The number of titles won by BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders in the 2018 season has risen to four: Florian Brunet-Lugardon (FRA) has been crowned champion for the second time in a row in the French European Bikes Championship (FR EU). In the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC), BMW racers achieved a top-seven lock-out at the season finale at Frohburg (GER). Kenny Foray (FRA) dominated the final races of the season in the French Superbike Championship (FSBK). There were also podium results in the Italian Superbike Championship (CIV) and the Italian National Trophy 1000 (INT).
International Road Racing Championship at Frohburg, Germany.
The title recipient in the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC) was already known: Danny Webb (GBR) of the Wepol Racing by Penz13 team had already been crowned champion at the penultimate round of the season at Hořice (CZE). The iconic Frohburger Dreieckrennen (GER) then formed the 2018 season finale. BMW racers dominated proceedings with a top-seven lock-out in the first of the two scheduled races on Sunday. Race two was cancelled due to poor weather.
Conditions were already wet for race one, however, that did not prevent the BMW S 1000 RR riders from showing what they are capable of. They occupied all the top-seven positions. The three podium spots all went to Wepol Racing by Penz13 team riders with champion Webb once again emerging triumphant. The two guest starters, Derek Sheils (GBR) and Davey Todd (GBR), finished second and third. They were followed in positions four to seven by Didier Grams (GER / G&G Motorsport by BMW Motorrad), Marek Červený (CZE / Wepol Racing by Penz13), Erno Kostamo (FIN / Markka Racing) and David Datzer (GER / D & M Road Racing).
The top six places in the final championship standings are held by BMW racers; Webb is champion, Grams runner-up and Kostamo third, Červený ended the season in fourth place, with Datzer fifth and Jamie Coward (GBR / Wepol Racing by Penz13) sixth.
French Superbike Championship at Albi, France.
Albi (FRA) was the venue for the finale of this season’s French Superbike Championship (FBSK). Tecmas Racing Team’s Kenny Foray (FRA) enjoyed another perfect weekend, with two pole positions, two wins and two fastest laps. Despite that he missed out on the title by just twelve points, ending the season in second place.
Both races ended with BMW one-twos: Foray won both, ahead of Matthieu Gines (FRA / Team MDS) both times. In the Superbike Challenger class (SBK Ch), Maxime Bonnot (FRA / Tecmas Racing Team) finished second and first (eighth and seventh overall).
Kenny Foray: “It was a really good weekend because we won both races and we made the extra points for the pole positions and the fastest race laps, but it was not enough to win the title this year. Congratulation to Jeremy Guarnoni; he had an incredible season. A big thank you goes to my Tecmas Racing Team for all the support. I am really happy with the season. We won six races and we secured many pole positions and fastest laps. So thanks to everybody and see you soon.”
French European Bikes Championship at Albi, France.
Florian Brunet-Lugardon (FRA) went into the finale of the 2018 French European Bikes Championship (FR EU) at Albi (FRA) as the hot favourite – and successfully wrapped up the defence of his title in the first of the two races. The BMW racer from the Gers Moto Vitesse Ordannaise team claimed his second championship win in a row. Brunet-Lugardon’s eighth place in race one was sufficient to ensure that he could no longer be caught by title rival and fellow BMW rider Jonathon Germany (FRA). Germany ended the season with second place in the championship.
The main protagonists in race one were the other BMW riders: Alexandre Leleu and Maxime Pellizotti (both FRA) claimed a one-two for the BMW S 1000 RR. Léo Challamel (FRA) and Julien Brun (FRA) came home fourth and fifth, with Germany sixth.
The newly-crowned champion ended the season in style in race two. Brunet-Lugardon took his fourth win of the year and was joined on the podium by runner-up Leleu. Brun, Challamel and Germany finished fifth, sixth and seventh.
Italian Superbike Championship at Mugello, Italy.
The Italian Superbike Championship (CIV) held its penultimate event of the 2018 season in Mugello (ITA). BMW riders claimed two podium results. Alex Bassani (ITA / DMR Racing) finished runner-up in the second of the two races, ahead of team-mate Luca Vitali (ITA) in third. Vitali had previously come home fourth in race one, with Bassani sixth.
Italian National Trophy 1000 at Mugello, Italy.
The Italian National Trophy 1000 (INT) was also at Mugello (ITA) for its penultimate round of the 2018 season. Two BMW racers made it onto the podium: Remo Castellarin (ITA) was runner-up with Luca Salvadori (ITA) in third. Federico D’Annunzio (ITA) finished fourth, narrowly missing out on the podium by just five-hundredths of a second. The race was a real thriller, with the first four riders crossing the finish line within just 0.3 seconds.
MotoAmerica at Barber Motorsports Park, USA.
There was another finale this week when at MotoAmerica (MA) the final two races of the year were held at the Barber Motorsports Park (USA). Three BMW riders started in the Superbike class (MA SBK). Danny Eslick (USA / Scheibe Racing) finished sixth twice. Geoff May (USA / CCFOfficeSolutions.com) was twelfth and ninth. Ben Young (CAN / Ben Young Racing), who is a regular rider and second in the Canadian Superbike Championship (CSBK), came home 13th and tenth.
In the Superstock class (MA STK), Travis Wyman (USA / Weir Everywhere Racing) finished fifth in the final race of the season. Wyman ended the year in second place in the championship.
SOURCE: BMW
