Munich. The FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) BMW
teams concluded the 2017/18 season with the Suzuka 8 Hours (JPN) at
the weekend. In the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC),
Danny Webb (GBR) extended his overall lead in Chimay (BEL). There
were also three one-two-threes and a top-four lock-out in the Alpe
Adria Road Racing Championship (AARR) and the International German
Championship (IDM). Furthermore, the BMW S 1000 RR also enjoyed
victories and podiums in Italy and Malaysia.
FIM Endurance World Championship at Suzuka, Japan.
The BMW teams brought the curtain down on the FIM Endurance World
Championship (FIM EWC) 2017/18 season at the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance
race. This is the most important race of the year for the Japanese
manufacturers. As such, they compete with works teams bolstered by top
international riders. The strong field also featured nine BMW S 1000 RRs.
The best-placed BMW team was BMW Motorrad39 in 13th place.
The #39 RR was ridden by Daisaku Sakai (JPN), Damian Cudlin (AUS) and
Alexander Cudlin (AUS). They were followed over the finish line by a
further two BMWs. Mercury Racing and riders Karel Hanika (CZE),
Sylvain Barrier (FRA) and Ondrej Jezek (CZE) came home
14th. 15th place went to BMW Financial Services
135 with British BSB riders Michael Laverty and Christian Iddon
sharing the riding duties with Japan’s Shinya Takeishi. German team
NRT48 finished 21st with Kenny Foray (FRA), Peter Hickman
(GBR) and Julien Da Costa (FRA) alternating on the #48 RR.
The season drew to a close at Suzuka – but the break is not a long
one. The 2018/19 season kicks off in mid-September with the iconic Bol
d’Or 24-hour race at Le Castellet (FRA).
International Road Racing Championship at Chimay, Belgium.
Chimay in Belgium hosted round four of the 2018 International Road
Racing Championship 2018 (IRRC). As at all of this season’s previous
race weekends, Danny Webb (GBR) took maximum points on the BMW S 1000
RR run by the Wepol Racing by Penz13 team. In doing so, he extended
his advantage at the top of the championship table.
Webb finished runner-up in both Chimay races. However, as both
victories went to Belgian guest starter Vincent Lonbois, who was not
eligible to score points, Webb picked up the maximum points on offer
for first place both times. Didier Grams (GER / GG Motorsport by
BMW Motorrad) came home third in both races to earn a spot on the
podium. Marek Červený (CZE / Wepol Racing by Penz13) and Erno Kostamo
(FIN / Markka Racing) both took fourth and fifth places.
Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship at Grobnik, Croatia.
The Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship (AARR) was at Grobnik,
Croatia, for its fourth event of the 2018 season. Two successful BMW
riders from the Superbike class (AARR SBK) were missing from Grobnik,
as they were contesting the final round of this season’s FIM Endurance
World Championship (FIM EWC) in Suzuka (JPN) with their Mercury Racing
team: Czechs Karel Hanika and Ondrej Jezek (CZE). The best-placed BMW
rider in the Superbike races at Grobnik was Ireneusz Sikora (POL / BMW
Sikora Motorsport) in seventh and sixth.
There were two one-two-threes for BMW riders in the Superstock class
(AARR STK). The dominant man remains Michal Filla (CZE / BMW Sikora
Motorsport): He once again won both races to claim win numbers seven
and eight of the season. Michal Prášek (CZE / Rohac-Fejta Motoracing
Team) finished runner-up on both occasions. Third place in both races
went to Arnaud Friedrich (GER / Team LRP Poland).
International German Championship at Schleiz, Germany.
BMW riders remain the dominant force in the International German
Championship (IDM). They dominated the race weekend at Schleiz (GER)
with a top-four lock-out and a one-two-three.
At the head of the field, Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR /
alpha-Racing-Van-Zon-BMW) and Bastien Mackels (BEL / Wilbers BMW
Racing) were embroiled in thrilling battles in both races. Mikhalchik
ultimately had his nose in front on both occasions, crossing the
finish line just ahead of Mackels in second place. In race one,
Mikhalchik’s lead was just 0.886 seconds, while his advantage in race
two was a mere 0.198 seconds.
Mikhalchik’s team-mate Julian Puffe (GER), who secured his first IDM
pole position at Schleiz, finished third in both races to claim the
final spot on the podium. Pepijn Bijsterbosch rounded off the top-four
lock-out in race one.
Italian Superbike Championship at Misano, Italy.
Misano, on Italy’s Adriatic coast, hosted the Italian Superbike
Championship (CIV) at the weekend. The event yielded three podium
finishes for BMW racers. Roberto Tamburini (ITA), regular rider with
the Berclaz Racing Team in the FIM Superstock 1000 European
Championship (STK1000), took his place on the podium after both races,
finishing second and third. Luca Vitali (ITA / DMR Racing) finished
third in race one.
Italian National Trophy 1000 at Misano, Italy.
The Italian National Trophy 1000 (INT) was also at Misano (ITA) for
its fourth race of the 2018 season. BMW rider Federico D’Annunzio
(ITA) took his third win of the season. He came home more than three
seconds ahead of the second-placed rider. Fellow BMW racer Remo
Castellarin (ITA) finished third to join him on the podium. A further
three BMW riders occupied positions four to six: Luca Salvadori (ITA),
Stefano Cruciano (ITA) and Alessandro Polita (ITA).
Malaysia Superbike Championship at Sepang, Malaysia.
The Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur (MAS) was the
venue for round two of this season’s Malaysia Superbike Championship
(MSC). BMW rider Amirul Hafig Azmi (MAS / TOC HKMTOYO Racing Team)
completed the full programme in tropical temperatures, competing in
both the Superbike (MSC SBK) and the Superstock class (MSC STK). That
meant a gruelling four races in one day for the Malaysian RR rider.
Hafig Azmi finished runner-up in race two of the Superbike class. In
the Superstock category, he came home second in race one, before
claiming his first win of the season in race two. Sharulnizam Ramli
(MAS / FTA Liqui Moly Racing) finished third in the second Superstock
race to join Hafig Azmi on the podium.