Munich (DE), 3rd October 2016. Racing action with the BMW S 1000 RR
in numerous championships on six continents, more than 200 customer
teams around the globe and one big, closely related family: with its
extensive customer sports programme, BMW Motorrad Motorsport has
created a unique and huge world-spanning racing community. The number
of riders who take to the track with the BMW S 1000 RR in
international and national series has constantly increased over recent
years, and the community continues to grow. There is a reason for
this: The racing customers know that BMW Motorrad is not only a
manufacturer, but also a strong partner at their side that co-operates
with them and who they can count on.
A very special competition brings the global BMW Motorrad Motorsport
community even closer together: the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy. BMW
Motorrad introduced this innovative concept in 2014, and to date is
the only manufacturer that unites its customers from all continents
and many different championships in one competition. In the current
season, 20 international and national race series with various
championship classes are classified for the Race Trophy. Each BMW S
1000 RR rider who competes in one of these classes can enter the BMW
Motorrad Race Trophy for free and, in direct competition, battle other
BMW riders from other series, nations and continents for the crown of
the best BMW rider in the world. The success of this concept mirrors
the growth of the worldwide RR community: The number of participants
has constantly increased and in 2016, the third season for the Race
Trophy, more than 120 BMW racers from all over the world have registered.
In an interview, Uwe Geyer, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport
Marketing, talks about the strategic approach of the customer sports
programme and the Race Trophy, as well as about the philosophy of, as
a manufacturer, providing intensive support for all customers, from
the pro in international world championships to the amateur in
national championships.
2016 is the third season for the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy. How
would you take stock of the Race Trophy so far?
Uwe Geyer: “It is a huge success and proves that we achieved our
goals – namely to create a unique, strong and successful global racing
family, and to be a close partner with our riders and teams on all
continents. We are extremely pleased with the development the Race
Trophy has taken in its first three years. This season, 127 registered
BMW riders are competing against each other in the BMW Motorrad Race
Trophy in 27 different racing classes around the world. In 2015 it was
104 riders, and in the debut year in 2014 it was 69 racers. The
acceptance of the BMW Motorrad customer racing programme is rising
annually, and it is increasingly establishing itself as a permanent
feature of the Motorrad world of motorsport. This and the success of
our competitors in their race series are the proof that our strategy
is working.”
How well did the BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders receive this
new competition?
Geyer: “The feedback we receive from our riders and participants from
all over the world confirms how much they appreciate the concept of
the Race Trophy. Many riders soon recognised the advantage and the
opportunities provided by the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy. We have a
large number of repeat entrants from previous years. Being part of a
huge global family, we offer them a worldwide platform, increased
awareness in international motorsport and many more benefits. Our
unique concept of equal treatment is also mirrored by the idea of the
Race Trophy – and is another reason why our riders like this
competition. And last, but not least, they are competitive people –
and, of course, everyone is keen to be crowned the best BMW racer in
the world.”
What was your objective when you started the Race Trophy, and
would you say now, three years on, that the project is a success?
Geyer: “Our objective was, and still is, to continuously grow our
unique community and to bring more and more BMW S 1000 RRs to the
racetracks worldwide. Being a strong and reliable partner for our
customers, our strategy is to provide equal support to all our riders
and teams, so that every BMW racer around the world benefits from
being part of the BMW Motorrad Motorsport community and from the
expertise of our engineers. As a manufacturer it is important to be
approachable, so to be able to help riders and teams. The continuously
rising number of entrants, and the sporting successes in particular,
prove that our concept is a success.”
How important is it to you that you have managed to establish
one of the largest global communities in the motorcycle world?
Geyer: “We are very proud to have created this big global family,
which is unprecedented in international motorcycle racing. Our BMW S
1000 RR racers fly the flag for BMW Motorrad all around the world, in
numerous racing series on all continents, from world championships to
national series. Every race weekend, they prove with their successes
in all the different series that the BMW S 1000 RR is one of the
strongest bikes in production-based motorcycle racing. Therefore, they
are the perfect ambassadors for our brand and our bike – and it is
great that they are becoming more and more.”
How does the exchange with and among the members of this
community, the racers across the globe, work?
Geyer: “Many riders know each other through the international racing
stage and some of them ride in the same team in the World Endurance
Championship, even though they battle for points in different
international and national race series. Naturally, our aim through the
community concept is to link all BMW racers around the world. Our
means of communication, such as the BMW Motorrad Motorsport
international Facebook page, provide riders with insights into the
series of the other Race Trophy competitors. It goes without saying
that BMW Motorrad Motorsport remains in constant contact with the
riders and is on hand to address their concerns. Communication is
always a BMW priority, and so is the image that the Race Trophy
competitors present in public. We place a lot of value on the
visibility and recognition factor of our riders being a given in all
of the championships.”
What have you learned from this community?
Geyer: “We learned that the community promotes and strengthens team
spirit among the BMW racers around the world. But we also need to take
care of the community. This means being approachable and being on-site
at the races. Our principle of treating the competitors equally is
very popular, because it honours the performance of each rider no
matter whether they win the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, for example,
or are battling for points in the local Superbike championship in
South Africa.”
What are the plans for the future?
Geyer: “We would like to further strengthen our close partnership
with our customers. To extend the community of BMW racers around the
world. To become even more attractive to riders who race. To include
more race series in the Race Trophy, and to continuously develop the
concept of this unique competition.”