GERT56 by rs speedbikes celebrates Superstock win with the BMW S 1000 RR at the legendary Bol d’Or.

Munich. BMW Team GERT56 by rs speedbikes kicked off the
2018/19 season of the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC)
with a win in the Superstock class at the Bol d’Or at Le Castellet
(FRA). In the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (World SBK),
Loris Baz (FRA) picked up his best result of the season to date at
Portimão (POR). Roberto Tamburini (ITA) celebrated his first win of
the season in the FIM Superstock 1000 European Championship
(STK1000), thereby clinching the manufacturer’s title for BMW.
Markus Reiterberger (GER) finished third, which saw him extend his
lead in the championship. In the British Superbike Championship (BSB
STK) Superstock class, there was a one-two-three result for BMW
racers at Oulton Park (GBR). They also took wins and podiums in
Brazil and Malaysia.

 

 

FIM Endurance World Championship at Le Castellet, France.

 

The 2018/19 season of the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC)
got underway with the legendary 24-hour race Bol d’Or at Le Castellet
(FRA) at the weekend. It was a perfect start for the GERT56 by rs
speedbikes team. After 688 laps, the #56 BMW S 1000 RR brought home
the Superstock class win. In the overall standings, the rider trio of
Julian Puffe (GER), Stefan Kerschbaumer (AUT) and Filip Altendorfer
(GER) finished as the best BMW team, in a superb sixth place.

 

Mercury Racing also secured a top-ten position with the #21 BMW S
1000 RR. Karel Hanika (CZE), David Perret (FRA) and Ondrej Jezek (CZE)
finished in tenth place overall, and eighth in the EWC class. A total
of seven BMW teams contested the 82nd edition of the Bol d’Or.

 

Julian Puffe: “An incredible feeling! It was an
honour to be allowed to ride both the start and the finish stints. The
whole team did a fantastic job, our BMW S 1000 RR purred like a
kitten, and we ended up not only winning the Superstock class, but
also taking quite a lot of points away with us. I’m just so happy –
tired, but happy.”

Stefan Kerschbaumer: “At night, I thought that our
engine made funny noises, but that seems to be a rider syndrome in
endurance races. Our motorcycle worked perfectly from front to back
and from start to finish, and luck was on our side. It’s incredible
that we were able to win here, and I’m already looking forward to
April when we will try to be right up there at the front again at Le
Mans. With this team, anything really is possible.”


Filip Altendorfer: “When I was given my titanium hip
a few years ago, I said that I wouldn’t contest 24-hour races again.
We were on the podium at the Slovakiaring, I stepped in for the 8-hour
race. In Oschersleben, I fell shortly before the end of the race – I
really wanted to make up for this mistake. I stepped in for Lucy
Glöckner, and I didn’t have to think about it for long. The fact that
we are now at the top of the podium here leaves me speechless, and
just incredibly happy.”

 

 

MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at Portimão, Portugal.

 

After a long summer break, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship
(WorldSBK) started its final sprint toward the end of the 2018 season
at Portimão, Portugal, which is where Loris Baz (FRA) bagged his best
result of the season to date in Saturday’s race. The Gulf Althea BMW
Team rider crossed the finish line in sixth place. In race two on
Sunday, he finished in the top-ten again, this time in ninth place.

 

Loris Baz: “Overall, I’m happy with the weekend, the
best of the year so far, so, I hope we can continue like this for the
rest of the season and achieve a top-five finish at last. The guys did
a great job and now we’ll work hard to prepare for what is my home
race at Magny-Cours.”

 

 

FIM Superstock 1000 European Championship at Portimão, Portugal.

 

As part of the WorldSBK weekend at Portimão (POR), the FIM Superstock
1000 European Championship (STK1000) held its seventh and penultimate
race of the season. It was in this race that Roberto Tamburini (ITA),
of Berclaz Racing, claimed his first win of the season. On his way to
his success, Tamburini also set a new lap record on his BMW S 1000 RR.
On top of that, his win saw him clinch the manufacturer’s title for
BMW. In the seven races of the season so far, a BMW rider has stood on
the top step of the podium five times.

 

Markus Reiterberger (GER / alpha Racing-Van-Zon-BMW) finished in
third place at Portimão, also making it onto the podium, which saw him
extend his lead in the championship standings. Going into the
Magny-Cours (FRA) final in two weeks, Reiterberger has an 18-point
lead over Tamburini, who moved up into second place. Aprilia rider
Maximilian Scheib (CHI) trails Reiterberger by 19 points.

 

 

British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park, Great Britain.

 

The British Superbike Championship (BSB) headed to Oulton Park (GBR)
for its tenth round of the season. The best-placed BMW rider in the
first of the two Superbike class (BSB SBK) races in fifth was Michael
Laverty (GBR / Tyco BMW Motorrad), who then went on to retire in race
two. Peter Hickman (GBR / Smiths Racing) picked up two eighth-places.
Laverty’s team-mate Christian Iddon (GBR) was unable to compete due to
a triple collarbone fracture that he picked up at Silverstone (GBR)
the previous week and Sylvain Barrier (FRA / Smiths Racing) was also
missing due to an injury.

 

In the two Superstock class (BSB STK) races, BMW riders celebrated a
one-two-three result and picked up a total of five podium finishes. In
race one, Keith Farmer (GBR / Tyco BMW Motorrad) and Alex Olsen (GBR /
ASTRO – JJR Racing) finished in second and third place. In the second
race, all three spots on the podium went to BMW S 1000 RR racers:
Farmer won, Olsen finished second and Taylor MacKenzie (GBR / Bathams
Racing) rounded off the success in third. Farmer’s results saw him
take the lead in the championship standings. Going into the finale,
which will take place at Brands Hatch (GBR) in mid-October, Farmer has
a lead of 10.5 points over his nearest rival.

 

 

SuperBike Series Brasil at Goiânia, Brazil.

 

BMW riders in the SuperBike Series Brasil (BRSBK) also enjoyed a
successful weekend. The sixth round of the season was held at Goiânia
(BRA). In the first of the two races, Alex Barros (BRA / Alex Barros
Racing) and Danilo Lewis (BRA / Tecfil Havoline Racing Team) both
finished on the podium in second and third respectively. Then, in the
second race, Lewis celebrated his first win of the season. Barros also
claimed another podium spot by finishing in third.

 

 

Malaysia Superbike Championship at Sepang, Malaysia.

 

The Sepang International Circuit, located to the south of Kuala
Lumpur (MAS), hosted the third round of the Malaysia Superbike
Championship (MSC) – during which BMW riders picked up a win and a
total of seven podium places.

 

In the first Superbike class (MSC SBK) race, Mohd Ramdan Rosli (MAS /
TOC HKMTOYO Racing Team) finished in third place. In race two, he
claimed the win. His team-mate Amirul Hafig Azmi (MAS) finished the
second race in the third spot on the podium.

 

Hafig Azmi also contested the two Superstock class (MSC STK) races.
He finished third in the first race and second in the race two. He was
joined on the podium by Sharulnizam Ramli (MAS / FTA Liqui Moly
Racing), who finished the races in second and third places.