It was an action-packed and successful weekend for members of the worldwide BMW Motorrad Motorsport family. In Japan, they tackled the famous “Suzuka 8 Hours”, the final round of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC).
The International German Championship (IDM) met at Schleiz (GER), where Markus Reiterberger (GER) continued to dominate. He took another double win, while podium finishes also went to Dominik Vincon (GER), Jan BĂĽhn (GER) and Danny De Boer (NED).
There were more double wins and podiums in Hungary and Malaysia. Michal Prášek (CZE) was unbeatable in the Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship (AARR) Superstock class. Michal Filla (CZE) and Michal Šembera (CZE) also stepped onto the AARR podium. Muhammad Farid Badrul Hisam (MAS) continued his winning streak in the Superbike class of the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSC).
In the Italian Superbike Championship (CIV), Matteo Ferrari (ITA) claimed a third place on the podium.
FIM Endurance World Championship in Suzuka, Japan
The renowned “Suzuka 8 Hours” (JPN) marked the final round of the season in the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC). The endurance classic, that saw its 40th edition at the weekend, is the most important race of the year for the Japanese manufacturers. Accordingly, they enter full works teams, supported by well-known riders from international championships. Seven private BMW teams also tackled the challenge at the “Suzuka Circuit”, assisted on site by the experts from BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
The highest placed BMW S 1000 RR was the number 135 of Team Tras135 HP, ridden by Hijiri Yamamoto, Jun Tadokoro and Tomoya Hoshino (all JPN), in 21st position overall (20th in the SBK class). The Team BMCJ Motorrad Rennsport number 9 RR with Koji Teramoto (JPN) and Pedro Vallcaneras (ESP) was 32nd overall and 28th in the Superbike class.
There was also one European BMW team taking part in Suzuka, the EKO IVRacing BMW CSEU squad with riders Martin Choy (BUL), Ladislav Chmelik (CZE) and Karel Hanika (CZE). They finished the race in 47th overall and 42nd in the SBK class. Two well-known riders from Europe supported Team BMW Motorrad39; regular rider Daisaku Sakai (JPN) shared duties with Raffaele De Rosa (ITA) from the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) and Christian Iddon (GBR) from the British Superbike Championship (BSB).
However, the squad suffered bad luck and lost a lot of time due to two crashes at the beginning of the race. Despite that, they raced to the end of the eight hours, but as they had not completed enough laps, they were not classified.
Martin Choy: “In the end I think it was good, because we finished the race and during it we improved a lot in our basics. The lap times were good, very, very good. but it is racing and you can never expect what happens. We had a little problem with the fuel tank after a crash in free practice. Without that I believe we could have made it into the top-15. But anyway, we’ve been here for the first time and it is a very, very hard race, so for us it is very good to finish the race. Great job by the team!”
Ladislav Chmelik: “I was allowed to ride the last stint and finish the race and that is really an honour, because this race is so famous. I don’t have words for this race. It is a pity that we had a little problem with the fuel tank, but in the end the most important thing is that we finished the race. This was the best feeling I had in my life.”
Christian Iddon: “It has been an awesome experience. The result doesn’t show how great it was, as we had some bad luck but I just enjoyed it. It was not easy, as we had one experienced Japanese guy in the team and us two rookies. The team has come together from all different places. We had the Japanese team, then guys from Tyco BMW had come over to give a hand and of course the specialists from BMW Motorrad Motorsport but in the end it all came together and I loved every minute of it.”
International German Championship at Schleiz, Germany
The third round of the 2017 season of the International German Championship (IDM) – and Markus Reiterberger (GER) continues to be the man to beat. At the famous “Schleizer Dreieck” (GER), the Van Zon-Remeha-BMW team rider claimed another commanding double win, crossing the line with advantages of 24 and 14 seconds respectively. This saw him extend his overall championship lead.
Together with “Reiti”, three other BMW S 1000 RR riders stepped onto the podium. In race one, his team-mate Jan Bühn (GER) crossed the line in third. In race two, the BMW racers secured a top-three lockout: Dominik Vincon (GER / BMW Stilgenbauer) was second behind winner Reiterberger, while Danny De Boer (NED / Van Zon-Remeha-BMW) was third on the rostrum.
Markus Reiterberger: “The entire weekend was great, even if Friday was a bit eventful. The first practice was held in wet conditions and then we had a defect in the second session. But in the third practice we started with our work and were 1.2 seconds faster than all the others from the word go. This was a good base on the Schleiz circuit which is my favourite track and which suits me very well. Race one was great, and I did consistent lap times from start to finish. The second race was similar, however the temperatures had risen and we had to opt for a different tyre compound but Pirelli gave us very good advice. It was a perfect weekend in front of a massive enthusiastic crowd.”
Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship at the Pannoniaring, Hungary
The penultimate round of the 2017 Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship (AARR) was held at Hungarian Pannoniaring at the weekend – with more success for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport racers. In the Superbike class (AARR SBK), Michal Filla (CZE / BMW Sikora Motorsport) claimed a double podium, finishing the two races in second and third respectively. Christopher Kemmer (AUT / Bertl K. Racing Team) and Mike Wohner (AUT / Dunlop Racing) crossed the line in fifth and sixth positions on both occasions.
In the Superstock class (AARR STK) reigning champion Michal Prášek (CZE / Rohac and Fejty Motoracing Team) celebrated a double win. Michal Šembera (CZE / Team LRP Poland) joined him on the podium in race two, finishing third.
Italian Superbike Championship in Misano, Italy
There has also been a podium finish for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family in the Italian Superbike Championship (CIV) at the weekend. The fourth round of the season was held at Misano on the Adriatic coast. Matteo Ferrari (ITA) claimed third place in race two on his DMR Racing BMW S 1000 RR. In race one, Ferrari crossed the line in sixth. Top-ten finishes also went to Ivan Goi (ITA / DMR Racing), who was seventh and tenth respectively, and to Lorenzo Lanzi (ITA / Tutapista Corse), who finished sixth in race two.
Malaysia Superbike Championship in Sepang, Malaysia
After a long three month break, the 2017 Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSC) resumed at the weekend with the third round held at Sepang International Circuit (MAS). In the Superbike class (MSC SBK), Muhammad Farid Badrul Hisam (MAS / HKM Times Bike Racing Team) continued his winning streak.
He was victorious in both races, extending his championship lead. In the Superstock class (MSC STK), two BMW riders claimed top-ten finishes; Nasarudin Mat Yusop (MAS / BMW Motorrad Malaysia Team) was fifth in race two, while Linggam Ramoo (MAS / HKM TimesBike Racing Team) finished in tenth and ninth respectively.
