80th Bol d’Or 24-Hours
2016-2017 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC)
Paul Ricard Circuit
Le Castellet, France
September 18, 2016
Final Overall Race Results:
1. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (Vincent Philippe/Anthony Delhalle/Etienne Masson), Suz GSX-R1000, Superbike, 687 laps, Total Race Time 23:51:03.405
2. SRC Kawasaki (Gregory Leblanc/Randy De Puniet/Fabien Foret), Kaw ZX-10R, Superbike, 678 laps
3. TRICK STAR Racing (Erwan Nigon/Osamu Deguichi/Hitoyasu Izutsu), Kaw ZX-10R, Superbike, 676 laps
4. MACO RACING Team (Greg Junod/Anthony Dos Santos/Marko Jeman), Yam YZF-R1, Superbike, 675 laps
5. F.C.C. TSR Honda (Shinichi Ito/Damian Cudlin/Kazuma Watanabe), Hon CBR1000RR, Superbike, 674 laps
6. MOTO AIN CRT (Hugo Clere/Alexis Masbou/Ludovic Gherardi), Yam YZF-R1, Superstock, 669 laps
7. Tati Team Beaujolais Racing (Julien Enjolras/Dylan Buisson/Anthony Violland), Kaw ZX-10R, Superstock, 668 laps
8. TEAM 3ART YAM’AVENUE (Louis Bulle/Alex Plancassange/Luca Marconi), Yam YZF-R1, Superstock, 666 laps
9. GMT94 Yamaha (David Checa/Niccolo Canepa/Lucas Mahias), Yam YZF-R1, Superbike, 659 laps
10. Voelpker NRT48 by Schubert-Motors (Floarian Galotte/Christopher Kemmer/Christof Hofer), BMW S1000RR, Superstock, 659 laps
23. Girls Racing Team (Melissa Paris/Jolanda Van Westrenen/Carole Goncalves), Yam YZF-R1, Superstock, 626 laps
35. YART Yamaha (Broc Parkes/Josh Hayes/Sheridan Morais), Yam YZF-R1, Superbike, DNF, 442 laps
55. Team Rabid Transit (Max Neuchirchner/Ivan Silva/Igor Jerman), Yam YZF-R1, Superbike, DNF, 3 laps
More, from a press release issued by Honda:
Disappointment for Honda Endurance Racing at the Bol d’Or
Bol d’Or
The Circuit Paul Ricard, France
The Honda Endurance Racing team was forced to retire from the 80th Edition of the Bol d’Or after experiencing a mechanical issue in the 21st hour. With 567 laps completed and a race distance of 3,312km, the team announced its retirement today at 12.20pm.
It was a positive start to the 24-hour race, which got underway shortly after 3pm yesterday at the Paul Ricard Circuit, in Southern France. Starting the race from fifth was Freddy Foray, who had a blinding start aboard the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP.
Leading into the first corner Foray was instantly with the front group and highly competitive as the 2017 FIM Endurance World Championship got underway. At the first pit stop the team was sitting sixth and it was Julien Da Costa’s turn next at the 5.842km circuit.
Da Costa immediately got up to pace and by the end of his stint the team were sitting second. However a slower than normal pit stop moved the team back into seventh as Sébastien Gimbert headed out on track. Gliding the CBR back through the pack with impressive pace, Gimbert slotted back into the third place spot.
Over the next few hours Honda’s endurance specialists were on pace at the fast circuit and a podium finish was looking almost certain, with the team dicing between second and third places. However, seven hours into the race Da Costa crashed, unhurt, whilst holding third place.
Getting the CBR quickly back to the garage the skilled Honda crew got to work immediately repairing the machine and getting back on track as soon as possible. After 25 minutes, and repairs made primarily to the front of the bike, the team returned to the race in 19th position.
It was then down to the riders and the Honda crew to ensure time was made up on track and also during pit stops. Pushing hard all riders dug deep moving up places and just missed out on points at the 16-hour mark by 2.21 seconds, behind the team in tenth place.
Swiftly moving into the top-ten all eyes were on the Honda squad and if more places could be made up. Da Costa set about hunting down the ninth place spot and hopes in the garage were high as the final hours of the race approached.
At 11.30am Gimbert brought the CBR into the garage reporting an issue and it was all hands on deck as the team got to work to identify the problem. After 30 minutes in the box Gimbert was back on track, but returned after one lap reporting the same issue.
As an issue with the gearbox could not be resolved, it was decided that after 21 hours of racing the Honda Endurance Racing team would retire from the Bol d’Or. This decision was made due to the fast nature of the Paul Ricard Circuit, considering the safety of the team’s riders and fellow EWC competitors.
The Honda Endurance Racing team will now refocus, regroup and make preparations for the next round of the EWC season, which is set to provisionally take place in March (2017) at Portimao, in Portugal – with dates still to be confirmed.
Freddy Foray 111
The result is disappointing for us to retire from the Bol d’Or, I was feeling good about things at the start of the race, we had the pace and we were with the front group. I definitely thought a podium was on the cards for us today, but you know this is endurance and racing – anything can happen and today it was not for us. But you know, we have improved on last year and we proved that we can run with the front group. We now need to focus on the races next year, to make sure we keep the pace and remain competitive. We have lost valuable points not finishing today, so we need to make sure we come back from this strong and regain as many points as possible at the second round.
Julien Da Costa 111
So we are of course very disappointed not to have finished the 24 hours – at the start of the race it was very positive and we were in the front group, not too far from the front. We did struggle a little with the front of the bike and I had a big crash during the night. Thankfully I am OK, but there was a lot of damage to the Fireblade. The team worked hard to get us back on track quickly and a big thanks to them for turning it around so fast. At the end we had the problem and we are disappointed, but this is racing and it can happen to anyone, but today it was us. We will be back next year stronger and fighting for the EWC title.
Sébastien Gimbert 111
I am not too happy with today, it’s not the result we wanted starting the new season and I am disappointed. We started the race well and we had good pace, we were catching the front group and I think if we didn’t have the problem and after Julian’s crash we’d have been chasing seventh place. Now we have some work to do to make sure in the New Year we are ready for the second round and to start collecting valuable season points.
Neil Tuxworth
Team Manager
Well we’ve had another disappointment in endurance today having to retire from the Bol d’Or with just three hours to go. We made the unfortunate decision to retire and we’re not 100% sure what the problem is, but we have our doubts with the gearbox and we don’t want to take a risk with our riders having an injury, or causing another team to have an incident, while we’re uncertain to what the actual problem is. We did everything possible to try and fix, and identify the issue, but with less than three hours we were forced to retire. I feel sorry for the riders and also the whole team who have put so much effort in and worked so hard over the last few days. We will now regroup; sort things out and we will be winning some endurance races before long.
More, from a press release issued by Eurosport Events:
SERT CALLS ALL THE SHOTS AT THE BOL D’OR
Suzuki Endurance Racing Team pulled off a superb win with a 10-lap lead over Team SRC Kawasaki and Japanese team Trick Star Racing – who made a brilliant debut at the Bol d’Or. Fellow-Japanese team F.C.C. TSR Honda finished 5th.
Suzuki Endurance Racing Team made a clean sweep at the first race of the FIM EWC 2016/2017 season, scooping 40 points for the win plus the 20 bonus points awarded to the team in the lead 8 and 16 hours into the race. Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Etienne Masson had a perfect race. The team ran like clockwork, staying in the lead for 683 of the race’s 687 laps.
The 80th Bol d’Or will also be remembered for putting MotoGP riders on both the EWC and Superstock podiums, and for having two Japanese teams in the top 5: proof of the championship’s new international slant.
Randy de Puniet finished on the second step of the podium after his first Bol d’Or, alongside his SRC Kawasaki teammates Gregory Leblanc and Fabien Foret. A broken wheel axle slowed the team down shortly after nightfall, but SRC Kawasaki quickly caught up with the front group – though they admit the Suzuki clan was invincible this weekend. Randy Puniet turned in a flawless performance in the saddle of the #11, proving he’s a genuine Endurance rider who really understands the sport.
Like F.C.C. TSR Honda at the Le Mans 24 Heures Motos in 2016, a Japanese team stepped on the podium at the Bol d’Or. Trick Star Racing pulled off an amazing 3rd place on its very first foray outside the Suzuka 8 Hours with riders Erwan Nigon, Osamu Deguchi and Hitoyasu Izutsu. The team will clearly be a force to reckon with at all the other FIM EWC races.
Maco Racing Team fell just short of the podium after Greg Junod, Anthony dos Santos and Marko Jerman completed a fantastic race. F.C.C. TSR Honda rounded off the top 5. The team featured Shinichi Ito, four-time winner of the Suzuka 8 Hours. The Bol d’Or marked his return to the track. He rode the Honda #5 with Damian Cudlin and Kazuma Watanabe.
A Superstock battle raged just behind the top 5, with another MotoGP rider in the spotlight carrying off a historic win. This was Moto3 rider Alexis Masbou’s first-ever Endurance race, alongside Johann Nigon and Hugo Clere on the Yamaha Moto Ain bike. They finished 6th overall and 1st in Superstock, ahead of Tati Team Beaujolais Racing (Julien Enjolras, Dylan Buisson and Anthony Violland, slowed down by a wheel axle problem) and Team 3Art Yam’Avenue (Louis Bulle, Alex Plancassagne and Luca Marconi, hampered by a tumble and then by running out of fuel). Yamaha Viltaïs Experiences led the Superstock class for a long time before losing ground because of a fuel pump problem.
Pole sitter GMT94 Yamaha plummeted to the depths of the standings after two crashes, but finished 9th after a brilliant climb back up.
Others were less fortunate. Several teams had to throw in the towel at the 80th Bol d’Or. Engine failure put paid to YART Yamaha Official EWC Team’s hopes in the early hours. Broc Parkes, who posted the race’s fastest lap (a 1’59.124), Josh Hayes and Sheridan Morais had got the Austrian Yamaha up to 2nd place when it happened, after running out of fuel during the first stint.
Honda Endurance Racing got unlucky yet again. After lapping in the top 3 for the first quarter of the race, the British Honda squad fell back following a crash, then had to withdraw because of a gearbox problem two hours from the finish line.
Earlier in the race, Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Team withdrew with a broken engine, and Team April Moto Motors Events with a broken gearbox.
Next date on the FIM EWC calendar: 18 March 2017 (12 Horas de Portimão, Portugal).
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
SERT & SUZUKI GSX-R1000 DOMINATE THE BOL D’OR
Suzuki Endurance Racing Team put on a masterful display of consistency, control and machine reliability to win the opening round of the new 2016-2017 Endurance World Championship, the 80th Anniversary Bol d’Or 24-Hour Race, at Paul Ricard Circuit in France by nine laps.
SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Etienne Masson crossed the finish line with their GSX-R1000 Suzuki this afternoon with a total of 687 laps completed from runners-up SRC Kawasaki in a gruelling and challenging event.
The team led all but four of the race-laps (the other two by SRC Kawasaki and also Penz 13 com BMW early on Saturday afternoon), pushing hard from the start to build its lead before then controlling the race from the front, calculating exactly when the 26 pit-stops were needed – and in which they pitted the fastest (41.092 minutes spent in total) – before slightly backing-off the pace in the second half of the race.
It was a masterpiece of skill and strategy from Dominique Meliand’s 15-time World Champions and showcased the reliability and durability of the team’s GSX-R1000 Suzuki that performed faultlessly throughout.
From the start, and under ideal 22 degree air/ 30 degree track temperatures, Delhalle sprinted into a top-four position in the opening corners, but it was Team April Moto Motors Events Suzuki rider Greg Black who took an early lead from 10th position on the grid. The 2016 Endurance World Championship EWC-class bronze medallists were in the hunt during the opening stages, but an unfortunate series of events put-paid to the independent team’s hopes for the podium: Firstly, Black ran out of fuel after 47 minutes and had to sprint back to the pits to refill the GSX-R1000. And then the team suffered a series of recurring gearbox issues that forced them to retire after just 56 laps.
As darkness and temperatures dropped on the 5,791 km circuit in southern France, SERT continued to keep on the pressure and monitor fuel usage – much higher than usual due to the very long, flat-out 332kph main straight that caused several engine blow-ups to other competitors during the race, where 23 teams fell-out of the running with crashes and other technical issues.
Then as temperatures rose throughout Sunday morning, SERT’s three riders continued to rotate their stints with precision, kept pace to around the 2:02-minute mark from its initial ‘short-circuit’ pace in the 1:59s – and then handed over the final stint to Masson, who also took this honour bringing home the GSX-R1000 for SERT’s 15th World Championship victory at Oschersleben in Germany on August 28th.
As leaders at strategic stages throughout the race, SERT was awarded maximum extra points, dictated by FIM 24-Hour race regulations, and came away a total of 60 points. This sees them hold a 10-point lead in the series over SRC and 16 points over third-placed – and new EWC series regulars – EVA TRICK STAR Racing.
EWC 2016-2017 now takes a six-month break until March 18th, 2017 when round two of the six-round series commences in Portugal for the Portimao 12-Hour race.
Dominique Meliand – Team Manager:
“It was an absolutely amazing race for SERT and it was a real team victory for us all and the GSX-R machine. We took the lead on the fourth lap and we held it throughout. This is wonderful win at the Bol d’Or and we are all very happy.”
Anthony Delhalle:
“It was a crazy and amazing race. We knew we had a really good package with the GSX-R after the practice sessions, but we didn’t know if the Kawasakis or Yamahas would go faster until the race had begun. But we knew we could do well here, although did not imagine that we would win by nine laps.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Yamaha Make Promising Start To Endurance Season At Bol d’Or
Making a remarkable comeback during the second part of the Bol d’Or 24 Hour, GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team wrapped up a challenging 2016/2017 FIM Endurance World Championship season opener with an impressive ninth place. Enduring a rollercoaster of emotions, YART Yamaha Official EWC Team were forced to retire from a very strong runner-up position after 15 hours of intense racing.
Both Yamaha official teams entered the 80th edition of the iconic Bol d’Or 24 Hour this weekend determined to kick off the six-race long season on a high. Securing victory three weeks ago at the 8 Hours of Oschersleben, GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team arrived to the famous Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France aiming to continue their winning ways into the new season.
Following a well-calculated plan the team of David Checa, Niccolò Canepa and Lucas Mahias gave their best during the first day of qualifying when the track was still dry. Not having to take any unnecessary risks during a wet second day of qualifying, they claimed the pole position for the weekend’s 24H race.
Assigned with the task of riding the opening part of the race Checa was comfortably holding on to seventh place before handing the team’s YZF-R1 to teammate Canepa. Loosing no time the Italian started putting in fast lap times and brought the team to third place before suffering a fall.
With team mechanics doing an amazing job to bring the #94 machine back to the track, it wasn’t long before the team saw Mahias suffer another fall. Loosing a significant amount of time the team resumed the race outside the top 40 shortly before the five-hour mark.
Knowing that they had to give their all, team riders spent the rest of the race battling through the pack. At times the fastest riders circulating the track, they kept gaining positions until they eventually managed to get inside the top 10 with just a few minutes remaining.
Making his last of many passes 12 minutes before the end, Canepa brought the team’s YZF-R1 home in ninth place. GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team finds themselves ninth in the 2016/2017 FIM Endurance World Championship standings.
For YART Yamaha Official EWC Team the opening round of the 2016/2017 series proved to be a race of mixed emotions. Joined by four-time AMA SBK Champion Josh Hayes, the duo of Broc Parkes and Sheridan Morais had their sights set on the overall podium.
Setting a blisteringly fast pace from the get go, the team saw their riders battle for the provisional lead even before the completion of the first hour of racing. Shortly after, a minor issue with a malfunctioning tank light resulted in the bike running out of fuel twice, which dropped the team outside the top 10.
Not once giving up the fight, Parkes, Hayes and Morais kept pushing hard to gradually bring the team back into the top three with seven and a half hours completed. Almost two hours later, taking advantage of a mistake by second-placed team rider, Josh Hayes claimed the provisional runner-up position.
Battling to retain second YART riders spent the whole night chipping away at the sizeable advantage held by the provisional leaders before a technical issue forced the team to abandon the race with exactly 15 hours and 38 minutes of racing completed. Collecting nine precious points the team is now placed 13th in the provisional championship standings.
Aboard their YZF-R1 machine, Maco Racing Team’s Greg Junod, Anthony Dos Santos and Marko Jerman were the best performing Yamaha riders in fourth place. Starting the season in a very positive way, Moto AIN CRT’s trio of Hugo Clere, Clement Marmont and Ludovic Gherardi raced their YZF-R1 to victory in the Superstock class, while finishing sixth overall.
Team 3ART YAM’ Avenue also rode a strong race to complete the 24-hour Bol d’Or inside the top ten with a solid eighth place in the overall. They also secured third in Superstock. Successfully overcoming a series of small issues during the race, Yamaha Viltaïs Experience crossed the line in 12th place.
Following a well-deserved break Yamaha Racing riders will return to action on round two of the 2016/2017 FIM Endurance World Championship in Portimão, Portugal, on March 18, 2017.
Christophe Guyot – GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
“We came to Bol d’Or with the goal to win it. After the misfortunes in the beginning that dropped us down the ranking our riders and all the members of the team gave their best to bring us closer to the top. Collecting points was crucial for us. Our ninth place gave us 13 points that will be very important for the rest of the season. David Checa, Niccolò Canepa and Lucas Mahias are all highly motivated and extremely talented. They’ve already given us two victories and the pole position here at Bol d’Or. I’m sure it won’t be long before we get back to our winning ways.”
David Checa – GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
“Our team made a huge effort this weekend and I can’t thank them enough for giving their all. It was a very intense race and the pace was fast from the beginning. We knew this was a strange circuit, with fast straights and tight corners, so we worked really hard to find the perfect bike set-up. What I’d like to take from this race is our speed, especially during its closing part. We will continue working hard. We just hope for some better luck next time out.”
Niccolò Canepa – GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
“I’m happy with the way the race ended, especially after the problems we had in the beginning. My crash came in a low speed corner. I was actually following another rider. He had a problem and his bike was losing oil. I rode a bit wider in a turn, went outside the racing line and lost the front. Either way it’s been a huge lesson. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season now. I believe we have so much more to give.”
Lucas Mahias – GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
“Racing for GMT94 has been great. I got the absolute best time in qualifying and was glad to help my team secure pole. The team works in a very professional way and I think it showed by the way we handled the pressure. Coming back from outside the top 40 to finish ninth was a big deal. I think we lost count of how many passes we made during the race.”
Mandy Kainz – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
“Overall it wasn’t a bad weekend. We proved we have the speed and consistency to be among the frontrunners. It’s just that the final outcome of the race left all of us wanting for more. We arrived to Bol d’Or aiming for the podium and we showed we could be up there. We got into second place nine hours after the start and stayed there until our DNF, just before the 16-hour mark. The team made a great job and our R1 performed very well. The result might not be what we expected but it fills us with the desire to come back even stronger in the following round.”
Broc Parkes – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
“This race has been a blast. I felt very comfortable on the bike from the get go so I could keep pushing more. Ruling out the small issues we had after the start I think hands down we were among if not the fastest team overall. For me it was just so easy to keep a fast pace. The bike was perfectly dialled in for the conditions and I was having a blast. It’s a bit of a bummer we didn’t get to finish the race, but we’ll be back for sure.”
Josh Hayes – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
“It was an exciting weekend for me. I took my time to learn the track during qualifying and then kept pushing harder and harder during the race. The atmosphere in the team has been great and I believe we showed what we’re capable of. It’s a bit of a bummer we didn’t have the chance to remain in the battle for the top, but we learned a lot during the weekend.”
Sheridan Morais – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Rider
“For me it was an honour to race for YART next to two legends. Despite the minor issues we had at the start of the race we all did our best and managed to get back to the top. Unfortunately I was the unlucky one to bring back the bike to the pits along with the bad news of our DNF. But things like that happen in endurance racing. We take the positives and move on. We had a very competitive pace in most part of the race and to me that’s very important for the rest of the season.”
2016 Bol d’Or 24H Final Results
1. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, EWC, Suzuki GSX-R 1000, 23:51:03.405
2. SRC Kawasaki, EWC, Kawasaki ZX-10R, +9 laps
3. Trick Star Racing, EWC, Kawasaki ZX-10R, +11 laps
4. MACO RACING Team, EWC, Yamaha YZF-R1, +12 laps
5. F.C.C. TSR Honda, EWC, Honda CBR1000RR, +13 laps
6. MOTO AIN CRT, SST, Yamaha YZF-R1, +18 laps
…
9. GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, EWC, Yamaha YZF-R1, +28 laps
2016/2017 FIM Endurance World Championship (After Round 1)
1. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, EWC, 60 points
2. SRC Kawasaki, EWC, 50 points
3. Trick Star Racing, EWC, 44 points
4. MACO RACING Team, EWC, 37 points
5. F.C.C. TSR Honda, EWC, 32 points
6. MOTO AIN CRT, SST, 26 points
…
9. GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team, 13 points
13. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, 9 points
More, from a press release issued by Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Racing Team:
Penz13.com BMW Motorrad forced to retire at 80th Bol d’Or
Le Castellet, France. Team Penz13.com BMW Motorrad was forced to retire early from the 80th Bol d’Or, held this weekend on Saturday and Sunday, 17th/18th of September, at the Paul Ricard Circuit Le Castellet. The opening round of the new format 2016/2017 FIM Endurance World Championship, the 24 hours of Le Castellet, was not a dream start for the BMW S 1000 RR equipped team, as it had to retire on lap 54.
Team started into the race with Frenchman Kenny Foray, who took the start turn to fight for the top spots of the field. He handed over the machine to his fellow Frenchman Matthieu Lussiana who brought the team’s bike back on podium course, but unfortunately Australian Alex Cudlin suffered an engine failure and pushed the bike back to the pits.
Cudlin had jumped in for Lukas Pesek who’s fitness was in doubt after his crash in Thursday’s qualifying session, which left the Czech rider with no broken bones but heavy pain in this right foot. The team didn’t want to take any risks given the 24 hours distance and opted for Alex Cudlin.
At the end the Team Penz13.com BMW Motorrad left Le Castellet early and disappointed but aims to come back stronger next year for the next race of the FIM Endurance World Championship season 2016/2017.
Rico Penzkofer
Team Principal
“It’s hard to find any words today. We put a lot of effort in the preparation of this race, not only with the strong result at Oschersleben, which was supposed to be a test for us and ended on the podium. We wanted to keep the momentum going here for the start of the new season only three weeks later but were not rewarded for all preparation and efforts we did for this weekend. It is hard to accept for every one of us, but it’s not about getting knocked down, but how quickly you get back to your feet and this is now our new aim. We got the winter ahead of us now and will re-arrange ourselves to come back even stronger. “