Munich (DE), 30th March 2016. Wheels are turning again in France:
last Easter weekend, Le Mans (FR) hosted the curtain raiser of the
2016 French Superbike Championship (FSBK) and the French European
Bikes Championship (FR EU). In both series, the BMW Motorrad
Motorsport racers enjoyed success with their BMW S 1000 RRs. However,
the teams and riders had to cope with unpredictable weather. Over the
entire weekend, rain showers continuously caused changing track conditions.
French Superbike Championship in Le Mans, France.
The French Superbike Championship’s (FSBK) 2016 season started with a
great podium finish for the BMW S 1000 RR. Kenny Foray (FR) claimed a
brilliant second place in race two on Sunday. In addition, he set the
fastest lap of this race. In the first of the two turbulent races,
Foray was fighting at the top, but had to retire after his front tyre
was damaged by debris on the track.
Former Endurance World Champion Foray is a new addition to the
international BMW Motorrad Motorsport family. The 31-year-old races in
the FSBK with Tecmas BMW, an experienced and successful French team
that is working closely with BMW Motorrad France from this season on.
Foray will also compete in the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC)
as a part of the Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Team.
In total, four BMW riders lined-up on the FSBK grid at Le Mans.
Nicolas Pouhair (FR) is a long-term member of the BMW Motorrad
Motorsport community and continues to race the RR in the FSBK this
season. He finished the races in 14th and 16th respectively. Cyprien
Schmidt (FR) claimed 16th and 15th on his BMW S 1000 RR. Foray’s young
Tecmas team-mate Maxime Bonnot (FR) also finished the two first races
of his debut season in the FSBK. He was 30th and 32nd respectively.
French European Bikes Championship in Le Mans, France.
In the French European Bikes Championship (FR EU), it was a BMW rider
who excited the fans with a brilliant win in Saturday’s first race.
Fifty-eight-year-old Hernani Teixeira (FR) defied the adverse weather
conditions that massively mixed up the order and rode to victory with
his BMW S 1000 RR. At the finish, he had an impressive advantage of
nearly 22 seconds over his closest rival. In total, seven BMW racers
crossed the line within the top-ten: Teixeira (1st), Julien Brun (FR /
4th) Richard Mathivet (FR / 5th), Benjamin Colliaux (FR / 6th), Michel
Amalric (FR / 7th), Madjid Idres (FR / 9th) and Bertrand Boyer (FR / 10th).
In race two, the successful weekend for the BMW racers was rounded
off by another two podium finishes. Colliaux was second in that race,
which was no less hectic than the first heat. David Bouvier (FR) also
stepped onto the podium, finishing third. He was followed over the
finish line by a further three BMW S 1000 RR riders in positions four
to six: Boyer, Manu Dagault (FR) and Amalric. Saturday’s winner
Teixeira was eighth in race two.
Both series will hold their next round on 23rd/24th April in Nogaro (FR).