yamaha Ends FIM Endurance World Championship with Sensational Second Place Bol d'Or Finish

GMT94 Yamaha rode the catch up race of a lifetime at the 79th edition of the iconic Bol d'Or 24 Hour race this weekend to secure second place and end the 2015 FIM Endurance World Championship season as the Vice-Champion. Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) also showed an incredibly strong pace at Circuit Paul Ricard, but luck was not on their side and they were forced to retire after 14 hours.

GMT94 Yamaha's David Checa, Kenny Foray and Mathieu Gines were still in contention for the championship title as they entered the round in Castellet (France), a circuit they hadn't ridden the brand-new YZF-R1 on before, 23 points behind the championship leader, with 60 points still up for grabs.

Starting from third, Checa was the first GMT rider onboard the YZF-R1, styled in a special 60 Year Anniversary livery, towards the first corner along with 54 other riders. After some scrapping he had positioned himself in eleventh place, when suddenly drama struck just before the end of the first lap. The Spanish rider suffered a small crash and had to hurry back to the pit box.

The French team showed its professionalism when it quickly repaired the bike in a manner of minutes, so they could re-enter the track eleven minutes into the race in 54th place. It was second rider Foray who took over the bike and started chipping away at the five-lap disadvantage, before handing the bike over to third rider Gines who raised the pace even further.

It was the experience of the number 94 team and the never-ending fighting spirit of the riders that saw them pull through the hardship and become the heroes of the race as they fought against the odds.

By the eight-hour stage they had climbed back up to sixth place and secured five important points for the championship. They kept their heads down and rode a brilliant night session that saw them not only move up to fourth position, but also leave their main rival behind them as they added another seven points to their tally.

Their change in fortune allowed them to set a new goal for themselves. They were now setting their eyes on a podium finish and were determined to make it happen. Through some strong teamwork they worked their way up to a sensational second place, taking the chequered flag two laps behind the leader.

Broc Parkes, the first rider for the Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team, started from second place on the grid. He came out of the first corner in seventh place and did well as he made his way up to fourth. He continued to ride a strong stint before handing over the bike to second rider Max Neukirchner when the four front running bikes all headed into the pits at the same time.

Despite not being at a 100 per cent level fitness, Neukirchner and third rider Sheridan Morais carried a very strong and consistent pace, which the number 7 bike had displayed all season.

YART gave their all to get hold of the second place and had closed the gap from 45.141s to the race leaders down to 28.743s, but their efforts ended with a d?j? vu. Despite their great pace they suffered a technical error during the night, similar to what happened at the 24-hour race of Le Mans, and were unable to finish the race.

Today's results see GMT94 Yamaha take home 45 points and finish the season in second place with 132 points in total. Despite their not having completed the race, Monster Energy YART still secured 7 points for holding fourth place at the eight-hour stage, increasing the point total to 41 for tenth place in the championship.

Team 3ART YAM' Avenue also rode a strong race to complete the 24-hour Bol d'Or inside the top ten with a solid eighth place in the overall ranking and were the fourth Superstock bike to cross the finish line. This achievement earned them 15 points on top of the 3 points they collected earlier in the race at the 16-hour mark, moving them up to seventh in the SST ranking.


David Checa ? GMT94 Yamaha Team rider

"The beginning of the race was difficult and all we did was keep on pushing. In the end we came second, but it wasn't enough, but even if we had won the race we would still have finished second in the championship. All the teams had problems, not just us, but that's endurance. We just happened to have an issue at the kick off while others had it during the race. I crashed after I had a bad start and some riders were riding risky. I went too deep into the corner and touched the curbstone. We had a problem restarting the bike, and we had problems with the start at Le Mans, Suzuka and Oschersleben, so we have to find a solution for this, because else you end up in the middle group. Those riders want to show everybody how hard they can push and you can easily be in the wrong place at the wrong moment. Luckily we didn't have any more troubles during the race and the team did a perfect job. I couldn't undo the crash, but our result was still second place and also second in the championship, which is a very positive outcome. Of course we wanted to win, because that's always our goal, but even without the crash that would have been difficult. Next week I have the final round of the French Superbike Championship, so I look forward to another strong weekend."


Christophe Guyot ? GMT94 Yamaha Team Manager

"Naturally I have mixed feelings about the race results. Of course we can be happy that we got second place and rode a very strong race, without any problems with the bike. At the beginning of the race we had a five-lap disadvantage to bike number eleven and we finished only two laps behind them. This shows that getting the victory was possible and that this race was a great showcase of the YZF-R1's amazing potential. The bike was working incredibly well and I'm very happy about its performance. We are also happy for Yamaha to have secured the Constructor's Title for a second time in a row. I want to say a big thank you to the riders for their efforts and also the team, who have been superb. We have given it our all today and can be proud of ourselves."

Broc Parkes - Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) rider

"It's unfortunate because I think we could have won. We caught up to the leader from nearly one minute to just a 28 second disadvantage. Every lap we were catching them, but then we had a problem at about five o'clock in the morning when I just did my sixth stint. The start was not too bad, but it wasn't the best either. I basically just tried to keep a good pace and in general we had very good speed, especially during the nighttime when we were the fastest on track. I'm thankful to the team and I feel for them, because they did such a good job and us, the riders as well, we did everything right. It's a shame, because we had the speed to win this year but we just had these problems that got in the way."

Mandy Kainz - Monster Energy Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) Team Manager

"It was an abrupt and unfortunate ending to an otherwise good weekend. We were very competitive from the start of Bol d'Or, like we have been the entire season. We had a good start to the race and did a good job moving up the order. We closed in on the leader and were competing for victory, but it wasn't to be: we suffered a technical issue early in the morning and couldn't rejoin the race. I want to thank the team and the riders for their hard work and incredible dedication. We will work hard to come back even stronger next year."

FIM EWC ? Bol d?Or 2015, Final Classification

1. Team SRC Kawasaki, EWC, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 24:01'22.895
2. GMT94 Yamaha, EWC, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2 laps
3. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, EWC, Suzuki GSXR 1000, 7 laps
4. Tati Team Beaujolais Racing, SST, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 11 laps
5. Team Traqueur Louit MOTO 33, SST, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 12 laps
6. BMW Motorrad France Team PENZ13, EWC, BWM S 1000RR, 15 laps
7. V?lpker NRT 48 & PENZ13 By Schubert Motors, SST, BWM S 1000RR, 16 laps
8. Team 3ART YAM? Avenue, SST, Yamaha YZF-R1, 20 laps
9. ATOMIC 68, SST, Suzuki GSX - R, 22 laps
10. Team Aprilmoto Motors Events, EWC, Suzuki GSX ? R, 24 laps

14. Maco Racing Team, EWC, Yamaha YZF-R1, 37 laps
20. Yamaha Vilta?s Experiences, SST, Yamaha YZF-R1, 52 laps
26. Moto AIN CRT, SST, Yamaha YZF-R1, 69 laps
29. Moto AIN Chgerenge Nine, SST, Yamaha YZF-R1, 82 laps


Final Ranking - EWC World Championship

1. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, Suzuki GSXR 1000, 154 points
2. GMT94 Yamaha, Yamaha YZF-R1, 132 points
3. Team SRC Kawasaki, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 100 points
4. BMW Motorrad France Team PENZ13, BWM S 1000RR, 71 points
5. Team Traqueur Louit MOTO 33, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 68 points
6. Team Bolliger Switzerland, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 55 points
7. Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki, Suzuki GSXR 1000, 54 points
8. Tati Team Beaujolais Racing, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 53 points
9. Honda Endurance Racing, CBR1000 RRSP, 50 points
10. Monster Energy Yamaha YART, Yamaha YZF-R1, 41 points

11. Yamaha Factory Racing Team, Yamaha YZF-R1, 35 points
13. Maco Racing Team, Yamaha YZF-R1, 33 points


Final Ranking - SST World Cup

1. Team Traqueur Louit MOTO 33, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 68 points
2. Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki, Suzuki GSXR 1000, 54 points
3. Tati Team Beaujolais Racing, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 53 points
4. AM Moto Racing Competition, Suzuki GSX R, 31 points
5. V?lpker NRT 48 & PENZ13 By Schubert Motors, BWM S 1000RR, 25 points
6. Starteam Pam-Racing, Suzuki GSXR R, 23 points
7. Team 3ART YAM? Avenue, SST, Yamaha YZF-R1, 18 points
8. ATOMIC 68, Suzuki GSX R, 22 laps 13 points
9. BMRT 3D Endurance, Aprillia 10 points
10. Ecurie Chrono Sport 1, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 10 points

20. Yamaha Vilta?s Experiences, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1 point
22. Moto AIN CRT, Yamaha YZF-R1, 0 point
34. Moto AIN Chgerenge Nine, SST, Yamaha YZF-R1, 0 point


FIM Endurance World Championship - Manufacturer Championship

1. Yamaha, 124 points
2. Suzuki, 122 points
3. Kawasaki, 95 points
4. BMW, 57 points
5. Honda, 54 points

 

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Ready, Set, Watch the Endurance YZF-R1 Go!

The GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team shows off its new Endurance spec YZF-R1 in an all-action video.

Last month David Checa, Louis Rossi and Niccol? Canepa took their new race machine to an empty Circuito de velocidad de Jerez de la Frontera to put it to the test.

With first hand experience of all that the 2016 YZF-R1 has to offer, the three riders and Team Manager Christophe Guyot give their thoughts on the bike's potential for the upcoming FIM Endurance World Championship.

You can watch the GMT94 team in action HERE.

Make sure to stay tuned for when Yamaha Racing releases one more team video later this week.

 

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YART Yamaha Official EWC Team's YZF-R1 is Ready for Take-off

The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team made it no secret that they are eager to take the 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship by storm with the new endurance spec YZF-R1.

Broc Parkes, Max Neukirchner and Iv?n Silva couldn’t wait any longer and took their new race machine out for a spin in Jerez de la Frontera at an empty Circuito de velocidad last month.

After revving the engine of the 2016 YZF-R1, the three riders and Crew Chief Ludovic Reignier share how they’re planning to tackle the endurance season at full speed.

Watch the full-action video HERE.

 

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Yamaha Shapes Up for 24-hour Endurance Shake Down in Le Mans

The GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team and YART Yamaha Official EWC Team are geared up and ready to start the 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) season at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit this weekend. The two official Yamaha teams come equipped with their brand-new endurance-spec YZF-R1s to take part in 24 hours of non-stop racing action from Saturday 3PM to Sunday 3PM during the 39th edition of the famous 24 Heures Motos in Le Mans.

After almost seven months of waiting since the last endurance race, the 2015 Bol d'Or, the GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team is eager to get back on track with an exciting new rider-line-up, consisting of David Checa, Louis Rossi and Niccol? Canepa. They will be guided along the way by Team Manager Christophe Guyot, who's leadership already rubbed off on 'endurance rookies' Rossi and Canepa when the team secured the fastest time of the second day in wet conditions during the official pre- Le Mans test last week.

The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team will also be up for the Endurance World Championship challenge again this year. The first day of pre-season testing at the Le Mans circuit already saw some a glimpse of YART's YZF-R1 strong pace, which saw them set a new track lap record for the endurance class at the Bugatti circuit last year. The Austrian team returns to the scene more determined than ever to position themselves as a key protagonist and can't wait for riders Broc Parkes, Iv?n Silva and Max Neukirchner to kick off the season.

The Le Mans Bugatti circuit was built in 1965 around an already established 24-Hour track and is dominated by slow corners. Late braking, hard acceleration, and rear end traction are essential at this circuit, which offers plenty of overtaking possibilities that the fans don't want to miss out on.

The opening race of the season is also the longest featured on the 2016 endurance calendar and forms the ultimate for the riders who are confronted with 24 hours of grueling action, uncertain weather conditions, and visibility problems during the hours between dusk and dawn. All the while it is crucial for the riders to maintain their focus whilst maneuvering around a 998cc machine that weighs 172 kg, because every second counts.

To make this highly-intense race easier for the riders to cope with, the YZF-R1 has been modified. Not only is the weight and size reduced, but also the sturdiness and performance are enhanced. However, endurance bikes remain heavier than the short-distance race bikes, because of the lights on the bike for riding in the dark, a bigger tank that holds more fuel and the heavier bodywork for extra durability.

The GMT94 and YART team will be joined in the Formule EWC class for this extremely challenging race by fellow Yamaha teams 'Motobox Kremer Racing' and the 'Maco Racing Team'. In the superstock class Yamaha will be represented by 'Yamaha Viltais Experiences' and 'Slider Endurance', as well as five other non-contracted teams.

Can't attend the spectacular 24 Heures Motos Le Mans event? Fret not! Endurance fans can keep up to date on the racing action by keeping a close eye on Yamaha Racing's social media channels. It's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channel will not only be filled with live updates on track action, but will also feature quotes from riders and team managers and the latest imagery. Additionally, these pages and the Yamaha Racing Youtube channel videos will be updated with videos that show what goes on at this iconic event both on track and behind the scenes, so fans don't have to miss a thing.


Christophe Guyot - Team Manager GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team

"We know where we are with the bike and we are competitive. Our three riders are very fast and they did many tests at many circuits and we feel ready for the race. The riders are very excited and motivated and this translates to being fast on the bike, which we know very well by now compared to last year."

David Checa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider

"The pre-season was really good, we test a lot of things, and I think we are ready for the victory! The target for Le Mans is to win, but will see at the end of the race... For me the strong point of the YZF-R1 is that the bike is well-balanced and ready for the victory, everything is fit for that!"


Louis Rossi - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider

"The pre-season test was interesting because we improved a lot and I feel confident in our YZF-R1 2016 model. We did some really good lap times at every circuit that we tested at, so these are positive points. We worked on all the things I didn't know yet; the endurance style, the tracks, and how to set up the bike for three riders. Now I feel completely ready and I can't wait to start the 24 hour race in Le Mans."


Niccol? Canepa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider

"The pre-season test went very well. We did the best lap time on wet conditions in Le Mans, which means that we are ready for the race! The expectations for the 24-hour race are really high, the whole team is feeling very confident about this race, especially after the good results of the pre-season tests. The bike has a lot of strong points. Personally, I like the most its handling. It is very light and easy to ride. This will help us not to get too tired during the race."


Mandy Kainz - Team Manager YART Yamaha Official EWC Team

"The pre-season testing was a bit of a mixed event for us due to the changeable conditions at the Le Mans circuit. However we are confident in the bike and our riders. They have shown their strong pace last year, so I think this strong package will allow us to get good results this weekend."

Broc Parkes - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider

"I'm really looking forward to the race, it feels like too long in between races. Unfortunately we haven't had too much off season testing because of bad weather, but we can tell the YZF-R1 always works well in Le Mans and it's a track I like. I think we have one of the strongest teams ever. It's a 24hour race so anything could happen, but for sure we want to try and win."


Max Neukirchner - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider

"Our pre-season test went well and not so well because in dry conditions we are very good and fast and we have a good feeling on the bike, but in the wet we need to find a better setting. Last year we were laying in second position and were very strong. This year we are strong again and I hope we have some more luck."

Iv?n Silva - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider

"I'm very happy to be back in the company of the YART team. We're a strong and fast team, but the weekend will be long. I hope we can bring out the best of our YZF-R1 and finish the race without any problems. I think we have the whole package so, if we keep focused, we have the potential to fight for at least a podium place. We can't wait to meet the endurance fans and work hard so we can show what we've got during the race."

 

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Yamaha Takes Third in Le Mans Qualifying

The chilly weather was unable to stop the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team and GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team from heating up the Le Mans Bugatti circuit with today's second qualifying action ahead of the 24 Heures Motos. The day was filled with challenges in the shape of traffic on track, deliberate tyre-strategy compromises and two crashes, but both Yamaha teams overcame all obstacles on their paths and will kick off the 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) tomorrow from third and fifth place on the grid respectively.

Though they struggled in yesterday's wet Q1 session, clocking the eighth fastest time in the combined classification, the YART team took a brave gamble in today's dry session. Knowing that the starting position counts for very little in the 24 hour event, they decided to use only one set of tyres for the entire Q2 session, so they will have plenty to spare during tomorrow's race. Despite not changing tyres, their pace didn't suffer.

Broc Parkes was the first rider of the Austrian team to take the number 7 Yamaha to the Circuit Bugatti. The Australian gradually upped his pace throughout the session and climbed up to third place with five minutes of the session remaining. His 1'38.772s lap, 1.352s off the front in the classification of the first riders, set the tone for what was to come when Max Neukirchner took over.

The German rider followed seamlessly in his teammate's footsteps by posting provisional pole on his first flying lap. The 20-minute rider two qualifying session became a duel for the lead in the standings between him and Kenny Foray, but eventually Neukirchner had to opt for conserving the tyre for the third rider and dropped to third place. His best lap was a 1'38.408s, 0.182s off the front in his session.

YART's second qualifying was concluded with Iv?n Silva taking over the YZF-R1 and his fast pace brought him provisional third early on in the third rider qualifying session. However, the Spanish rider's outing came to an end when he suffered a crash in turn 7 and was unable to continue his stint. His best time of 1'39.617 left him ninth in the rankings, 1.174s from the front.

Combined, the YART team members rode an average time of 1'38.932s and scored second place in the combined qualifying sessions classification, just 0.731s from pole.

Fellow official Yamaha EWC team, GMT94, also faced some challenging circumstances during the crowded qualifying session, but the team's unrivaled team-spirit saw them pull through.

Endurance rookie Louis Rossi was GMT94's first pick and impressed early on in the second qualifying session with his solid pace. He held a place in the top 3 but was pushed back to sixth place after a small crash. His best lap of 1'39.233s was 1.813s off the lead in the classification of the first riders.

Fellow EWC-newcomer Niccol? Canepa on the number 94 YZF-R1 started his fast lap shoot-out on the second bike. Though he struggled to get a feel for the second bike and get used to the endurance-qualifying structure, which has more than 50 riders on track at the same time, he improved his lap times considerably over the course of the session and eventually set a fastest time of 1'38.827s for seventh place, 1.601s from the second rider session leader.

It was then time for the 'veteran' to take over. The ever cool and collected David Checa was the last rider of the French team to set a hot lap during qualifying 2. His strong stint underlined his status as one of the most experienced riders in the field, as he clocked a 1'38.848s for third position in the third riders classification, 0.405s off the front.

GMT94 hold fifth place in the combined qualifying standings, having ridden an average time of 1'39.302s, 1.101s from pole.

After today's positive results, both teams look forward to tomorrow when the 24 hours of non-stop racing action will start at 3pm local track time.

Besides YART and GMT94, also Yamaha Viltais Experience secured a place in the top 12 of the overall qualifying classifications. Consistency proved key for the Superstock team consisting of Axel Maurin, Nicolas Salchaud and Olivier Depoorter. They were the third fastest SST team on track today.

Untitled Mandy Kainz - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Team Manager
YART Yamaha Official EWC Team's overall classification: 3rd / 1'38.932s / +0.731s

"We had already shown that we are fast in dry conditions and today's sessions highlight that again. We are contenders for a top position here, but in 24-hour endurance racing it ultimately always comes down to a certain matter of luck whether you will get the position you deserve or not. We decided to only use one set of tyres for today's sessions, as our focus is not the qualifying but the overall race and we still took third place, despite Iv?n's crash. We can be very satisfied with this result, especially taking into consideration that we are in front of team's that used qualifying tyres. Tomorrow is when the real battle for the first points of the endurance season begins and the YART team can't wait to get started."
Broc Parkes - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Rider one classification: 3rd / 1'38.772s / +1.352s

"The session in the morning started off quite cold and we tried to do the whole Q2 session with one set of tyres so we have more for the race. I did the best time I could in two laps and then came in and passed on the bike. Our goal was to be tyre-wise in a better position for the race, so top 3 is a good result. It depends on the conditions how we will get on tomorrow. We don't want too much rain, we have been struggling a bit in the full wet. Our expectation is, as always, to try and win. I think in the dry our pace is as good as, or better, than everyone else's and in the wet anything can happen. If we're there for the end we're there for the win."


Max Neukirchner - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Rider two classification: 3rd / 1'38.408s / +0.182s

"I think our qualifying wasn't so bad. We are quite happy with a third place start for tomorrow. We only used one set of tyres for the whole Q2 session so we saved one or two tyres for the race. We are quite happy; we have a good bike and all three riders are OK. Iv?n was a bit unlucky to crash on the last outing, but he is OK and can ride tomorrow. We will have a brand new bike, like always when we start the 24-hour motos so we are very comfortable. Tomorrow's race is long, but I'm hopeful that we will have more luck than last year. We're unsure about the weather. We had some problems with the rain tyres, but if it's dry or intermediate conditions the Pirelli tyres are working really well, so we will see tomorrow. The most important thing is that we finish the race."
Iv?n Silva - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Rider three classification: 9th / 1'39.617s / +1.174s

"I had a good start to the session and had set the provisional third fastest time. It was unfortunate that I crashed in turn 7 when I was pushing to get in another fast lap. I hurt my left hand but I seem to be able to make retracting movements with my fingers, which I need to operate the clutch. I will undergo further medical examinations later today, but I'm a 100 per cent sure I'll be able to compete in the race tomorrow without being affected too much."
Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Team Manager
GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team's overall classification: 5th / 1'39.302s / +1.101s

"First of all, everything is ready for the race. Of course we expected a better grid position but we had a crash with Louis during the first rider session. It was not easy for Niccol? to start under the right conditions because the bike arrived late and it was impossible to change the tyre. The bike is working very well but for in very cold condition, which it can be here around this time of year, we might have to find a different set-up. We are much better when the temperature is a bit higher, but we are ready for the race and so are the riders. If it's warm tomorrow we will be performing much better, if it rains we will be fast and we're also strong at night. We will see tomorrow."
Louis Rossi - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Rider one classification: 6th / 1'39.233s / +1.813s

"I'm a little bit frustrated because during all the tests and practice sessions we were very fast, but unfortunately during qualifying I lost the front in the la Chapelle corner and I crashed in the middle of the session so I didn't make my lap. Anyway, qualifying is not the most important thing in endurance. It's better to have this kind of situation now, because during the 24-hour moto the game is to not make any mistakes. We start fifth on the grid tomorrow and this is quite good. David will do the start and it will be strong, so it's not a problem. I feel good for tomorrow, we did a lot of tests. The race will be long and it's the first time for me, so I will try to enjoy it at the maximum and try to do my best and I think at the end we can deliver the goods."
Niccol? Canepa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Rider two classification: 8th / 1'39.827s / +1.601s

"Today was not so bad, but we had some bad luck because after we crashed we took the second bike and we had a bit of a delay. I went out in the worst moment, because everybody was in and there was a lot of traffic on track. It's not so easy to ride with fifty other bikes on track, so I couldn't do a clear lap but I was quite fast anyway, so it was good. I think that in a 24-hour race the qualifying is not so important and we are not so far from first in fifth position, so it's good considering the problems we had. I'm ready for tomorrow and very excited. I really enjoyed the practice session yesterday night, it was amazing. I can't wait to start, see what happens and see it through until the end. For sure it is going to be hard, but my feelings are positive."
David Checa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Rider three classification: 3rd / 1'38.848s / +0.405s

"Today we did some testing with different tyres and at the end we crashed testing a new tyre, this is why Niccol? changed the bike. He didn't have a good feeling with it but for me we changed everything and I was able to set a good chrono - not in the way I wanted but it wasn't so bad. For the race we are confident and Niccol? will be much better, because when you have another bike with the wrong tyre it's not a good situation. We are ready and so is the bike and after 24 hours, for sure, we will be in a better condition than last year."
Overall Qualifying Classification - Le Mans 24H Motos

1. Penz13.com - BMW Motorrad Team, BWM, 1'38.201
2. SRC Kawasaki, Kawasaki, 1'38.317
3. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Yamaha, 1'38.932
4. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, Suzuki, 1'39.252
5. GMT94 Yamaha, Yamaha, 1'39.202
6. Honda Endurance Racing, Honda, 1'39.698
7. Team April Moto Motors Events, Suzuki, 1'39.707
8. Team Louit Moto 33 Traqueur, Kawasaki, 1'39.854
9. Team Bolliger Switzerland, Kawasaki, 1'40.059
10. Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki, Suzuki, 1'40.139
11. Team R2CL, Suzuki, 1'40.285
12. Yamaha Vilta?s Experiences, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1'40.325
13. F.C.C. TSR Honda, Honda, 1'40.427
14. Tati Team Beaujolais Racing, Kawasaki, 1'40.560
15. AM Moto Racing Competition, Kawasaki, 1'40.730

17. MACO Racing Team, 1'40.955
22. CMT95, Yamaha, 1'41.688
29. MP Racing, Yamaha, 1'42.926
38. MB Motors team, Yamaha, 1'43.884
42. Motobox Kremer Racing, Yamaha, 1'44.404
50. Team 3ART Yam’Avenue, Yamaha, 1'45.767
55. Slider Endurance, Yamaha, 1'48.186
56. LMD63 - Moto Journal, Yamaha, 1'48.297

 

[KUCIAR666]

Yamaha Goes Above and Beyond in Le Mans 24H Motos

The Yamaha endurance team showed their fighting spirit at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit this weekend during the opening round of 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC). YART Yamaha Official EWC Team's refusal to let a challenging Le Mans 24H hours Moto get the best of them had them fired up to deliver a superhuman performance, as riders Max Neukirchner and Broc Parkes completed almost 24 hours of non-stop racing without the help of a third rider and took 11th place in the race. GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team's 24 Heures Motos du Mans race was one with many ups and down. The teammates tried to make up for lost time after three crashes, but they were ultimately unable to complete the race. The heroes of the day were the 3ART Yam'Avenue team, who finished sixth in the overall race ranking and brought home first place in the Superstock class.

Tension built on the track as thousands of fans assembled in the grandstand alongside the pit lane to see 57 riders run to their bikes in the typical Le Mans running start at 3PM.

After securing a solid third place on the grid in Friday's qualifying 2 session, YART's first rider Max Neukirchner started the race with full force. He quickly sprinted to his Yamaha YZF-R1 and held onto the back of the front group in fourth place. However, with the temperatures at the track being no higher than 10 degrees he needed time to get accustomed to the conditions. The German rider dropped back to seventh before he went in for the attack and finished his double stint in sixth.

The number 7 bike was handed over to Broc Parkes who followed his teammate's example and showed some consistent and smart riding in a strong first part of the race. He climbed up to hold the same place in the time sheets before third rider Iv?n Silva took over.

The Spaniard had been fast throughout the qualifying 1 session, but started the race on Saturday with a hand injury after a fall in Q2. It was then, two hours and twenty minutes into the race, that drama struck. After his first lap he got caught out by the slippery conditions once more. The bike was brought back to the pits 25 minutes after the incident and the team started franticly working to repair the damage, but Silva was unable to continue the race due to a broken left shoulder.

The Yamaha Austria Racing Team was faced with a decision; to push on or pull out. It was a no-brainer for Team Manager, Mandy Kainz, who remained eager to see the team take the chequered flag after 24 hours. Neukirchner and Parkes agreed to put in their full effort for 21 more hours as they alternated stints to make up a 27-lap distance to the team in first place.

The exhaustion started to take a toll on Neukirchner and Parkes in the early morning hours, but they still managed to climb from 54th to 11th in the timesheets. Especially Neukirchner showed his incredible mental and physical stamina as he went on to complete the final hour of first race of the season on his own in eleventh place in the overall rankings and seventh place in the EWC classification. This result brings their points total up to 17, allowing them to take 13th position in the overall championship standings.

The GMT94 team also fought a courageous fight in their home race and showed to have strong teamwork until they were forced to retire from the race when the bike was too damaged to continue.

David Checa, the most experienced rider of the team, is traditionally the GMT rider who kicks off the race for the French team. Though the Spaniard had a good start he got swamped in the field as he cautiously took the first corner and joined the fight for tenth place. After switching to slicks when the track dried he made his charge to the front and moved up to fifth before letting second rider Niccol? Canepa make his endurance race debut on the YZF-R1.

The ex-MotoGP and Superbike star showed his strong drive to arrive at the front of the field, yet showed to already have firm grasp of the GMT94 team's strategy. The Endurance newcomer rode a solid stint and made sure he didn't push too much under difficult conditions before he came back to the pits in third place.

The bike was then handed back over to Checa as the track conditions became mixed and was later passed on to third rider Louis Rossi. The endurance-rookie showed great potential to go fast but fell victim to the treacherous conditions of the track on three occasions. The multiple pit stops that followed lost GMT94 time and the team was ultimately forced to retire from the race due to too much damage on the bike.

Due to their placements after eight and sixteen hours the team was unable to picked up any points. They look forward to making a comeback at the front of the field at the next race in Portim?o, Portugal, on the 11th of June.

Besides the admirable determination of the two official Yamaha EWC teams, the Yamaha teams in the Superstock class showed the same strength and dedication to endurance racing. For a majority of the night 3ART Yam'Avenue was competing with fellow SST team Yamaha Vilta?s Experience, who later had to withdraw from the race but still collected 10 points, for a top 15 finish. 3ART Yam'Avenue riders, Louis Bulle, Alex Plancassagne and Lukas Trautmann, gave an impeccable performances and positioned themselves as key protagonists in the endurance racing sport by securing sixth in the overall standings and taking the victory in the SST class. They hold a total of 22-points after the 24H race, putting them first in the SST championship rankings and fifth in the overall rankings. Maco Racing Team is 11th in the combined standings, Yamaha Vilta?s Experience holds the 20th position.

Mandy Kainz - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Team Manager
Overall ranking: 11th, EWC ranking: 7th, 785 laps

"We are happy with the results considering how hard the riders had to fight to finish the race. After Iv?n's crash it was impossible for him to continue riding and this meant we only had two riders left. What Max and Broc have done today is incredible, they completed almost the entire hours of racing with just the two of them and never stopped pushing! I want to thank them for their huge efforts as well as the team, who never gave up. We faced some very difficult conditions today and seen all possible weather circumstances, yet we've gotten through them all. Over these last 24 hours we have shown that our Yamaha YZF-R1 is very good and how dedicated we are to endurance racing. We hope to show what more we are capable of in Portim?o in June."
Max Neukirchner - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Overall ranking: 11th, EWC ranking: 7th, 785 laps

"It was a really difficult situation. Iv?n had a bad crash on his first stint and it was not possible for him to ride again so we had to finish the race with two riders. At the beginning we were thinking that maybe we would stop later, but I was saying "No, we try to keep going". When Broc wanted to cancel everything I motivated him and we finished the race with two riders and we are really happy. The team did a great job, we had bad luck at the beginning of the race but it feels like a win for us."
Broc Parkes - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Overall ranking: 11th, EWC ranking: 7th, 785 laps

"That was easily the hardest race I've ever done in my whole life. At times I didn't think it was possible. After we had a meeting with Mandy, I was questioning it because the weather was so bad and cold and there were moments when I was riding towards the end when I wasn't sure and I didn't think that even I could keep continuing. It's good for the team, I think we went from nothing to getting some good points for the championship. I've been with the team now for three or four years, I gave everything for them and I'm happy that it's over."
Iv?n Silva - YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Overall ranking: 11th, EWC ranking: 7th, 785 laps

"My crash was very unfortunate, especially for my team. I really wanted to be able to support my teammates, but it was not possible because I broke my left shoulder in the crash. I am really happy though to see the team perform so well. A big congratulations to them, what Max and Broc did during the 24 hours wasn't easy. I will now return back to the Barcelona where I will undergo a further check up for my shoulder. I hope to make a speedy recovery soon so I can carry my part of the weight at the next endurance race."
Christophe Guyot - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Team Manager
Retired after 14:36.02.903, 364 laps

"As everybody would say in this case: "that's racing". We have to find the reason why we made so many mistakes. Three crashes is not normal, but we can be very motivated for the future. First of all the bike is really good. Secondly our strategy at the beginning of the race was the right approach and we can be very proud of David and Niccol?'s performances. They were riding during three very difficult hours, and didn't risk anything and played it safe. We lost only 1m15s in three hours in very difficult conditions. It was very easy to make many mistakes and we didn't. Though Louis crashed three times he was very fast and the pace was very good. The only shame is that we weren't able to finish the race. The last time we didn't finish in Le Mans was in 2009, so I hope we will again be able to finish the next six 24H Motos."
David Checa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Retired after 14:36.02.903, 364 laps

"I have to say thank you to the team, because we had some problems throughout the whole week but we seem to have managed everything for the race. For me this race could have been an easy second place, but at the end this is not what happened, but that's racing. The only thing that's disappointing for me is all the work that the staff put in and then we don't finish the race, but that's the way it is. We have to think of ways to improve for next time and we will see in Portim?o what will happen. Thanks to everybody for their hard work in the box. Racing can be good and sometimes it can be bad, but you have to try to find positive points and move forward."
Niccol? Canepa - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Retired after 14:36.02.903, 364 laps

"I already love endurance after this first impression. It's amazing because not only are you riding fast, it's also mentally and physically tough and you need team work. This is the first time I've seen an incredible team that is a very high level in which you not only have to work for yourself, but also for your teammates and that is difficult when it's five in the morning, it's cold and you want to sleep but you have to ride the bike. Finally you ride the bike at night and then you go faster than during the day and it's amazing, it's something you have to experience to understand. Honestly, before the race you have many doubts and you don't know how it will go, but I'm really happy because I saw that I'm ready, I can do it and I'm fast enough to be on top with my teammates."
Louis Rossi - GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
Retired after 14:36.02.903, 364 laps

"It's quite a disaster for me, for the team, for the mechanics and teammates. I wasn't in a good mindset when I started this race, because I was thinking about riding fast and it was not the right moment to think about that. I made some mistakes and damaged the bike and we stopped the race at 6 o'clock in the morning. It's completely my fault and it's really hard because it's my first race in endurance. Now the situation is not easy for me because I have to seek what should be done differently and see what can happen in the future."
Dominique Arnaud - 3ART Yam’Avenue, Team Manager
Overall ranking: 6th, SST ranking: 1st, 800 laps

"The objective was to take home a podium this weekend so we are very proud to win the race. I would like to thank all the team members for their professional involvement and the riders for doing an amazing job. We started 50th on the grid due to an injured rider. We made a good tyre choice and Lukas got to 4th place in 30 minutes. I never saw this before! Thanks to Yamaha and to all our partners."
Louis Bulle - 3ART Yam’Avenue, Rider
Overall ranking: 6th, SST ranking: 1st, 800 laps

"The only Word I have to describe what's on my mind is 'amazing'. The team did a perfect job, the tyres were strong and teammates were so fast! Thanks to all of them and to the nice YZF-R1!"
Alex Plancassagne - 3ART Yam’Avenue, Rider
Overall ranking: 6th, SST ranking: 1st, 800 laps

"This race is a great story for me, I can't realize what happened yet because I was not supposed to do this race. It's simply amazing, the YZF-R1, the team and everything was perfect for winning today. Thanks to everybody for the support."
Lukas Trautmann - 3ART Yam’Avenue, Rider
Overall ranking: 6th, SST ranking: 1st, 800 laps

"For me it was the first time in endurance and even riding at the Le Mans track. It was a really impressive starting procedure, seeing the strategies. I really enjoyed this adventure. It was a big task during the night. We will see what will happen in the future, but I'm ready to start again."
Overall Race Classification - Le Mans 24H Motos

1. SRC Kawasaki, FRA, 819 laps
2. Team April Moto Motors Events, FRA, 810 laps
3. F.C.C. TSR Honda, JPN, 808 laps
4. Team R2CL, FRA, 804 laps
5. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, FRA, 802 laps
6. TEAM 3ART YAM'AVENUE, Yamaha, FRA, 800 laps
7. AM Moto Racing Competition, FRA, 18 points laps
8. NRT48 Race Events UG, DEU, 792 laps
9. Racing Team Sarazin, FRA, 789 laps
10. Maco Racing Team, Yamaha, SVK, 786 laps
11. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Yamaha, AUT, 785 laps
12. Starteam PAM-Racing, FRA, 785 laps
13. Cottard Motosport, FRA, 784 laps
14. Space Moto 37, FRA, 782 laps
15. TRT 27 / Bazar 2 La Becane, FRA, 780 laps

21. MB Motors team, Yamaha, 772 laps
24. Slider Endurance, Yamaha, 765 laps
30. Motobox Kremer Racing, Yamaha, 756 laps
32. LMD63 - Moto Journal, Yamaha, 754 laps
35. MP Racing, Yamaha, 738 laps


DNF
47. Yamaha Vilta?s Experience, Yamaha, 613 laps
51. GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, 455 laps

Championship Standings Classification - FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC)

1. SRC Kawasaki, FRA, 60 points
2. Team April Moto Motors Events, FRA, 45 points
3. F.C.C. TSR Honda, JPN, 44 points
4. Team R2CL, FRA, 36 points
5. TEAM 3ART YAM'AVENUE, Yamaha, FRA, 22 points
6. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, FRA, 21 points
7. NRT48 Race Events UG, DEU, 20 points
8. AM Moto Racing Competition, FRA, 18 points
9. Team Bolliger Switzerland, CHE, 16 points
10. Racing Team Sarazin, FRA, 13 points
11. Maco Racing Team, SVK, Yamaha 11 points
12. Honda Endurance Racing, GBR, 11 points
13. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Yamaha, AUT, 10 points
14. Starteam PAM-Racing, FRA, 9 points
15. Cottard Motosport, FRA, 8 points
16. Junior Team LMS Suzuki, FRA, 8 points
17. Space Moto 37, FRA, 7 points
18. TRT 27 / Bazar 2 La Becane, FRA, 6 points
19. Flembbo Leader Team, FRA, 5 points
20. Yamaha Vilta?s Experience, Yamaha, FRA, 5 points
21. Team 18 Sapeurs-Pompiers, FRA, 4 points
22. TECMAS RACING TEAM - BMW, FRA, 3 points
23. TEAM LOUIT MOTO 33 TRAQUEUR, FRA, 3 points
24. MB MOTORS TEAM, Yamaha, FRA, 1 point