23 September 2019
Wójcik Racing Team started the FIM Endurance World Championship season by carrying off the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy, just as they did last year. But their 2019 victory – which netted them a €7,000 prize – was all the sweeter because of their brilliant second place-finish in the 24-hour race. Gino Rea, Christoffer Bergman and Axel Maurin, the Yamaha-mounted Polish team’s riders, dodged every possible pitfall on a wet then dry track to finish just one lap behind the Bol d’Or winner Suzuki Endurance Racing Team.
Omega Maco Racing Team finished at the foot of the 2019 Bol d’Or podium and took second place in the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy. Pawel Szkopek, Bjorn Estment and Karel Hanika had started the race from beyond 20th position in the saddle of the Slovakian team’s Yamaha. Omega Maco Racing Team pocketed the €6,000 prize awarded to the runner-up.
Tati Team Beaujolais Racing also ran a superb race, finishing the Bol d’Or in 7th place. The French Kawasaki-mounted team, who won the 2017-2018 FIM Endurance World Cup, are making steady progress in the Formula EWC class with riders Alan Techer, Kevin Denis and Julien Enjolras. They won third place in the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy and the accompanying €5,000 prize.
Twelve other privateer teams using Dunlop tyres were awarded prizes at the Bol d’Or. They received amounts ranging from €4,000 down to €600 for the 15th-ranked team in the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy.
Renewed for the 5th successive season by FIM EWC Eurosport Events, the organizers of each of the championship’s races and tyre manufacturer Dunlop, the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy gives backing to privateer teams using Dunlop tyres who do not receive direct support from a constructor. The prize money for each of the two 24-hour races has been raised by €10,000 this season, taking the total prize money on offer to support Dunlop-shod teams to €140,000.
2019 Bol d’Or – EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy rankings
Cl. | N° | TEAMS | NAT | BIKE | MODEL | CAT | PRIZES |
1 | 77 | Wójcik Racing Team | POL | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | EWC | 7 000 € |
2 | 14 | Omega Maco Racing Team | SVK | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | EWC | 6 000 € |
3 | 4 | Tati Team Beaujolais Racing | FRA | Kawasaki | ZX 10R | EWC | 5 000 € |
4 | 24 | BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers | FRA | Kawasaki | ZX 10R | SST | 4 000 € |
5 | 55 | National Motos | FRA | Honda | CB R1000 RR SP | EWC | 3 500 € |
6 | 50 | Motors Events | FRA | Suzuki | GSXR-1000 | SST | 3 000 € |
7 | 777 | Wójcik Racing Team 2 | POL | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | SST | 2 500 € |
8 | 61 | Mototech EWC Team | BEL | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | EWC | 2 000 € |
9 | 3 | AM Moto Racing Competition | FRA | Kawasaki | ZX 10R | SST | 1 800 € |
10 | 91 | Energie Endurance 91 | FRA | Kawasaki | ZX 10R | SST | 1 200 € |
11 | 41 | Rac 41 | FRA | Honda | CB R1000 RR | SST | 1 000 € |
12 | 156 | Players | FRA | Kawasaki | ZX 10R | SST | 900 € |
13 | 34 | JMA Motos Action Bike | FRA | Suzuki | GSXR-1000 | SST | 800 € |
14 | 26 | Zuff Racing Honda Swiss Team | SUI | Honda | CB R1000 RR SP | EWC | 700 € |
15 | 19 | Girls Racing Team | FRA | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | SST | 600 € |
16 | 196 | FSB Matt Racing | POR | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | EWC | |
17 | 86 | Pitlane Endurance | FRA | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | SST | |
18 | 22 | Team 202 | FRA | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | SST | |
19 | 43 | PLR | FRA | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | SST | |
20 | 456 | Pecable Racing Team | SUI | Kawasaki | ZX 10R | SST | |
21 | 12 | LCR Endurance | FRA | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | SST | |
22 | 70 | TeamGP | FRA | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | SST | |
23 | 98 | EMRT | FRA | Yamaha | YZF-R1 | EWC | |
24 | 27 | TRT27 Bazar 2 La Bécane | FRA | Suzuki | GSXR-1000 | SST | |
25 | 31 | British Endurance Racing Team | GBR | Suzuki | GSXR-1000 | EWC | |
26 | 74 | Seigneur Motorsport Racing | FRA | BMW | S1000RR | SST |
29 March 2024
Florian Alt will embark on his eighth season as a Viltaïs Racing rider in 2024 with a clear target to strive for in the FIM Endurance World Championship.On each round of the EWC, Alt and his Honda-powered team-mates, Leandro Mercado, Steven Odendaal and reserve rider James Westmoreland, will be hunting for the podium – and they’ve gone to great lengths over the winter to try to achieve their goal.Having completed EWC 2023 by claiming a fine runner-up spot in the Bol d’Or and with a second-successive Independent Trophy title in the bag, Honda Viltaïs Racing will head to Le Mans next month for the season-opening 24 Heures Motos aiming high, as 27-year-old German ace Alt explains.
28 March 2024
Team 202 will fly the flag of the National Police Motorcycle of Club of France during the upcoming FIM Endurance World Championship season.Florent Parret’s Superstock outfit, which has raced in the EWC since 1998, once again features serving police officers Sofian Lhuillier and Gilles Minutello – along with Parret – in its line-up.And after placing 31st overall and 19th among the Dunlop-equipped Superstock category contenders in last year’s 24 Heures Motos, the Yamaha-powered outfit is hoping to make more progress when the Le Mans event opens the 2024 EWC season next month.“Sofian and Gilles had never participated in the 24 Heures Motos and their knowledge of motorcycle racing was limited,” Parret told 24h-motos.com. “The goal was for them to gain experience. During the race, we had three crashes. Despite this, we consider that the result of the race is satisfactory, because we wanted to take the chequered flag.“We are more relaxed than last year because Sofian and Gilles know what to do and know their limits. Thanks to the experience gained, they will gain speed. They will again approach the race with great caution because endurance is a demanding discipline. If we do not experience hazards, by definition, we should gain places in the ranking. Our goal is to do better than in 2023 by getting closer to the top 20 in the general ranking.”Team 202 has prepared for the 2024 season with tests in Spain and France. It will also take part in the Pre-Test for the 24 Heures Motos from 2-3 April.
27 March 2024
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team will defend its FIM Endurance World Championship crown carrying the number one on its R1.Although championship-winning teams usually use the number one during their title defence, it wasn’t previously an official requirement in the EWC – until the rules were updated for 2024.According to the regulations from EWC governing body Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, “the world champion of the previous season will wear number 1 during the current season”.However, in the event of YART being unable to defend its EWC title in 2024, it can revert to its traditional number seven in 2025 as “its former racing number will be protected during the period it wears the 1”, in line with the regulations.Marvin Fritz, who partnered Niccolò Canepa and Karel Hanika to the 2023 EWC title, said: “This is something we were dreaming of for a long time and we can’t wait to start the new season with the number one on our bike.”The 24 Heures Motos opens the 2024 EWC season at Le Mans in France from 18-21 April. Click HERE for ticket information. Photo: Facebook.com/MarvinFritz.2